Tom Lewis (Australian politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom Lewis
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| 33rd Premier of New South Wales | |
| In office 3 January 1975 – 23 January 1976 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor | Sir Roden Cutler |
| Deputy | Sir Charles Cutler Leon Punch |
| Preceded by | Sir Robert Askin |
| Succeeded by | Sir Eric Willis |
| Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Wollondilly |
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| In office 26 October 1957 – 7 September 1978 |
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| Preceded by | Blake Pelly |
| Succeeded by | Bill Knott |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Thomas Lancelot Lewis
23 January 1922 Adelaide, South Australia |
| Died | 25 April 2016 (aged 94) |
| Political party | Liberal Party |
| Spouses | Stephanie Spector, Yutta (formerly Anton) |
| Relations | Essington Lewis (uncle) Sandy Lewis (brother) |
| Parents | Lancelot Ashley Lewis and Grace Margaret (Gretta) Lewis nee Laidlaw |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Branch/service | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1941–1946 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant |
| Unit | 1st Armoured Division 2/3rd Commando Squadron |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Thomas Lancelot Lewis (born January 23, 1922 – died April 25, 2016) was an important politician in New South Wales, Australia. He served as the Premier of New South Wales, which is like being the leader of the state government. He was also a minister in the governments led by Sir Robert Askin and Sir Eric Willis.
Tom Lewis became Premier after Sir Robert Askin retired. He held this top job for about a year before another party vote chose someone else to lead. He was first elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly (the state parliament) for the area of Electoral district of Wollondilly in 1957. He was a member of the Liberal Party and stayed in parliament until 1978.
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Early Life and Military Service
Tom Lewis was born in Adelaide, South Australia. His parents were Lancelot Ashley and Gretta Lewis. He went to school at St Peter's College, Adelaide, from 1931 to 1940.
After school, he managed a property owned by his uncle, Essington Lewis. His uncle was a very important person who led a big company called BHP. He also helped organize the making of weapons during World War II.
Tom Lewis joined the Australian Army from 1940 to 1946. He served in different places like Sydney, Celebes, Java, and Borneo. He was a lieutenant, which is a junior officer rank. After the war, he worked at the Australian Embassy in Washington, D.C., from 1946 to 1951.
Becoming a Politician
In 1957, Tom Lewis was elected to parliament as the representative for Electoral district of Wollondilly. He was part of the Liberal Party.
When the government led by Sir Robert Askin came to power in 1965, Tom Lewis was given jobs as the Minister for Lands and Mines. As the Minister for Lands, he helped create the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service in 1967. This service helps protect nature and wildlife in New South Wales. In 1970, he also set up the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife. This group raises money to support the National Parks & Wildlife Service. In 1972, he also became the Minister for Tourism.
As Premier of New South Wales
Sir Robert Askin announced he was leaving politics in late 1974. Tom Lewis was then chosen to be the new leader of the Liberal Party. He became the Premier of New South Wales on January 3, 1975.
His time as Premier was a bit difficult. The state government was often in disagreement with the federal Labor government led by Gough Whitlam in Canberra. One big disagreement was about a healthcare plan called Medibank. New South Wales was the last state to agree to join this plan.
A very important event during Lewis's time as Premier happened when a federal politician, Lionel Murphy, was chosen to be a judge on the High Court. Usually, when a senator leaves, they are replaced by someone from the same political party. However, Tom Lewis decided to choose someone different. He appointed Cleaver Bunton, who was 72 years old and the Mayor of Albury. This decision caused a lot of anger from the Labor Party and even from some people within his own Liberal party.
By the end of 1975, many people were not happy with Tom Lewis's leadership. His party members started to think about replacing him with Sir Eric Willis. On January 20, 1976, a meeting was held, and the party voted to choose a new leader. Tom Lewis decided not to try to keep his position. Sir Eric Willis then became the new leader without anyone else running against him. Tom Lewis's time as Premier ended on January 23, 1976, which was his 54th birthday.
After Being Premier
After his time as Premier, Tom Lewis served as the Minister for Local Government under Sir Eric Willis until May 1976. At that time, the Liberal Government lost the election to the Labor Party.
When his party was no longer in government, Tom Lewis did not hold any special positions. He later left parliament on September 7, 1978. After he left, the Queen allowed him to continue using the special title "The Honourable."
On January 26, 2000, he was given an award called Officer of the Order of Australia. This award was for his service to the New South Wales Parliament, for creating the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, and for helping the community. On January 1, 2001, he also received the Centenary Medal. Tom Lewis passed away on April 25, 2016, when he was 94 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Tom Lewis (político australiano) para niños
