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Bruce Cowan
Minister for Agriculture
In office
17 December 1975 – 14 May 1976
Premier Tom Lewis
Sir Eric Willis
Preceded by Geoff Crawford
Succeeded by Don Day
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Oxley
In office
6 November 1965 – 29 August 1980
Preceded by Les Jordan
Succeeded by Peter King
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Lyne
In office
18 October 1980 – 8 February 1993
Preceded by Philip Lucock
Succeeded by Mark Vaile
Personal details
Born (1926-01-15)15 January 1926
Taree, New South Wales
Died 7 April 2011(2011-04-07) (aged 85)
Taree, New South Wales
Nationality Australian
Political party National Party of Australia
Occupation Farmer

David Bruce Cowan, who was awarded the AM, was an Australian politician. He was born on January 15, 1926, and passed away on April 7, 2011.

Bruce Cowan served as a Minister in the governments led by Tom Lewis and Sir Eric Willis. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for 14 years. Later, he spent 13 years in the Australian House of Representatives. He represented the Country Party of Australia and its later names, the National Country and National Parties.

Interestingly, he was the father-in-law of Barry O'Farrell, who became the Premier of New South Wales. Bruce Cowan died just one week after O'Farrell was elected Premier.

Who Was Bruce Cowan?

Bruce Cowan was an important figure in Australian politics. He served both at the state level in New South Wales and at the national level in the Australian Parliament. Politicians like Bruce Cowan help make laws and decisions that affect everyone's lives. They represent the people in their local area, called a "constituency" or "electoral district."

Starting in State Politics

Bruce Cowan began his political journey in the state of New South Wales. He was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, which is like the state's parliament.

Representing Oxley

From November 6, 1965, to August 29, 1980, Bruce Cowan was the Member for Oxley. This meant he represented the people living in the Oxley area in the New South Wales Parliament. He took over from Les Jordan and was later replaced by Peter King.

Helping as a Minister

During his time in state politics, Bruce Cowan also became a "Minister of the Crown." This means he was in charge of a specific government department.

  • From 1975 to 1976, he served as the Minister for Agriculture. In this role, he would have helped make decisions about farming and food production in New South Wales. He followed Geoff Crawford and was succeeded by Don Day.
  • At the same time, from 1975 to 1976, he was also the Minister for Water Resources. This job involved managing the state's water supply, which is very important for farms and cities. He was followed by Alan Gordon in this role.

Moving to Federal Politics

After his time in state parliament, Bruce Cowan decided to run for a seat in the national parliament. This is the Parliament of Australia, which makes laws for the whole country.

Representing Lyne Nationally

On October 18, 1980, Bruce Cowan was elected as the Member for Lyne in the Australian House of Representatives. He held this position until February 8, 1993. This meant he represented the Lyne area at the national level. He took over from Philip Lucock and was later replaced by Mark Vaile.

His Life and Family

Bruce Cowan was born in Taree, New South Wales, and he also passed away there. Before becoming a politician, he worked as a farmer. His connection to politics continued through his family, as his daughter married Barry O'Farrell, who became the Premier of New South Wales.

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