Lionel Bowen

Lionel Frost Bowen AC (born 28 December 1922), Australian politician, was a senior Labor figure, serving in the ministries of Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Australia from 1983 to 1990.

Early life

Bowen was born in Sydney suburb of Ultimo and educated at Cleveland Street public school, Marcellin College Randwick and Sydney University, receiving an LLB in 1946, and becoming a solicitor. He served in the Second Australian Imperial Force from 1942 to 1945. he was an alderman on Randwick Council from 1948 until 1962 and Mayor in 1951 and 1955. He married Claire Clement in 1953 and had three daughters and five sons.^[1]

Political career

He served in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 1962-69, representing Randwick^[1] before being elected to the seat of Kingsford Smith in the Australian House of Representatives in 1969. From 1972 to 1975 he served successively as Minister for Manufacturing Industry, Special Minister of State and Postmaster-General in the Whitlam cabinet, gaining a reputation as a reliable if unspectacular minister. When Whitlam resigned as Labor leader after his defeat at the 1977 elections, Bowen contested the party leadership but was defeated by Bill Hayden and became Deputy Leader. He retained this position when Bob Hawke became Leader in 1983. When Hawke won the 1983 elections, Bowen became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, and in 1984 he became Attorney-General. In 1988 Bowen sponsored four referendums to reform the Australian Constitution, but all were defeated. In 1990 he retired from federal politics and was succeeded as Deputy Prime Minister by Paul Keating.

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