Al Grassby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Al Grassby
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Grassby in 1973
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| Minister for Immigration | |
| In office 19 December 1972 – 12 June 1974 |
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| Preceded by | Lance Barnard |
| Succeeded by | Clyde Cameron |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Riverina |
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| In office 25 October 1969 – 18 May 1974 |
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| Preceded by | Bill Armstrong |
| Succeeded by | John Sullivan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 July 1926 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 23 April 2005 (aged 78) |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Spouse | Ellnor Grassby |
| Occupation | Journalist |
Albert Jaime Grassby (12 July 1926 – 23 April 2005) was an important Australian politician. He was a member of the Labor government led by Gough Whitlam. Al Grassby is often remembered as the "father of Australian multiculturalism" because of his big efforts to make Australia a more welcoming place for people from all over the world. He helped bring in new ideas about immigration and human rights.
Contents
Early Life and State Politics
Al Grassby was born in Brisbane, Queensland. His parents had Spanish and Irish backgrounds. During the 1930s and 1940s, his family lived in the United Kingdom. Al went to school in England. Sadly, his father died during World War II in a German air raid. When Al turned 18, he joined the British Army. He served in the infantry and the British Intelligence Corps from 1945 to 1946.
After the war, Grassby came back to Australia. He worked as a journalist and an information officer for the CSIRO in Griffith, New South Wales. In 1965, Al Grassby was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. This is like a state parliament. He represented the area of Murrumbidgee for the Labor Party. From 1968 to 1969, he was a "Shadow Minister" for Agriculture and Conservation. This means he was a main spokesperson for his party on these topics while they were not in power. His popularity in the local area encouraged him to try for a role in the federal parliament.
Federal Politics
In the 1969 Australian federal election, Al Grassby won the federal seat of Riverina for the Labor Party. He was the first Labor politician to win this seat in 24 years! After Gough Whitlam and the Labor Party won the 1972 Australian federal election, Grassby became the Minister for Immigration.
As Minister for Immigration, Grassby became very well-known. He is famous for starting the idea of multiculturalism in Australia. He also helped to fully end the "White Australia policy". This policy had made it hard for people from non-European countries to move to Australia. While changes to this policy had started before him, Grassby pushed for even more immigration from countries where English was not the main language. He also stopped sports teams chosen by race from playing in Australia. And he removed a law that made Indigenous Australians ask for permission to travel overseas.
Some people in Australia, including some in his own political party, thought his changes were too fast. But Grassby was very popular with people from diverse backgrounds. He also became known for his bright and colourful suits and ties. This was very different from other politicians who usually wore dark, plain suits.
Some groups who were against immigration campaigned against him in the 1974 Australian federal election. Because of this, Grassby lost his seat to John Sullivan by a small number of votes.
Commission for Community Relations
After losing his seat, Al Grassby was appointed as the first federal Commissioner for Community Relations. His job was to help put the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 into action. This law, which he had strongly supported, aimed to prevent unfair treatment based on race. He continued to work hard for a multicultural Australia.
During this time, Grassby faced some challenges. He tried to get back into federal parliament for another seat, but he wasn't chosen by the local Labor members. He also became involved in a well-known political situation when he hired a person named Junie Morosi. This led to some controversy for other government ministers, but Grassby himself was not found to have done anything wrong.
Writer
Al Grassby wrote several books. These included a book about an early Australian Prime Minister named Chris Watson. He also wrote many studies about multiculturalism in Australia.
Honours
For his important work on immigration, Al Grassby was given a special award in 1985. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia. In 1986, he also received the United Nations Peace Medal.
Death
Al Grassby passed away on 23 April 2005, after being unwell for some time. He was 78 years old. A statue of Al Grassby was later put up in Canberra to remember his contributions.
Images for kids
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The statue of Al Grassby in Canberra
See Also
- Multiculturalism in Australia
- White Australia policy
