Tom Newbery

Thomas Guy "Tom" Newbery (23 March 1914 - 30 October 1984) was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.^[1]

Biography

Newbery was born at Mackay, Queensland, the son of Ernest Newbery and his wife Maude (née Nicholson)^[1] He was educated at West Plane Creek, Labornum Grove, Langdons Creek and Sarina State Schools and All Souls' School, Charters Towers. After finishing his education he worked as a sugarcane farmer.^[1]

On the 1st March 1939 he married Jessie Lambert and together had a son and two daughters. Newbery died in October 1984 and was accorded a state funeral which was held at the St Luke's Anglican Church, Sarina.^[1]

Public career

Newbery was a long-term a member of the Sarina Shire Council, serving for over 28 years. During that time he was Deputy Chairman of the shire from 1955 until 1964 and Chairman from 1964 until 1974.^[1]

When the member for Mirani, Ernie Evans died in 1965,^[2] Newbery, for the Country Party, won the subsequent by-election held in May of that year. He went on to represent the electorate for fifteen years, retiring at the 1980 Queensland state election.^[1]

During his time in the Queensland Parliament he held several portfolios and other positions:^[1]

• Member of the parliamentary delegation to Japan and South-East Asia 1972
• Minister for Tourism and for Education and Cultural Activities 1974-1975
• Minister for Tourism and Marine Services 1975-1976
• Minister for Police 1976-1977
• Minister for Culture, National Parks and Recreation 1977-1979
• Leader of the House 1976-1979

Newbery was Minister for Police in 1976 at the time of the promotion of the corrupt police officer Terry Lewis to Assistant Commissioner over 122 equal or more senior officers. Upon being told that Lewis was to be appointed Assistant Commissioner, then-Police Commissioner Ray Whitrod reportedly told Newbery that the appointment was "shattering", that it was widely known that Lewis had been one of Frank Bischof's bagmen and that "everybody in the police force knows that Lewis is corrupt", to which Newbery stated "well that was when he was a detective sergeant – he is now an inspector and wouldn’t do that sort of thing," although he claimed that the decision had come from Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen. Whitrod resigned as a result, and Lewis was instead appointed Police Commissioner. Lewis would later resign in disgrace and be imprisoned for corruption following the Fitzgerald Inquiry.^[3][4]

References