Barrie Unsworth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barrie Unsworth
|
|
|---|---|
Unsworth as premier c. 1987
|
|
| 36th Premier of New South Wales | |
| In office 4 July 1986 – 25 March 1988 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor | Sir James Rowland |
| Deputy | Ron Mulock |
| Preceded by | Neville Wran |
| Succeeded by | Nick Greiner |
| Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Rockdale |
|
| In office 2 August 1986 – 3 May 1991 |
|
| Preceded by | Brian Bannon |
| Succeeded by | George Thompson |
| Member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales | |
| In office 6 November 1978 – 15 July 1986 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 April 1934 Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Labor Party |
| Spouse |
Pauline Hennessy
(m. 1955) |
| Profession | Trade union official |
Barrie John Unsworth (born 16 April 1934) is an Australian former politician. He was a member of the Labor Party. He served in the Parliament of New South Wales from 1978 to 1991. Mr. Unsworth was the 36th Premier from July 1986 to March 1988. As of July 2025, he is the oldest living former Premier of an Australian state.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Barrie Unsworth was born in Dubbo, New South Wales. His parents were Joseph and Olive Unsworth. He grew up and went to school in Sydney. He attended Kogarah High School.
When he was 15, he left school. He started an apprenticeship as an electrical fitter. In 1955, at 21, he married Pauline Hennessy. They had four children together. They also have nine grandchildren and two great-grandsons.
Early Career and Military Service
From 1950 to 1960, Unsworth worked for the Sydney County Council. He started as an apprentice electrical fitter. Later, he became an electrical testing officer and then a sales representative.
He also had a short time in the military. From 1953 to 1954, he served in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Union Work
In 1961, Unsworth became an organiser for the Electrical Trades Union of Australia. This was the start of his career in the labour movement. This movement works to improve conditions for workers.
In 1966, he received a Churchill Fellowship. This allowed him to study at Harvard University in their Trade Union Program. The next year, he was elected to the Labor Council of NSW. He served as its elected Secretary from 1979 to 1984.
Government Appointments
During his time as a union official, he was appointed to several government groups. These appointments were made by the Wran Labor NSW Government.
- Public Transport Commission of New South Wales, Commissioner (1972–1975)
- Pipeline Authority, Member (1973–1978)
Political Career
In 1978, Barrie Unsworth was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council. This is one part of the state's parliament. While in the Legislative Council, he represented Australia. He was a delegate at the International Labour Organization (ILO) conferences. These meetings were about worker participation in management. They were held in Geneva (1980) and The Hague (1981).
Becoming a Minister
In the Wran Labor Government, Unsworth held important roles. He was the Minister for Transport from 1984 to 1986. He then became the Minister for Health from February to July 1986.
Premier of New South Wales
In May 1986, Premier Neville Wran retired unexpectedly. Barrie Unsworth then became the leader of the NSW Labor Party. This meant he became the Premier. He also served as Minister for Ethnic Affairs and Minister for State Development.
To be Premier, a person usually needs to be a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. So, Brian Bannon, who held the seat of Rockdale, resigned. This allowed Unsworth to run in a special election. He won the seat in the 1986 Rockdale state by-election on 2 August 1986. It was a very close election.
Unsworth was Premier for two years. In the 1988 elections, his Labor Party lost to Nick Greiner's Liberal Party. Unsworth did not run for election again in 1991.
Life After Politics
After leaving politics, Unsworth remained involved in public life. He was deputy chairman and then Chairman of the Australian Executive Committee for the Duke of Edinburgh Study Conference. This was from 1982 to 1998. He also worked as General Manager of 2KY Broadcasters Pty Ltd Racing Radio from 1992 to 2000. In 2001, he received the Centenary Medal for his service.
Community and Government Roles
After the Carr Labor Government was elected in 1995, Unsworth took on many key roles. He served on various government and community groups.
- Australia Day Council of New South Wales, Chairman (1995–2003)
- Totalizator Agency Board, Director (1997–2004)
- Delta Electricity, Director (1997–2006)
- New South Wales Centenary of Federation Committee, Chairman (1997–2002)
- Tempo Services, Director (1999–2005)
- Ambulance Service of New South Wales, Chairman (2001–2008)
- RailCorp, Director (2005–2008)
- State Transit Authority, Chairman (2004–2009)
- WorkCover Authority of New South Wales, Chairman (1995–1997)
- Constitution Education Fund Australia, Trustee
From 2003 to 2008, Unsworth was a Director for Father Chris Riley's charity, Youth off the Streets. This charity helps young people in Australia and Asia. He was also a Director of Entherm Pty Ltd (2003–2005). He was a Member of the Overseas Trade Authority of New South Wales (1978). He also served as a Director of Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (2004–2006).
Reviews and Community Work
In 2003 and 2004, the NSW Government asked Unsworth to review public bus services. In 2008, he led a committee that looked at selling parts of New South Wales' electricity industry. The committee supported the sale.
Unsworth lives in the Northern Beaches area. He has been involved in local campaigns. These campaigns aim to stop too much building in NSW. He also helped lead the effort to buy and protect the former home of Gough Whitlam. This home is now a historic site open to the public.
