Gordon Scholes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gordon Scholes
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Scholes in 1983
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| Minister for Territories | |
| In office 13 December 1984 – 24 July 1987 |
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| Prime Minister | Bob Hawke |
| Preceded by | Tom Uren |
| Succeeded by | John Brown |
| Minister for Defence | |
| In office 11 March 1983 – 13 December 1984 |
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| Prime Minister | Bob Hawke |
| Preceded by | Ian Sinclair |
| Succeeded by | Kim Beazley |
| Manager of Opposition Business | |
| In office 27 January 1976 – 22 December 1977 |
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| Leader | Gough Whitlam (1976-77) Bill Hayden (1977) |
| Preceded by | Ian Sinclair |
| Succeeded by | Mick Young |
| Speaker of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 27 February 1975 – 16 February 1976 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Cope |
| Succeeded by | Sir Billy Snedden |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Corio |
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| In office 22 July 1967 – 8 February 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Hubert Opperman |
| Succeeded by | Gavan O'Connor |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gordon Glen Denton Scholes
7 June 1931 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 9 December 2018 (aged 87) Geelong, Victoria, Australia |
| Political party | Labor |
| Spouse | Della K. Robinson |
Gordon Glen Denton Scholes (7 June 1931 – 9 December 2018) was an important Australian politician. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He served in the Australian House of Representatives from 1967 to 1993. This means he was a Member of Parliament for 26 years. He represented the area called Division of Corio.
During his time in politics, he held several key roles. He was the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1975 to 1976. He also served as Minister for Defence from 1983 to 1984. Later, he became Minister for Territories from 1984 to 1987.
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Early Life and Education
Gordon Scholes was born on 7 June 1931 in West Melbourne, Victoria. He was the only child of Mary Louisa and Thomas Glen Denton Scholes. His father worked on the railway, and his mother was a psychiatric nurse.
Gordon had a challenging childhood. He spent a lot of time in hospital. When he was three, he was in a car accident. At fourteen, he had rheumatic fever. His father joined the military in 1941. He was injured fighting in New Guinea. After that, his father was a long-term patient in hospital.
While his mother worked, Gordon stayed with relatives. He attended twelve different schools across Victoria. He eventually settled in Daylesford. He went to Daylesford Technical High School until he was fifteen.
After school, Gordon worked at the Daylesford Woollen Mills. He also trained to be a fitter and turner. This is someone who makes and fixes metal parts. He then joined the Victorian Railways. His father and grandfather had also worked there. He started as an engine-cleaner. He worked his way up to a fireman and then an engine-driver. He even drove the famous Spirit of Progress train.
Gordon joined the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees (AFULE). This was a union for railway workers. After moving to Geelong, he became the union's representative. He was also a talented amateur boxer. In 1949, he became the amateur heavyweight champion of Victoria.
Gordon Scholes' Political Journey
Gordon Scholes joined the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in 1954. In 1962, he became the president of the ALP's Geelong branch. He helped Bob Hawke with his election campaign in 1963. This was for the seat of Division of Corio.
In 1965, Gordon was elected to the Geelong City Council. He also became president of the Geelong Trades Hall. This showed his strong connection to the local community.
Gordon ran for the Labor Party in the 1966 election for Corio. He lost to the current Liberal politician, Sir Hubert Opperman. However, Sir Opperman resigned a few months later. He became Australia's first High Commissioner to Malta. Gordon then won the special election held in 1967. He won by a large margin. He then won the seat again in the 1969 election.
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Gordon Scholes served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. This role is like the referee in a debate. He was Speaker from 27 February 1975 to 16 February 1976. This period was very important in Australian history. It included the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis.
On 11 November 1975, the Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, was dismissed. This was done by the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr. The Governor-General then appointed Malcolm Fraser as the new Prime Minister. The House of Representatives voted that they did not trust Fraser's government. They also asked the Governor-General to bring Whitlam back as Prime Minister.
As Speaker, Gordon Scholes had to tell the Governor-General about this decision. He also had to ask Kerr to dismiss Fraser and re-appoint Whitlam. However, Kerr refused to see the Speaker for over an hour. By the time Kerr agreed to see him, he had already dissolved the Parliament. This meant new elections would be held. Scholes later said that Kerr acted unfairly. He felt Kerr should have waited to hear from the House of Representatives.
Serving as a Government Minister
After his time as Speaker, Gordon Scholes became a government minister. He was the Minister for Defence. This role involves looking after Australia's military. He held this position from March 1983 to December 1984. This was during the first government led by Prime Minister Bob Hawke.
After that, he became the Minister for Territories. This role involves managing Australia's territories. He served in this role until July 1987. Gordon Scholes decided to retire from politics before the 1993 election.
Later Life and Legacy
Gordon Scholes was an honorary member of the Geelong Philatelic Society. This group is for people who collect stamps.
Gordon Scholes passed away on 9 December 2018. He was 87 years old. A special State Funeral was held for him on 18 December. This showed how important he was to Australia.
Images for kids
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Scholes in 1983
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Scholes in 1968, early in his political career.
