Davis Hughes

Sir Davis Hughes (24 November 1910 – 16 March 2003) was an Australian politician and bureaucrat.

Early life

Hughes was born in Launceston, Tasmania and was educated at Launceston High School and the University of Tasmania, although he did not graduate.^[1] He married Joan Johnson in 1940 after which he issued himself one son and two daughters. He was a school teacher in Tasmania from 1927 until 1935, and at The Armidale School from 1947 until 1950. He served in the Royal Australian Air Force from 1939 until 1945, achieving the rank of squadron leader.^[2]

Political career

Hughes was elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Armidale from 1950 to 1953 and 1956 to 1973 for the Country Party. He was chosen to lead the party in 1958, but his term of office was brief because he was forced to resign in 1959 after it was revealed that he did not have the university degree which he claimed.^[3]

With the election of the Askin government in 1965, Hughes became Minister for Public Works,^[2] with responsibility for, among other things, the completion of the Sydney Opera House. He eventually brought about Jørn Utzon's resignation. Hughes refused to accept Utzon's approach to managing the Opera House project and, specifically, to give permission for the construction of plywood prototypes for its interiors. He cut off Utzon's funding so Utzon could not even pay his own staff. Utzon was forced to resign, and Hughes immediately accepted. The Opera House was subsequently completed according to designs that were inconsistent with Utzon's original vision.

With his resignation from parliament in January 1973, Hughes was appointed NSW Agent-General in London.^[4] He died at Erina, New South Wales.

Honours

Hughes was knighted in 1975, two years after retiring from parliament.^[5]

Notes