Paul Everingham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Everingham AO
Member of the Australian Parliament for Northern Territory
In office 1 December 1984 – 5 June 1987
Preceded by	John Reeves
Succeeded by	Warren Snowdon
1st Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
In office 1 July 1978 – 15 October 1984
Deputy	Marshall Perron (1978–1983) Nick Dondas (1983–1984)
Preceded by	Himself as Majority Leader
Succeeded by	Ian Tuxworth
2nd Majority Leader of the Northern Territory
In office 13 August 1977 – 30 June 1978
Deputy	Marshall Perron
Preceded by	Goff Letts
Succeeded by	Himself as Chief Minister
Member of the Northern Territory Parliament for Jingili
In office 19 October 1974 – 22 October 1984
Preceded by	First member
Succeeded by	Rick Setter
Personal details
Born	(1943-02-04) 4 February 1943 (age 82) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Political party	Country Liberal Party Liberal Party
Children	4 kids
Profession	Barrister, solicitor
Cabinet	Everingham Ministry

Paul Anthony Edward Everingham (born on February 4, 1943) is an important Australian politician. He was the leader of the Northern Territory government for many years. From 1977 to 1984, he served as the Majority Leader and then as the first Chief Minister of the Northern Territory. He also represented the Northern Territory in the Australian Parliament.

He was a member of the Country Liberal Party while serving in the Northern Territory and federal parliaments. In federal parliament, he sat with the Liberal Party. After leaving federal politics, he continued to be involved with the Liberal Party.

Leading the Northern Territory

Paul Everingham was first elected to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in October 1974. He represented the area of Jingili in Darwin. For a short time, he was the Deputy Majority Leader. This role is similar to a deputy premier in other Australian states.

In 1977, he became the leader of the Country Liberal Party (CLP). He then became the Majority Leader. This was a very important time for the Northern Territory. He helped guide the region as it gained self-government in 1978. When this happened, he became the first Chief Minister of the Northern Territory. This new role gave him much more power.

As Chief Minister, Paul Everingham led the CLP to big election wins in 1980 and 1983. He was the second person to lead the Northern Territory government, and he held the position for the longest time. He was also the youngest head of government in the Territory's history, taking office at 34 years old.

Representing the Northern Territory in Canberra

In October 1984, Paul Everingham decided to leave his role as Chief Minister. He wanted to run for a seat in the Australian House of Representatives. This is part of the federal parliament in Canberra. He successfully won the election for the Division of Northern Territory.

After his election, he chose to join the Liberal Party in federal parliament. In December 1984, he was given an important job. He became the Shadow Minister for Local Government and Northern Development. This meant he was part of the opposition team. He helped to question the government on these topics. He served in this role until September 1985. In 1987, he decided to retire from federal politics.

After Federal Politics

After leaving the Australian Parliament, Paul Everingham continued to be involved in politics. From 1990 to 1994, he served as the President of the Queensland Liberal Party. He supported the idea of the Liberal and National Parties merging in Queensland. While this merger didn't happen at that time, the two parties eventually joined together in 2008.

In 2019, Paul Everingham and two other former Chief Ministers of the Northern Territory spoke out. They called for new leaders to take over from a retiring senator.