John Carrick (Australian politician)

Early life

Carrick was born in Sydney in 1918. He studied economics at the University of Sydney (B.Ec. 1941). Before he was able to commence his career to any great degree he fought with the Sparrow Force of the Australian Army during World War II. He was landed on Timor but was captured by the Japanese. He spent the rest of the war years in captivity in Changi prison camp and at various times he worked on the notorious Burma Railway. At the end of the war he was seconded to the Supreme Allied Commander, Lord Mountbatten.

Political career

On returning to Australia, Carrick commenced his career as a research officer for the newly established New South Wales Division of the Liberal Party. He worked for the party continuously from the end of World War II until 1971, and for some 23 years was the General Secretary. During this period he mentored aspiring politicians including future Prime Minister John Howard.

Carrick was a leading member of the Liberal Party from the 1950s onwards. He was elected at the 1970 Senate election to represent New South Wales in the Senate, his term commencing on 1 July 1971. During the Fraser Liberal government, he was Minister for Education from 1975 to 1979, Minister for National Development and Energy from 1979 to 1983, and Vice-President of the Executive Council from 1978 to 1982.

After politics

John Carrick retired from the Australian Senate at the double dissolution election of 1987.

From 1988 to 1989 he was Chairman of the Committee of Review of NSW Schools. This committee conducted a comprehensive inquiry from birth to HSC including the drafting of 1990 Education Reform Act, incorporating principles, goals and responsibilities. He subsequently reviewed the implementation of the report up to 1995. From 1992 to 1995 he was a member of the New South Wales Ministerial Advisory Council for Teacher Education. As part of this process he travelled around New South Wales and met with students and teachers across both the public and private education systems in order to learn ways in which teacher education could be improved. From 1992 to 2001 he was a member of the Advisory Board of the Macquarie University Institute of Early Childhood. Since 1998, he has been the chairman of the Advisory Committee, Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre at the University of New South Wales. Since 2001 he has been chairman, Macquarie University Institute of Early Childhood Foundation.

One of his daughters married the politician Bob Woods.

In 2012, Connor Court Press published his biography, "Carrick: Principles, Politics, and Policy," written by Graeme Starr.

Honours and awards

In 1982, he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) for services to the Parliament of Australia. In 1988, he was made an Honorary Doctor of Letters at the University of Sydney. In 1994 he was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Australian College of Educators (Hon FACE). In 2000 awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by Macquarie University. He received a 2000 Centenary Medal for outstanding leadership and service to the Australian community, especially through education. The Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education was named after him. In 2008 he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), "for distinguished service in the area of educational reform in Australia, particularly through the advancement of early childhood education and to the development and support of new initiatives in the tertiary sector, and to the broader community".