Preceded by David Fairbairn Nationality Australian Succeeded by John Sharp | Preceded by Stephen Lusher Succeeded by Tim Fischer Name Wal Fife | |
Born 2 October 1929 (age 94)
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales ( 1929-10-02 ) Political party Liberal Party of Australia Role Former Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Party Liberal Party of Australia Books Wal Fife: A Country Liberal : a Politcal [i.e. Political] Autobiography Previous offices Member of the Australian Parliament (1984–1993) | ||
Australian politician and businessman Wal Fife Died at 88
Wallace Clyde Fife (born 2 October 1929) is a former Australian politician and minister in the New South Wales Government and Federal Government.
Contents
- Australian politician and businessman Wal Fife Died at 88
- Early life
- Political career
- Honours
- References
Early life
Fife was born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, and was educated at Gurwood Street public school, Wagga Wagga and Canberra Grammar School. In 1948 he started working in the federal secretariat of the Liberal Party of Australia and in 1949 he joined his family business, Fifes Produce Pty Ltd, in Wagga Wagga. He married Marcia Hargreaves Stanley in May 1952 and they had two daughters and two sons.
Political career
Fife was elected as the member for Wagga Wagga in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1957. He was Minister for Mines from June 1967 to January 1975, Minister for Conservation from March 1971 to June 1972, Minister for Power from June 1972 to January 1975 and Minister for Transport and Minister for Highways from January 1975 until his retirement from the New South Wales Parliament in October 1975.
Fife won the Australian House of Representatives seat of Farrer at the 1975 election. He was Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs from July 1977 to December 1979, Minister for Education from December 1979 to May 1982 and Minister for Aviation from May 1982 until the defeat of the Fraser government at the March 1983 election. Following an electoral distribution that moved Wagga Wagga into the Division of Hume, he stood for and won that seat at the 1984 election. His role in Opposition included a stint as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives between May 1989 and April 1990, since Liberal deputy leader Fred Chaney was still a Senator. He retired from parliament prior to the 1993 election.