Jeff Bate

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Henry Jefferson Percival "Jeff" Bate (5 March 1906, Tilba Tilba - 15 April 1984, Canberra) was an Australian politician, representing the Liberal Party of Australia before becoming an independent in 1972.

Jeff Bate was a son of Henry John Bate, a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly ^[1], and his wife Lily Percival, a leading contralto. He was educated at Newington College (1918-1921) ^[2], The King's School and the University of Sydney. He became a farmer at Bodalla, Wallaga Lake and Tilba Tilba. He won prizes for dairy fodder conservation at the Royal Agricultural Society show. He became director of the Bodalla Co-operative Dairy Company from 1927, later managing the cheese co-operative.

He was a Councilor of the Eurobodalla Shire Council 1929-1937, and its President 1936-37.

During World War II he served in the 2nd Australian Imperial Forces as a Lieutenant. He was a member of the Armoured Corps in 1940-45, and saw service in Egypt, Cyprus, the Middle East, New Guinea and New Britain.

He followed his father's footsteps into the NSW Legislative Assembly, where he represented the electoral district of Wollondilly from 1938 to 1949. He moved to federal politics, and in 1949 he was elected as the Australian House of Representatives member for the seat of Macarthur. Bate lost Liberal Party preselection in 1972 [1]. He became an independent in October of that year, and was defeated at the December 1972 election by John Kerin.

He was married three times: in 1928 and 1958, but most notably on 19 February 1969 to Dame Zara Holt, the widow of the Prime Minister Harold Holt who was presumed drowned in 1967.

He died in Canberra on 15 April 1984, aged 78.^[3]

Parliament of Australia
Preceded by New seat	Member for Macarthur 1949–1972	Succeeded by John Kerin
Assembly seats
Preceded by M. F. Morton	Member for Wollondilly 1938–1949	Succeeded by Blake Pelly