Michael Townley (politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Townley
Townley in 1974
Senator for Tasmania
In office 1 July 1971 – 5 June 1987
Personal details
Born	(1934-11-04) 4 November 1934 (age 90) Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Political party	Independent (1971–1975, 1987) Liberal (1975–87)
Relations	Rex Townley (father) Athol Townley (uncle)
Profession	Pharmacist

Michael Townley was born on 4 November 1934. He is a former Australian politician and a pharmacist. He served as a Senator for Tasmania from 1971 to 1987.

Townley was born in Hobart, Tasmania. His father, Rex Townley, and his uncle, Athol Townley, were also well-known politicians. Before he entered politics, Michael Townley ran several pharmacies. He also appeared regularly on radio and television.

Townley was a member of the Liberal Party. However, he sometimes disagreed with the party's leaders in Tasmania. In the 1970 Senate election, he was chosen as an independent senator. He first sat with other independent politicians. He was re-elected in 1974. The next year, he joined the Liberal Party in parliament. This helped the Coalition gain more power. It was one reason for the 1975 constitutional crisis. Townley spent the rest of his time in the Senate as a regular member. He often voted against his own party's ideas. He left the Liberal Party and the Senate before the 1987 election.

Early Life and Career

Michael Townley was born in Hobart, Tasmania, on 4 November 1934. His mother was Winifred Jones. His father, Rex Townley, was a pharmacist. Rex Townley became a state politician in 1946. He led the state Liberal Party in the early 1950s. Michael's uncle, Athol Townley, was also a federal politician. He held important jobs in the Menzies Government.

Education and Pharmacy Work

Townley went to schools in Sassafras and Kingston. He also attended the Friends' School and Hobart High School. In 1956, he earned an engineering degree from the University of Tasmania. He then studied radio astronomy in Canada for two years.

When he returned, he studied pharmacy at Hobart Technical College. He became a registered pharmacist in 1964. By 1968, Townley owned three pharmacies. He also owned a company that sold medicines under his own brand. He became famous in Tasmania as the "Chemist of the Air." He was on the radio often. He also appeared weekly on TNT and twice a week on TVT.

Political Journey

In 1964, Townley was asked to run for the Liberal Party. This was after his uncle passed away. But he said no because of his businesses. In 1968, he tried to become the Liberal candidate for Denison. He lost to Robert Solomon.

Becoming an Independent Senator

Townley then decided to run in the 1969 federal election. He ran as a Liberal, but without the party's full support. He lost to Solomon by a small number of votes. He stayed as president of his local party branch until December 1969. He then resigned before the party could vote him out.

In May 1970, Townley announced he would run as an independent. This was for the 1970 half-Senate election. The Liberal Party had not chosen him as a candidate. He was elected with 13.8 percent of the votes. His term began on 1 July 1971. He sat in the Senate with other independent members.

Joining the Liberal Party

After a special election in 1974, Townley was re-elected. He received 5.6 percent of the votes. He initially held important power in the Senate with Steele Hall. On 11 February 1975, he officially joined the Liberal Party in parliament.

Townley left the Liberal Party on 5 June 1987. He expected that he would not get a good spot on the party's list for the next election. He said this was because he supported Andrew Peacock over the party leader, John Howard.

Personal Interests

Michael Townley earned a private pilot's license when he was young. He also trained with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). This was part of his national service. In July 1975, his plane was badly damaged. This happened after he tried to take off in Grovedale, Victoria. Luckily, he and his two passengers were not hurt.