Bill Grayden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Grayden
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| Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 7 April 1956 – 6 February 1993 |
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| Preceded by | George Yates |
| Succeeded by | Phillip Pendal |
| Constituency | South Perth |
| Member of the Australian House of Representatives for Swan | |
| In office 10 December 1949 – 29 May 1954 |
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| Preceded by | Len Hamilton |
| Succeeded by | Harry Webb |
| Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 15 March 1947 – 27 October 1949 |
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| Preceded by | James Hegney |
| Succeeded by | James Hegney |
| Constituency | Middle Swan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Wilbur Ives
5 August 1920 Bickley, Western Australia |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse |
Betsy Marie Chadwick
(m. 1948–2007) |
| Children | 10 |
| Relatives |
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| Residences | South Perth, Western Australia |
| Profession | Mechanical engineer |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  Australia |
| Service/ |
Second Australian Imperial Force |
| Years of service | 1940–1946 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Service number | WX8868 |
| Unit | 2/16th Battalion |
| Battles/wars |
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| Awards | Member of the Order of Australia |
William Leonard Grayden, born Wilbur Ives on 5 August 1920, is an Australian politician who served in parliament for a very long time. He was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly (the state parliament) from 1947–1949 and again from 1956–1993. He also served in the Australian House of Representatives (the federal parliament) from 1949–1954.
Bill Grayden was a brave soldier in World War II. He was a member of the Liberal Party for most of his career. Later in his career, he became a minister in the state government. His brother, David Grayden, and his grandfather, Nat Harper, were also politicians.
Contents
Bill Grayden: A Long Career in Australian Politics
Early Life and Wartime Service
Bill Grayden was born Wilbur Ives on 5 August 1920 in Bickley, Western Australia. He was one of three children. His younger brother, David Grayden, also became a politician. Bill's father was a soldier in World War I and was injured during the war. After his parents separated, Bill's mother remarried, and the children took their stepfather's last name, Grayden. Bill's grandfather, Nat Harper, was a well-known businessman and politician in Western Australia.
Bill went to state schools and then to Perth Technical College. In 1938, he started learning to be a motor mechanic. When World War II began in 1939, Bill tried to join the Australian Army but was not accepted at first. He tried again the next year and was successful after saying he was older than he was.
Bill joined the 2/16th Infantry Battalion as a private soldier. He was quickly promoted to corporal and then chosen to go to Officer Training School. He fought in several important campaigns during the war. These included the Syrian campaign and the famous Kokoda Track campaign in New Guinea in 1942. He also fought in the Markham and Ramu Valley – Finisterre Range campaign and ended the war in Borneo, taking part in the Battle of Balikpapan.
Starting His Political Journey
Bill Grayden spent a total of 43 years serving in both state and federal parliaments. In 1946, he first ran for federal parliament as an independent candidate. The next year, in 1947, he was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the area of Middle Swan. He was the youngest member of the parliament at that time.
In 1949, Bill Grayden moved to federal politics. He won the seat of Swan for the Liberal Party in the Australian House of Representatives. He said his main interest in parliament would be defence. He was re-elected in 1951 but lost his seat in the 1954 election to Australian Labor Party candidate Harry Webb.
Fun and Unique Ideas in Parliament
During his time in federal parliament, Bill Grayden came up with some interesting ideas to get attention.
- In 1950, he sent whale meat from a whaling station to Canberra. He wanted it to be served on the parliamentary menu!
- In December 1950, he started "Operation Corks." This plan involved dropping hundreds of different coloured corks into the Swan River. He wanted to see how pollution from Fremantle Harbour affected the river.
- In 1953, Bill Grayden led an expedition to Central Australia. He was looking for clues about the lost Leichhardt expedition. His team found some old items, but none were linked to Leichhardt.
Helping Indigenous Communities
In 1956, Bill Grayden returned to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. He won the seat of South Perth. He ran as a Liberal candidate who was not officially supported by the party at first. He was re-elected in 1959 and later became an official Liberal Party member.
Bill Grayden was very interested in helping Indigenous Australians. In 1956, he spoke in parliament about the British nuclear tests at Maralinga. He warned that these tests could harm or cause starvation for many Aboriginal people living in the area. He also said it would be hard to warn them because they moved around a lot.
In the same year, he led a special parliamentary group to investigate the living conditions of remote Indigenous communities. Their report, known as the Grayden Report, was released in December 1956. It showed the difficult lives of many Wongi people (Aboriginal people from the Western Desert). This report and news stories about it led to a lot of public discussion and action. It helped start a national movement to fight for the rights of Indigenous Australians. This movement led to the creation of groups like the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders (FCAATSI).
In February 1957, Bill Grayden and Aboriginal pastor Douglas Nicholls went back to the Ngaanyatjarra area. They used a film camera to record the conditions. The film, called Their Darkest Hour, was shown at public meetings across Australia. It made many people feel shocked and angry. It is seen as one of the first activist documentaries in Australia. Bill Grayden also released a book of black and white photos called Adam and Atoms.
Becoming a Government Minister
In 1974, Bill Grayden was appointed as a minister in the government led by Charles Court. He was in charge of several important areas, including labour and industry, consumer affairs, immigration, and tourism. In 1976, he introduced new laws about rules for joining worker groups.
Bill Grayden returned to being a minister in 1980. He became the Minister for Education, Cultural Affairs, and Recreation. He left the ministry in 1982 when Charles Court retired. Bill Grayden left the Legislative Assembly in 1993.
Later Years and Family Life
In 2015, when he was 94 years old, Bill Grayden visited Gallipoli. He went to remember the 100th anniversary of the landing at Anzac Cove. His father had been part of that historic event.
Bill Grayden turned 100 years old in 2020. He is one of the oldest living former members of the Australian federal parliament. He is also the last surviving person who was first elected to federal parliament before 1961.
Bill Grayden married Betsy Marie Chadwick on 31 July 1948. They had ten children together: five sons and five daughters. As of December 2019, he had 36 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren. His son, Jim, has also run for parliament.
