Allen Fairhall

Sir Allen Fairhall KBE (24 November 1909 – 3 November 2006) was an Australian politician and Member of the Parliament of Australia for the Division of Paterson from 1949 to 1969. During that period he held a number of ministerial portfolios, most notably Supply and Defence.

Fairhall was born at Morpeth and attended East Maitland Boys' High School. After school he was apprenticed as an electrical fitter at the Walsh Island Dockyard in Newcastle, while attending Newcastle Technical College. At the same time he developed an interest in radio and gained an amateur radio licence. He was able to convince the then Postmaster-General's Department that Newcastle needed a second commercial radio station. In 1931 he established 2KO. During World War II he worked on the supply of signals equipment for the Australian armed services. From 1941 to 1944 he was an alderman of the City of Newcastle.cite web
title = Sir Allen Fairhall, K.B.E
url = http://www.fairhall.id.au/resources/fame/sirallen.htm
accessdate = 2008-02-03 ] [cite news
last = Farquharson
first = John
title = A fair bet for PM, but he declined
publisher = Sydney Morning Herald
date = 10 December 2006 ]

Political career

In 1949, Fairhall entered the Federal Parliament as the Liberal Member for Paterson. He was Minister for Interior and Minister for Works (1956-58), Minister for Supply (1961-66) and Minister for Defence (1966-69). In the latter role, he was responsible for the introduction of the F-111 fighter aircraft and the reintroduction of conscription for the Vietnam War. The purchase of the F-111 was a major political issue in the late 1960s and early 1970s due to price escalation and late delivery, although many of them are still in service and some of them are now expected to have a service life of well over 50 years.

Following the drowning of Harold Holt in December 1967, Fairhall had support to nominate for the Prime Ministership, but he declined to do so. [ [http://www.fairhall.id.au/resources/fame/sirallen.htm Sir Allen Fairhall, K.B.E. - Prime Minister of Australia ... if he had nominated?] ]

Conscription was an important factor in the defeat of the Liberal government, after 23 years of power, by Gough Whitlam's Labor Party in 1972. [cite web
title = Members of the Fairhall Family who have achieved a degree of fame
url = http://www.fairhall.id.au/resources/fame/famous.htm
accessdate = 2008-02-03 ]

After retirement Fairhall wrote a book on Henry George, "Towards a New Society". [cite book
last = Fairhall
first = Allen
title = Towards a New Society
publisher = Allen Fairhall
date = 1997
location = Newcastle
pages = 114
id=ISBN 0-646-30921-8 ] He was made a Knight of the Order of the British Empire in 1970, received an honorary Doctorate of Science by Newcastle University and was awarded the James N Kirby Medal from the Institution of Production Engineers (Australian Division) and life membership of the Wireless Institute of Australia.

Notes

Persondata
NAME=Fairhall, Allen
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Australian politician
DATE OF BIRTH=24 November 1909
PLACE OF BIRTH=Morpeth, Australia
DATE OF DEATH=3 November 2006
PLACE OF DEATH=Australia