Alexander Downer, Sr.

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Sir Alexander Russell Downer KBE (7 April 1910 - 30 March 1981), Australian politician generally known as Alec Downer, was born in Adelaide, the son of John Downer, a former Premier of South Australia and member of the Australian Senate. He was educated at Geelong Grammar School and at Oxford University, where he graduated in economics and political science. He practised as a barrister in Adelaide before joining the Australian Army in 1940. He served in Malaya and was a prisoner-of-war for three years.

After the war Downer joined the Liberal Party of Australia and in 1949 he was elected to the House of Representatives for a rural based Division of Angas. He was Minister for Immigration from 1958 to 1963. He retired from Parliament on his appointment as Australian High Commissioner in London, a position he held until 1972. He was knighted in 1965, becoming Sir Alexander Downer. He was made a Freeman of the City of London in 1965.

Sir Alec's son, Alexander Downer, is also a Liberal politician, who was Leader of the Opposition 1994-95 and has been Foreign Minister of Australia since 1996.