Richard Court facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Court
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| Australian Ambassador to Japan | |
| In office 11 April 2017 – 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Bruce Miller |
| Succeeded by | Jan Adams |
| 26th Premier of Western Australia | |
| In office 16 February 1993 – 10 February 2001 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor | Sir Francis Burt Michael Jeffery John Sanderson |
| Deputy | Hendy Cowan |
| Preceded by | Carmen Lawrence |
| Succeeded by | Geoff Gallop |
| Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia |
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| In office 12 May 1992 – 16 February 1993 |
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| Premier | Carmen Lawrence |
| Deputy | Colin Barnett |
| Preceded by | Barry MacKinnon |
| Succeeded by | Carmen Lawrence |
| Member of the Western Australian Parliament for Nedlands |
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| In office 13 March 1982 – 27 April 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Charles Court |
| Succeeded by | Sue Walker |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Richard Fairfax Court
27 September 1947 Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia |
| Political party | Liberal Party |
| Spouse | Jo Court |
| Relations | Charles Court (father) |
Richard Fairfax Court AC (born 27 September 1947) is an Australian who used to be a politician and a diplomat. He was the Premier of Western Australia from 1993 to 2001. Later, he became the Australian Ambassador to Japan from 2017 to 2020.
Richard Court was a member of the Liberal Party. He represented the area of Nedlands in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. This was from 1982 to 2001. His father, Sir Charles Court, was also a state premier.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Richard Court grew up in a family involved in politics. His father, Sir Charles Court, was the politician for Nedlands before him. His father was also Premier from 1974 to 1982. Richard's older brother, Barry Court, was also involved in politics.
Richard went to Hale School. He then studied at the University of Western Australia, finishing in 1968. After university, he worked for a year at Ford Motor Company in the United States. When he came back to Western Australia, he started several businesses. These included selling food and making and selling boating equipment.
Sailing Innovation
In the 1970s, Richard Court was a sailor of 18 Foot Skiff boats. He came up with a new idea for these boats. He combined two sailing concepts: 'trapezing' and the 'sliding plank'. He created a "sliding rack" for the boats.
This new feature helped the boats stay more upright. It also allowed them to use more sail power. This made the boats go faster. His idea was later made simpler into fixed "wings." These wings are now very common on sailing skiffs.
Political Career
In March 1982, Richard Court was elected to represent Nedlands. This happened in a special election after his father retired. Nedlands is a wealthy area near the beach in Perth.
Becoming a Leader
Soon after he was elected, the Labor Party won the state election in 1983. Richard Court became a spokesman for the opposition in 1984. He spoke about important topics like resources and Aboriginal affairs.
In 1987, he became the deputy leader of the Liberal Party. He then became the leader in 1992.
Premier of Western Australia
In February 1993, the Liberal Party and their partners, the Nationals, won the state election. They formed a strong government. This happened after some issues from previous Labor governments were looked into. Richard Court became the Premier of Western Australia.
His government was re-elected easily in 1996. The Liberal Party even won enough seats to govern by themselves. However, Premier Court decided to keep working with the Nationals.
During his second term, his popularity faced some challenges. There were public concerns and issues related to the logging of old growth forests.
Losing the Election
In the 2001 state election, the Labor Party won by a large number of votes. Their leader, Dr Geoff Gallop, became the new Premier. This was a big change in how people voted.
Leaving Politics
After losing the election, Richard Court decided to step down from politics. This happened in February 2001. Colin Barnett then became the new leader of the Liberal Party.
Post-Political Life
On 9 June 2003, Richard Court received a special award. He was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). This award recognized his work in the Western Australian Parliament and for the community. It also noted his efforts in child health research and economic development. He helped with big projects like exporting gas to China.
In 2016, it was announced that Richard Court would become the Australian Ambassador to Japan. He officially started this role on 11 April 2017. He presented his credentials to Emperor Akihito in Tokyo. He served as Ambassador until October 2020.
See also
- Court–Cowan Ministry
