Rupert Hamer
Victorian Parliament for Kew | |
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In office 17 April 1971 – 17 July 1981 | |
Preceded by | Arthur Rylah |
Succeeded by | Prue Sibree |
Member of the Victorian Legislative Council | |
In office 21 June 1958 – 17 March 1971 | |
Preceded by | Clifden Eager |
Succeeded by | Haddon Storey |
Constituency | East Yarra Province |
Personal details | |
Born | Rupert James Hamer 29 July 1916 Liberal Party |
Spouse | April Felicity Mackintosh (1921-2015) |
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Member of the Legislative Assembly for Kew (1971–1981)
Premier of Victoria
Elections Related |
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Sir Rupert James Hamer,
Early years
Hamer was born in Melbourne to Elizabeth Anne McLuckie and Hubert Hamer, a solicitor. His three siblings all achieved success in their fields: his sister was Alison Patrick (1921–2009), an internationally known historian of the French Revolution; his brothers were David Hamer (1923–2002), a federal Liberal politician, and Alan, a Rhodes Scholar, chemist and managing director of ICI Australia.[2]
Hamer was educated at
Parliamentary career
Hamer was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council for East Yarra Province in 1958. He was appointed to the cabinet of the Premier, Henry Bolte, in 1962, becoming Assistant Chief Secretary. He was Minister for Local Government from 1964 to 1971.
After Deputy Premier Arthur Rylah's retirement, Hamer was elected in a by-election for Rylah's Legislative Assembly seat of Kew in East Melbourne. He immediately assumed Rylah's portfolios of Deputy Premier and Chief Secretary. Although he was loyal to Bolte, he had a reputation for being much more liberal than his rough-edged conservative leader.
Premier of Victoria
By the 1970s, the Liberal government was losing its appeal to younger, urban voters in Melbourne. Realizing that the Liberals had a year at most to retool their image before a statutory general election, Bolte retired in 1972 and endorsed Hamer as his successor. Despite opposition from the conservative wing of the party, Bolte's support was enough for Hamer to prevail in the ensuing leadership ballot, and he was sworn in as premier on 23 August.
Hamer represented such a sharp change from the Bolte era that he was able to campaign in the 1973 election as a new, reformist leader, despite the fact that the Liberals had been in power for 18 years. Employing the slogan "Hamer Makes It Happen", he won a landslide against the
Hamer, assisted by key allies such as Planning Minister
Hamer began the modernisation of Melbourne's moribund tramway system (now the world's biggest by route length), ordering 100 new trams immediately with further orders following, and approving the extension of the Burwood tram line from Warrigal Road to Middleborough Road. These were the first new trams and first new tram line since 1956, when Bolte stopped further expansion of the system and cancelled an order for 30 extra W7 class trams.
Restrictions on shop trading hours, and on public entertainment on Sundays, were eased. A major new centre for the performing arts, the Arts Centre Melbourne, was built in the centre of the city. These measures won the support of middle-class voters, and the Melbourne daily The Age, which had been critical of Bolte during his later years in power, strongly supported Hamer's government.
Hamer was instrumental in the introduction of the Historic Buildings Act 1974 and made significant moves in 1977 which guaranteed the protection of several significant buildings including the
By 1979, however, the gloss was wearing off the Hamer image, as Victoria was beset by increasing economic difficulties, rising unemployment, industrial unrest and a decline in Victoria's traditional manufacturing industrial base. At the same time, the Labor Party was mounting a stronger challenge to the Liberals than it had in some time.
In spite of the setback, Hamer continued in office. He promoted some new younger ministers such as
During this period the conservative wing of the Liberal Party, which had always disliked Hamer's social liberalism, began to undermine his position. The leading conservative, Economic Development Minister Ian Smith, was sacked from Cabinet for disloyalty in March 1981. He was reinstated after pledging loyalty to Hamer, but resigned again in May. It was apparent by this stage that Hamer had lost the support of his party. He resigned in June, and was succeeded by Deputy Premier Lindsay Thompson. The following month he resigned from Parliament, and was knighted, becoming Sir Rupert Hamer. At the ensuing by-election, Prue Sibree retained his seat for the Liberals. At the election the following year the Liberals were defeated after 27 years in power.
Hamer is the last non-elected Victorian Premier to have subsequently been elected in his own right.
Later career
Hamer remained active in public and community affairs after his retirement. He was chairman of the
Despite being a knight, Hamer was a staunch republican and a member of the Australian Republican Movement's advisory committee.[7]
Hamer Hall
Shortly after his death in 2004, the main concert hall of the Melbourne
Family
In March 2024, his 31-year-old grand-niece Amelia Hamer was selected as the Liberal candidate for the Division of Kooyong in the 2025 Australian federal election.[9]
References
- ^ "Hamer, Sir Rupert James ('Dick')". Re-Member (Former Members). Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
- ^ McPhee, Peter (10 April 2009). "Maintained family's tradition of high achievement with learned French work". The Age. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
- ^ "April love keeps the Hamer flame alight as tributes flow". The Age. 25 March 2004.
- ISBN 0043020070.
- ISBN 1-74152-463-6
- ^ Darren Gray; Jesse Hogan (24 March 2004). "Sir Rupert Hamer dies". The Age. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
- ^ "Sir Rupert Hamer: Renaissance premier". Australia: ABC News. 24 March 2004.
- ^ Rodan, "Rupert 'Dick' Hamer: The urbane liberal", pg.297
- ^ Sakkal, Paul; Smethurst, Annika (23 March 2024). "Amelia Hamer: Liberal royalty picked to replace Josh Frydenberg as Liberal candidate in Kooyong". The Age. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
Sources
- Rodan, Paul (2006). "Rupert "Dick" Hamer: The urbane liberal". In Paul Strangio, Brian Costar (ed.). The Victorian Premiers, 1856-2006: Volume 2. Leichardt: The Federation Press. pp. 294–313. ISBN 9781862875494.