Geoffrey Street
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Geoffrey Austin Street MC (21 January 1894 – 13 August 1940) was an Australian Cabinet Minister and member of the House of Representatives, representing the Division of Corangamite from 1934 until his death in 1940.
Street was born in the Sydney suburb of Woollahra and educated at Sydney Grammar School and the University of Sydney. In 1914, he volunteered for military service and served in the First Australian Imperial Force and was wounded in the Gallipoli landing and served later in France and Belgium. Street was awarded the Military Cross in 1917, and in 1919 was discharged with the rank of Major.
Street married Evora Francis Currie in 1918 and purchased part of his father-in-law's property in the Western District of Victoria and became a successful sheep grazier and local politician. He became a councillor of Hampden Shire Council in 1924 and its president in 1913.[1]
[edit] Political career
At the request of Robert Menzies, Street stood for and won Corangamite in 1934. He became Minister for Defence in November 1938 and played a major role in the expansion of the military and munitions production prior to the outbreak of World War II and pushed the National Registration Act (1939) through parliament despite strong opposition. Following the outbreak of war he worked energetically to put Australia on a war footing, although from November 1939, Menzies abolished the position of Minister for Defence and appointed Street Minister for the Army and Minister for Repatriation.
Street died in the Canberra air disaster, 1940, along with two other Cabinet ministers. His son, Tony Street, was Member for Corangamite from 1966 to 1983.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Hazlehurst, Cameron. Street, Geoffrey Austin (1894 - 1940). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Harold Thorby |
Minister for Defence 1938 – 1939 |
Succeeded by Robert Menzies |
| New title | Minister for the Army 1939 – 1940 |
Succeeded by Philip McBride |
| Preceded by Eric Harrison |
Minister for Repatriation 1940 |
Succeeded by George McLeay |
| Parliament of Australia | ||
| Preceded by William Gibson |
Member for Corangamite 1934 – 1940 |
Succeeded by Allan McDonald |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Street, Geoffrey Austin |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Australian politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 21 January 1894 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia |
| DATE OF DEATH | 13 August 1940 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Canberra, Australia |
