John Tonkin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable John Tonkin AC
20th Premier of Western Australia
In office 3 March 1971 – 8 April 1974
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor	Sir Douglas Kendrew (1971–74) Sir Hughie Edwards (1974)
Preceded by	Sir David Brand
Succeeded by	Sir Charles Court
Personal details
Born	John Trezise Tonkin 2 February 1902 Boulder, Western Australia
Died	20 October 1995 (aged 93) Perth, Western Australia
Political party	Labor
Spouses	Rosalie Cleghorn (m. 1926) Joan West (m. 1971)

John Trezise Tonkin (born 2 February 1902 – died 20 October 1995) was an important Australian politician. People often called him "Honest John" because he was known for being trustworthy.

He was a member of the Labor Party. John Tonkin served a very long time in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. He was a Member of Parliament for 44 years, from 1933 to 1977. Later, he became the 20th Premier of Western Australia. This is like being the leader of the state government. He was Premier from 1971 to 1974. His party won the election against the Liberal–Country group. After his time as Premier, some places were named after him, like the Tonkin Highway and John Tonkin College.

Life Story of John Tonkin

John Tonkin was born in Boulder, Western Australia, on 2 February 1902. His parents were John Trezise Tonkin and Julia Carrigan. His family had roots in Cornwall, England.

Early Life and Teaching Career

John went to Boulder City Central School and Eastern Goldfields High School. After school, he became a schoolteacher. He taught in many schools across country Western Australia. By 1923, he was teaching near Witchcliffe. There, he helped start a local group for the Labor Party.

On 29 December 1926, he married Rosalie Cleghorn in West Perth.

Starting in Politics

In the 1933 state election, John Tonkin was elected to represent the area of North-East Fremantle. The Labor Party, led by Philip Collier, won the election that year. They gained 30 out of 50 seats in the government. In 1935, he received a special medal from King George V.

Becoming a Minister

In December 1943, John Tonkin became the Minister for Education. He held this job until the 1947 election. Before this, he had also served as Minister for Agriculture.

Before the 1950 election, the boundaries of his election area changed. His old seat, North-East Fremantle, was removed. So, Tonkin ran for a new seat called Melville, and he won.

Deputy Premier and Opposition Leader

On 23 February 1953, John Tonkin was made Deputy Premier. This meant he was the second-in-command in the government, under Albert Hawke. He also became Minister for Education again, and Minister for Works and Water Supplies.

In 1956, he changed roles and gave up his education job. The Labor Party lost the government in the 1959 state election. After Labor lost two more elections, Tonkin was chosen as the Leader of the Opposition in January 1967. This meant he was the main leader of the parties not in power.

His first wife, Rosalie, passed away from cancer in 1969. On 13 June 1971, he married his second wife, Joan West, in Perth.

Becoming Premier

John Tonkin's party won the 1971 state election. They narrowly defeated the group led by Sir David Brand. However, his position as Premier was a bit difficult. Labor had only won by one seat in the main parliament. Also, the way the voting areas were set up meant that rural areas had more power. This made it hard for Labor to pass laws in the Legislative Council.

His party lost the 1974 state election. The National Alliance joined with the Liberal Party, and Charles Court became the new Premier. John Tonkin was one of the few state leaders who only served one term. He stayed on as the Labor Party leader in parliament until he retired in 1976.

Later Years

After his first wife and daughter died from cancer, John Tonkin worked hard to support new treatments for cancer. He helped set up a special clinic for these treatments. He was well-known for his strong support of the Tronado anti-cancer machine.

In 1977, John Tonkin was given a special award called the Companion of the Order of Australia. He passed away in Perth in 1995, at 93 years old.

Things Named After John Tonkin

• Tonkin Highway: In 1985, a major road was renamed the Tonkin Highway after a new section was finished. The Tonkin Bridge, which carries the highway over the Swan River, was named after him when he died in 1995.
• John Tonkin College: In November 2011, two schools in Mandurah joined together to form John Tonkin College. It was named to "honour a West Australian leader in education."
• John Tonkin Reserve: A park area on the Swan River in East Fremantle is named after him.
• Former Home: John Tonkin's old house in East Fremantle was a special type of house built in 1940. It was listed as a "Historic Site" but was taken down in 2004.

See also

• Tonkin Ministry
• Tonkin Shadow Ministry