Doug Jennings (politician)

Douglas Bernard Jennings (30 October 1929 – 9 April 1987) was an Australian politician and businessman.

Born in Melbourne to Albert Victor Jennings, founder of the property development company A.V. Jennings, he left Melbourne Grammar School to join his father's firm in 1947, and worked in several areas of the organisation. In the late 1950s he became mostly involved in the Housing Division in Melbourne, but also encouraged the company to branch out into real estate and furnishings. When Jennings ran into hard times in the early 1960s, Doug Jennings came in for criticism and left the company.

After time spent in Queensland as the owner operator of the Mount Surprise Cattle station, he returned to Victoria and established a Brahman stud at Mooroduc. While there, he was elected as the Liberal Party member for the state seat of Westernport. He was expelled from the party in 1979 for his criticism of the government's handling of a land purchase scandal, and was defeated at the next election.

Jennings returned to Queensland where in 1980 he was elected National Party member for the state seat of Southport.^[1] An active sportsman in his youth, and always keen on maintaining his physical fitness, he ignored the signs of over-exertion and died of coronary heart disease on 9 April 1987, in the sauna of the gymnasium at Parliament House, Brisbane.^[2]

Doug Jennings was the nephew of John Jennings, United Australia Party member for the New South Wales federal seat of Watson.

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