Trevor Donald Oldham (10 March 1900 – 2 May 1953) was an Australian politician, who was the leader of the Liberal Party in the state of Victoria from 1952 until his death in 1953. Trevor was the eldest of three sons born to Arthur and Ethel Oldham , he was educated at Melbourne Church of England Grammar School and the University of Melbourne. He had enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 7 November 1918, four days before the Armistice.
He married Kathleen Cooch in 1929[1]
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Oldham graduated in law at Melbourne University in 1921 and practised as a solicitor until the weight of parliamentary duties limited his time. He was a past president of the Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital and a former deputy chancellor of Melbourne University.
Oldham was a former director of Henry Berry & Co., Hoadley Chocolates Ltd, Ruskins Motor Bodys Ltd, and Ensign Dry Cleaners Ltd.
Oldham entered parliament in 1933 as a member of the United Australia Party , he won the seat of Booroondara and held it until the seat was divided in 1945. When the UAP was reformed as the Liberal Party in 1945 Oldham won the seat of Malvern. Oldham served as Attorney General in Thomas Hollway's first government in 1947, and he also served as Deputy Premier of Victoria for 8 months before the Liberals lost office to a Country Party and Australian Labor Party alliance in 1950.
In 1951 Les Norman replaced Hollway as Liberal leader after the party grew lukewarm on Hollway's plan of reforming Victoria's malapportioned electoral boundaries. In a provocative move, Hollway contested Norman's urban-based seat of Glen Iris at the 1952 election and won. With their leader having been defeated the Liberal Party elected Oldham as leader and Henry Bolte as deputy leader.
Trevor Oldham and his wife were killed in an air crash in India[2] on the way to England to attend the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II . The BOAC Comet crashed near the village of Jangipara a few minutes after leaving Calcutta. At the time a 60 mph dust storm and and torrential rain swepted the area.[3]
Indian authorities arranged a communal burial of all victims of the Comet air crash in Calcutta. A memorial service was held at Melbourne's St Paul's Cathedral on May 6, 1953.[4]
The Oldhams were survived by their three children, James 10, Byrony 8 and Kristin 6.[5]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Wilfrid Hughes |
Deputy Premier of Victoria 1949–1950 |
Succeeded by Keith Dodgshun |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Leslie Norman |
Leader of the Liberal Party in Victoria 1952–1953 |
Succeeded by Henry Bolte |