William McMahon

The Right Honourable
Sir William McMahon
GCMG, CH
20th Prime Minister of Australia
Elections: 1972
In office
10 March 1971 – 5 December 1972
Monarch Elizabeth II
Governor General Paul Hasluck
Deputy Doug Anthony (1971–1972)
Preceded by John Gorton
Succeeded by Gough Whitlam
Constituency Lowe
Personal details
Born 23 February 1908(1908-02-23)
Sydney, Australia
Died 31 March 1988(1988-03-31) (aged 80)
Sydney, Australia
Political party Liberal
Spouse(s) Sonia McMahon
(m. 1965–1988)
Children Melinda, Julian, Deborah
Alma mater University of Sydney
Religion Anglican

Sir William "Billy" McMahon, GCMG, CH (23 February 1908 – 31 March 1988), was an Australian Liberal politician and the 20th Prime Minister of Australia. He was the longest continuously serving government minister in Australian history (21 years and 6 months), as well as the longest serving Prime Minister to have never won an election.

Contents

Early life

William McMahon was born in Sydney, where his father was a lawyer. He was of Irish ancestry. McMahon's mother died when he was 9 and his father when he was 18. He was educated at Sydney Grammar School and at the University of Sydney, where he graduated in law. He practised in Sydney with Allen, Allen & Hemsley (now Allens Arthur Robinson), the oldest law firm in Australia. In 1940 he joined the Army, but because of a hearing loss he was confined to staff work. After World War II he travelled in Europe and completed an economics degree.

Politics

Billy McMahon was elected to the House of Representatives for the Sydney seat of Lowe in 1949, one of the flood of new Liberal MPs known as the "forty-niners". He was capable and ambitious, and in 1951 Prime Minister Robert Menzies made him Minister for Air and Minister for the Navy. Over the next 15 years he held the portfolios of Social Services, Primary Industry and Labour and National Service, and he was also Vice-President of the Executive Council. In 1966, when Harold Holt became Prime Minister, McMahon succeeded him as Treasurer and as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party.

Despite his steady advance, McMahon remained unpopular with his colleagues. He was highly capable, but seen as too ambitious and a schemer. He had never married, and there were frequent rumours throughout his life that he was homosexual.[1] In 1965, aged 57, he married Sonia Rachel Hopkins, who was then aged 32. They had three children: Melinda, Julian (who would find fame in his own right as a model and an actor), and Deborah.

When Holt drowned in December 1967, McMahon was assumed to be his automatic successor. But John McEwen, interim Prime Minister and leader of the Country Party, announced that he and his party would not serve in a government led by McMahon. McEwen did not state his reasons publicly, but privately he told McMahon he did not trust him. There was also McEwen's personal dislike of McMahon due to his perceived homosexuality. McEwen, an arch-protectionist, also correctly suspected that McMahon favoured policies of free trade and deregulation.

McMahon therefore withdrew, and John Gorton won the party room ballot. McMahon became Foreign Minister and waited for his chance at a comeback. He stood as a candidate for the Liberal Party leadership (and therefore Prime Minister, as the Liberal/Country Party coalition held a majority in the House of Representatives) after the 1969 election but was defeated by Gorton. In January 1971 McEwen retired as Country Party leader and his successor, Doug Anthony, did not continue the veto against McMahon. In March 1971 the Defence Minister, Malcolm Fraser, resigned from Cabinet and denounced Gorton, who then called a party meeting. When the party room vote on a motion of no confidence was tied, Gorton declared that he lacked the confidence of the room and relinquished the leadership, and McMahon was elected leader.

Prime minister

McMahon found being Prime Minister an unenjoyable experience. The Vietnam War and conscription had become very unpopular. He was unable to match the performance of Labor leader Gough Whitlam, who campaigned on radical new policies such as universal health insurance. He was undermined by plotting from Gorton's supporters. He attacked Whitlam over his policy of recognising the People's Republic of China, then had to back down when President Nixon announced his visit to China.

His reputation for economic management was undermined by high inflation. His voice and appearance came across badly on television, and he was no match in parliamentary debates for Whitlam, a witty and powerful orator.

McMahon lost his nerve, and in the December 1972 election campaign he was outperformed by Whitlam and subjected to further humiliation in the press. When Whitlam won the election McMahon resigned the Liberal leadership.

He had been a minister continuously for 21 years and 6 months, a record in the Australian Parliament. Only Sir George Pearce and John McEwen had longer overall ministerial service, but their terms were not continuous.

Later life

McMahon served in the Shadow Cabinet under his successor Billy Snedden, but was dropped after the 1974 election. He retained his seat in Parliament in the 1975, 1977 and 1980 elections, and was the last former Australian Prime Minister until Kevin Rudd to recontest his seat. He became Joint Father of the House of Representatives with Clyde Cameron in 1977, and sole Father in 1980 when Cameron retired. On the retirement of Senator Justin O'Byrne in 1981, he became Father of the Parliament. He resigned from Parliament in 1982.

McMahon died of cancer in Sydney on 31 March 1988, aged 80.[2] His widow Lady (Sonia) McMahon died aged 77 on 2 April 2010.[3]

Honours

McMahon was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1966, a Companion of Honour in the New Year's Day Honours of 1972[4] and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George in the Queen's Birthday Honours of 1977.[5]

Following the 2009 redistribution of New South Wales, the Division of Prospect was renamed in his honour with effect from the 2010 federal election.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ e.g. "As a bachelor navy minister he was notorious for co-opting handsome young sailors in tight-fitting bell-bottom trousers to caddy for him at golf". Charlton, Peter. Australia's Prime Ministers in Birth Of Our Nation Special Supplement, The Courier-Mail, 2001; "former senior public servants recall McMahon when PM in the early 1970s would rove the men’s dressing rooms at the old squash courts in Manuka. Wearing not a stitch, he was in the habit of approaching other men and virtually demanding they engage in long, often meaningless conversations ... The only newspaper report was a picture of McMahon with a black eye, which he said occurred in a game when he was hit by an opponent’s racquet." Wright, Tony. The Dishonorable Member in The Bulletin 9 July 2005. The book, The Everlasting Secret Family, was loosly based on him. See also: Mitchell, Susan Stand By Your Man, Random House, October 2007 and Lady McMahon's response to Mitchell in The Australian Women's Weekly, November 2007.
  2. ^ "Biography". Spiritus-temporis.com. http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/william-mcmahon. Retrieved 25 April 2010. 
  3. ^ Hornery, Andrew; Browne, Rachel; Whyte, Sarah (4 April 2010). "Sonia McMahon dies aged 77". Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/people/a-lady-who-lived-life-to-the-full-20100403-rkqk.html. Retrieved 25 April 2010. 
  4. ^ "It's an Honour – CH". Itsanhonour.gov.au. 1 January 1972. http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1065991&search_type=simple&showInd=true. Retrieved 25 April 2010. 
  5. ^ "It's an Honour – GCMG". Itsanhonour.gov.au. 12 June 1977. http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1073780&search_type=simple&showInd=true. Retrieved 25 April 2010. 
  6. ^ "Augmented Electoral Commission decides boundaries and names for Federal Electoral Divisions in NSW". Aec.gov.au. 23 October 2009. http://www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/Media_releases/2009/10-23.htm. Retrieved 25 April 2010. 

Further reading

External links

Parliament of Australia
New division Member for Lowe
1949–82
Succeeded by
Michael Maher
Preceded by
Kim Beazley (senior)
Clyde Cameron
Father of the House of Representatives
1980–82
Succeeded by
Malcolm Fraser
Billy Snedden
Sir James Killen
Political offices
Preceded by
Philip McBride
Minister for Air
1951–54
Succeeded by
Athol Townley
Minister for the Navy
1951–54
Succeeded by
Josiah Francis
Preceded by
Athol Townley
Minister for Social Services
1954–56
Succeeded by
Hugh Roberton
Preceded by
John McEwen
Minister for Commerce and Agriculture
1956–58
Succeeded by
Charles Adermann
Preceded by
Harold Holt
Minister for Labour and National Service
1958–66
Succeeded by
Les Bury
Preceded by
Bill Spooner
Vice-President of the Executive Council
1964–66
Succeeded by
Alan Hulme
Preceded by
Harold Holt
Treasurer of Australia
1966–69
Succeeded by
Les Bury
Preceded by
Gordon Freeth
Minister for External Affairs/
Minister for Foreign Affairs

1969–71
Preceded by
John Gorton
Prime Minister of Australia
1971–72
Succeeded by
Gough Whitlam
Party political offices
Preceded by
Harold Holt
Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia
1966–71
Succeeded by
John Gorton
Preceded by
John Gorton
Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia
1971–72
Succeeded by
Billy Snedden