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For the New South Wales politician, see John Tonkin (New South Wales politician).

The Honourable
John Tonkin
AC
Black and white portrait of man in suit
Tonkin in 1964
20th Premier of Western Australia
In office
3 March 1971 – 8 April 1974
MonarchElizabeth II
GovernorSir Douglas Kendrew
Sir Hughie Edwards
DeputyHerb Graham
Don Taylor
Preceded bySir David Brand
Succeeded bySir Charles Court
1st Deputy Premier of Western Australia
In office
7 December 1955 – 2 April 1959
PremierAlbert Hawke
Succeeded byArthur Watts
Leader of the Opposition
In office
31 December 1966 – 3 March 1971
PremierSir David Brand
DeputyHerb Graham
Preceded byAlbert Hawke
Succeeded bySir David Brand
In office
8 April 1974 – 15 April 1976
PremierSir Charles Court
DeputyColin Jamieson
Preceded bySir Charles Court
Succeeded byColin Jamieson
Leader of the Labor Party in Western Australia
In office
31 December 1966 – 15 April 1976
Preceded byAlbert Hawke
Succeeded byColin Jamieson
Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
In office
25 March 1950 – 19 February 1977
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byBarry Hodge
ConstituencyMelville
In office
8 April 1933 – 25 March 1950
Preceded byHubert Parker
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
ConstituencyNorth-East Fremantle
Personal details
Born
John Trezise Tonkin

(1902-02-02)2 February 1902
Boulder, Western Australia
Died20 October 1995(1995-10-20) (aged 93)
South Perth, Western Australia
Political partyLabor
Spouses
Rosalie Maud Cleghorn
​
​
(m. 1926; died 1969)​
Winifred Joan West
​
(m. 1971)​
Children3 from first marriage
OccupationSchoolteacher, politician
Nickname(s)Honest John, Supertonk[1][2]

John Trezise Tonkin AC (2 February 1902 – 20 October 1995), popularly known as "Honest John", was an Australian politician.

Early life

Tonkin was born on 2 February 1902 in the town of Boulder in the Goldfields of Western Australia. His parents were engine driver John Trezise Tonkin and Julia, née Carrigan, both of whom were born in Australia[1][3] and had Cornish descent.[4] He was the eldest of three surviving children and was brought up as a Methodist, although his mother was Catholic. In his early childhood, the Tonkin family moved to Victoria, South Australia and Gwalia in Western Australia, before moving back to Boulder. He attended Boulder City Central School (graduating as a dux) and Eastern Goldfields High School.[1][3] Tonkin became interested in politics at a young age as his father was a unionist and a supporter of the Australian Labor Party.[1]

After leaving school aged 15, Tonkin worked as an office boy for Kalgoorlie Electric Power Co. Ltd., a monitor at Brown Hill State School, and a relief teacher at Edjudina. In 1921 and 1922, he went to Claremont Teachers College in Perth and graduated with a teaching certificate. He then taught at several small schools in the South West[1][3] until 1930, including at Yallingup, Nuralingup, Margaret River, Kulin, Picton, Karnup, Hamel and Palgarup.[5] He married Rosalie Maud Cleghorn at St Mary's Church in West Perth on 29 December 1926.[1][5] In 1930, they moved to Perth and Tonkin taught at schools in North Perth and North Fremantle. He also studied accounting by correspondence.[1]

Early political career

Tonkin joined the Labor Party in 1923 and started a branch in Forest Grove.[1][5] He contested the state electoral districts of Sussex in 1927[1][6] and Murray-Wellington in 1930.[1][7] Although unsuccessful in both elections, this helped him gain a profile within the Labor Party and he caught the eye of Joe Chamberlain.[1][8] The Labor Party's state congress appointed Tonkin to the Douglas credit committee. Among the other five members of the committee was future prime minister John Curtin. The committee assessed the proposal of C. H. Douglas that the economic crisis was caused by a "shortage of purchasing power" and that the federal government should "take over the control and issue of all money" from the banking system. The committee ruled that the scheme was "theoretically unsound and unworkable in practice".[9]

Tonkin narrowly won the Labor Party's endorsement for the marginal seat of North-East Fremantle for the 1933 state election. He then defeated the minister for education, Hubert Parker, to win election to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. He was the first teacher to be elected to the Parliament of Western Australia. The Labor Party gained seven seats in total meaning that Philip Collier was now elected as premier. Among those elected were two other future premiers: Frank Wise and Albert Hawke.[1][10] All three of them soon became standout members of the backbench and they became known as the "three musketeers".[1][11] Wise was elected to the ministry in 1935 and Hawke in 1936, but Tonkin had to wait until 1943 due to his lack of union or religious connections. He also annoyed his colleagues by speaking on a wide range of issues and for having a tendency to lecture.[1]

Tonkin narrowly won his seat in the 1936 state election, which caused him to concentrate more on his seat. He increased his margin in the 1939 state election. After the death of May Holman, he became the secretary of the State Parliamentary Labor Party, in which role he served until 1943. In 1940, he was granted leave from parliament to enlist in the Citizen Military Forces (now the Australian Army Reserve) to fight in World War II. He trained as a signaller and served part time with the 25th Light Horse Regiment and the 11th Battalion. In December 1941, the battalion was mobilised but Tonkin spent most of the time on leave without pay. He was discharged on 30 January 1942 as a sergeant.[1]

In 1942, Tonkin and Hawke were appointed by cabinet to travel to the eastern states to lobby prime minister John Curtin and other ministers and departmental heads for greater defences for Western Australia. It was felt that the state was vulnerable to a possible Japanese attack. Curtin was also the local member for Fremantle in the Australian House of Representatives and Tonkin had a close working relationship with him.[1][12] In late 1942 and early 1943, Tonkin supported Curtin's attempts to introduce conscription for soldiers to defend Australia.[1]

As a minister

On 9 December 1943, after the state election that year which was won by Labor for the fourth time in a row, Tonkin was appointed by Premier John Willcock as the minister for education and the minister for social services in the Willcock Ministry.[1][13] He started to contemplate transferring to federal politics,[1] and he was asked to contest the 1945 Fremantle by-election after the death of Curtin,[14] but he declined. When Willcock resigned and Wise became premier in July 1945, Tonkin retained his existing portfolios as well as becoming the minister for agriculture.[1][15]

Tonkin saw his greatest achievements in education being the merging of one-teacher schools into larger schools, commonplace in regional areas; upgrading school facilities; reducing class sizes; and improving teacher training. He rejected calls from the opposition for the establishment of segregated between Aboriginal and white students, saying that he had observed from his teaching experience that Aboriginal children "learned just as well as the white children, and behaved just as well, in some cases even better".[1][16]

In opposition

Tonkin's position as a minister ended when Labor lost the 1947 state election. Wise continued on as the party's leader, again losing in the 1950 state election.[1] In that election, Tonkin's seat of North-East Fremantle was abolished, so he transferred to the newly created seat of Melville.[17] Wise resigned as leader in June 1951. In the resulting leadership election, Hawke was elected as leader and Tonkin was elected as his deputy.[1]

As a minister again

After six years in opposition, Labor won the 1953 state election. As deputy Labor leader, Hawke gave Tonkin the opportunity to chose his own portfolios. He chose to make himself the minister for works and the minister for water supplies. He was attracted to those positions as they were "big spending departments", saying that those positions were "the greatest opportunity ... where one can achieve most".[1][18] For the first fifteen months of the Hawke Ministry, Tonkin was also the minister for education after some persuasion by Hawke.[1][19] In 1955, Tonkin became the first deputy premier after legislation was passed to formally establish the position. It had been an unofficial position up until that point.[20]

In July 1953, as acting premier, Tonkin announced plans for the Kwinana Freeway to link Perth with the City of Kwinana to the south.[21] He was involved in the approval of the construction of the Narrows Bridge and interchange which linked South Perth to the city, and the first stage of the Kwinana Freeway from the Narrows Bridge to Canning Highway.[20] As the minister for water supplies, Tonkin managed the extension of the Comprehensive Agricultural Water Supplies Scheme to the Great Southern region and initiated planning for the Serpentine Dam.[20] In 1958, he lead a trade mission to Europe and the United States to attract investors to Western Australia.[1][22] The concessions Tonkin offered to potential companies were criticised as too generous by the opposition.[20]

In opposition again

Hawke and the Labor Party lost the 1959 state election to David Brand and the Liberal-National Coalition. Hawke continued on as Labor leader though. The Brand government promptly established the Royal Commission on Betting, which was seen to be targeting Tonkin as he was often went to the horse races and was an opponent of credit betting. Nevertheless, the commission made no findings against Tonkin. Labor came within one seat of winning the 1962 state election, but in the 1965 state election, the party lost a lot of seats. Hawke resigned in December 1966 and Tonkin was elected leader of the Labor Party, thus becoming the leader of the opposition. Herb Graham was elected deputy leader.[1][23]

Tonkin achieved national prominence when he emerged as a strong advocate for the Labor Party to drop its opposition to state aid for private schools, joining deputy federal Labor leader Gough Whitlam and many others who believed that the Labor Party could not be elected as long as it opposed state aid for private schools. Tonkin said that in Western Australia, funding for private schools, and particularly Catholic schools, had reduced pressure on the public school system and offered parents more choice in schools. Tonkin spoke at the party's 1966 national conference at Surfers Paradise, Queensland, and managed to convince the party to reverse its opposition to state aid for private schools.[1][24]

Tonkin managed to gain the support of mining entrepreneurs Lang Hancock and Peter Wright amidst a dispute between them and the minister for industrial development, Charles Court.[1] Hancock and Wright started donating to the Labor Party and gave the Labor Party favourable coverage in their newspaper, the Sunday Independent.[25][26]

The Coalition's majority was reduced at the 1968 state election but it still retained government.[1][27] Hawke retired at that election, making Tonkin the father of the house for having served the longest time in parliament.[28] Tonkin's wife Rosalie died of cancer in January 1969, making him seriously consider retirement. Nevertheless, he continued as opposition leader to the 1971 state election.

Premier

The 1971 election was held on 20 February. The Labor Party defeated the Brand government by one seat after twelve years in opposition.[1][27] The Labor Party won three seats off the Coalition: Merredin-Yilgarn, Mirrabooka, and Toodyay; giving the party 26 seats out of 51 in the Legislative Assembly. In the Legislative Council, Labor had no net change in seats, with the party losing the North Province and gaining the Lower North Province. This left the Labor Party with just ten out of the thirty seats in the Legislative Council.[29]

Tonkin and his ministry were sworn in by Governor Sir Douglas Kendrew on 3 March 1971. The twelve-man ministry was chosen by the Labor caucus and Tonkin had the responsibility of allocating the specific ministerial positions.[29] Tonkin himself was sworn in as the premier, minister for education, minister for environmental protection, and minister for cultural affairs, a new position.[29][30] Notably, Tonkin did not choose to make himself treasurer, bucking the trend set by most previous premiers.[31][32] Only two members of the ministry had previous ministerial experience: Tonkin and Deputy Premier Graham.[33] At age 69 years, he is the oldest premier at the time of swearing in to date,[34] and was the first Labor premier to be born inside the state.[35]

With just a one-seat majority, the speaker's vote became the deciding vote and any by-elections for Labor seats had potential to cause a change in government.[27] The government had to be careful that it had a full attendance within the house so that it's bills would not be defeated.[36] Additionally, the government did not hold a majority in the Legislative Council, despite having 62,000 more votes than the Coalition, due to a pro-rural malapportionment. This made it difficult to pass legislation, and so over the course of the Tonkin government, 21 bills were voted down by the Legislative Council.[1][37]

On 12 June 1971, Tonkin married Winifred Joan West at Wesley Church.[1][38]

Budget problems

The financial state of the Government of Western Australia was poor throughout Tonkin's premiership. Tonkin managed to secure $5.6 million in federal funding at the premier's conference in April 1971 which went some way towards getting the deficit to manageable levels. Tonkin also announced that he would not be able to implement the election promises which required funding, which Opposition Leader Brand responded by saying that Tonkin should not have made such lavish promises when it was known the budget was in bad shape.[29] Despite this, the government implemented its election promise to abolish the Road Maintenance Tax, a tax on the owners of vehicles over 8 long tons (8.1 t), later that year. To replace the lost revenue, licensing costs on heavy vehicles increased and 42 staff at the State Transport Commission were made redundant.[39]

The budget handed down by Treasurer Tom Evans in September 1971 was unpopular. The resignation of Attorney-General and Minister for Railways Ron Bertram on 30 September 1971 due to ill health necessitated Tonkin's first cabinet reshuffle. He took the opportunity to appoint himself treasurer and give away the portfolios of education to Evans and environmental protection to Ron Davies, leaving himself with cultural affairs. The one new member of cabinet was Arthur Bickerton.[40][41]

Ascot by-election

On 8 October 1971, Speaker Merv Toms collapsed on the floor of parliament and later died, necessitating a by-election in the seat of Ascot. Labor had lost its majority and Coalition supporters called for a snap election, believing that the Coalition would win. Deputy Liberal leader Charles Court told Tonkin that he would not bring a motion of no confidence against the government while they were down one member, but Country Party leader Crawford Nalder gave no such guarantee. Deciding that he should not risk being defeated in a motion of no confidence, Tonkin had Governor Kendrew prorogue parliament, which meant there would be no sittings until after the by-election.[36] As the party who won would be the government after the election, both sides campaigned hard. Deputy Opposition Leader Court was unusually exuberant, even going doorknocking in Belmont, much to the surprise of Don Taylor. Labor candidate Mal Bryce ended up winning the by-election against Liberal candidate Fred Chaney, albeit with a majority reduced by about 10 per cent.[41][25]

Achievements

The Tonkin government implemented several reforms in industrial relations and employment. It appointed an extra Industrial Commissioner for processing arbitration cases. The government freed up the responsibilities of the Department of Labour by transferring the responsibility for representing the government as an employer at the Industrial Commission to the Public Service Board. This allowed the Department of Labour to focus on the health and safety of employees. The government increased the pay rates of apprentices. Public servants were given four weeks of paid annual leave, equal pay for equal work between male and female staff, workers compensation, and free return airfares for people working north of the 26th parallel. The Legislative Council blocked legislation which would provide private sector employees with four weeks of paid annual leave, ten days of paid sick leave per year, and long service leave after ten years.[42]

The Community Welfare Act 1972 merged the former departments for native welfare and child welfare to create the Department of Community Welfare.[1][42] The state's first Aboriginal cultural heritage laws were passed[1] and the Aboriginal Advancement Council was established.[42] In 1971, the Tonkin government established a consumer protection bureau and the Parliamentary Inspector of Administrative Investigations, more commonly known as the ombudsman, the first of its kind in Australia. In 1972, the Tonkin government established the Environmental Protection Authority and significantly increased the number and size of national parks and reserves. The government also introduced free textbooks, free public transport for pensioners,[1][39] extended the criminal injury compensation scheme, and increased funding for education, public housing, transport, and urban renewal.[1][43] In 1973, Tonkin opened the Perth Concert Hall.[42]

Tonkin was socially conservative, and disagreed with his party on the issues including abortion.[1] He overruled his party's policy by making his government officially opposed to legalising abortion.[29] On the other hand, Tonkin was ardently opposed to the Vietnam War and lead marches through the streets in protest to the war. He was also vocally against racism in sport[1] and boycotted visits to Western Australia by the South Africa national cricket team and South African national rugby union team amidst apartheid.[29][39]

After having lost several relatives to cancer, including his wife, daughter, father, and step-father, he promoted alternative cancer therapies, including the Tronado machine, which was not supported by medical sources.[1][44] He was opposed to water fluoridation despite the scientific evidence supporting it and promised to end fluoridating Western Australia's water supplies.[1][29]

Balcatta by-election

Throughout the course of his government, Tonkin was becoming less and less popular and party and caucus members were agitating for his replacement.[1] Tonkin had for a long time had a rivalry with Deputy Premier Graham. While deputy premier in the Hawke government, Tonkin would sometimes intrude within the responsibilities of Graham as the minister for transport.[45] Graham had long held ambitions to take over as leader from Tonkin. According to Mal Bryce, Tonkin was determined to stay on as leader for long enough that Graham retires. Graham eventually got tired of waiting to become premier, so in early 1973, cabinet approved the appointment of Graham to the Liquor Licencing Court, which would mean that Graham would have to resign from parliament. The appointment angered the party caucus though due to the Tonkin government's one seat majority. A vote was held to urge that cabinet reconsider the appointment, but it was defeated 11 votes to 19.[46] Therefore, Graham resigned from parliament on 30 May 1973,[47] necessitating a by-election in the seat of Balcatta. Don Taylor was elected by the party to replace Graham as deputy leader.[48]

Labor's Brian Burke won the resulting by-election by just 28 votes in what was a previously safe seat.[1][49] The close result caused Opposition Leader Charles Court to request the Legislative Council to block supply to force an early election. Although Kendrew was seemingly prepared to dismiss Tonkin and invite Court to form government, the Legislative Council declined to play along with Court.[1][50] Tonkin also faced threats from within his own party, who thought a younger cabinet was needed to win the upcoming election. The Young Labor Organisation passed a motion of no confidence in Tonkin and sent it to the Labor Party's state executive for consideration.[51] Arthur Tonkin and Bryce tried to convince him to stand down as premier, saying that there was no way that Labor could win the upcoming election with Tonkin as premier. He delayed further pressure by saying the next state budget in September or October would not be popular and that he should be the premier to reveal it. By that point though, it was too close to the election for it to be a good idea to change leaders.[52]

1974 state election

The Labor Party campaigned in the March 1974 state election under the slogan "Trust Tonkin", highlighting his trustworthiness and reputation for integrity and stability.[1] The Liberal Party on the other hand highlighted the federal Whitlam government, which was increasingly unpopular in Western Australia, and argued that the state government was being unduly influenced by the federal government.[1] Whitlam, who was elected prime minister in 1972, was unpopular with farmers for planning to abolish the superphosphate bounty. Despite this, Labor invited Whitlam to be the star attraction at a pre-election rally at Forrest Place one week before the election. The farmers had also coincidentally invited Whitlam to a rally at Subiaco Oval on the same day, but he declined. The farmers instead went to the rally at Forrest Place to disrupt it.[53] Inflammatory comments by Whitlam government minister Fred Daly at Forrest Place enraged the farmers and led to objects being thrown at Whitlam.[54] During the campaign, another unpopular action by the Whitlam government was blocking the Alwest joint venture for an aluminium refinery due to its majority foreign ownership and environmental concerns.[55][56]

The election resulted in a swing against Labor of 0.81 per cent. The largest swings were in rural seats, and this led to the Coalition winning the seats of Albany, Merredin-Yilgarn, Pilbara, and Toodyay. That was enough for the Coalition to win the election.[57] Tonkin was succeeded as premier by Charles Court on 8 April 1974.[58]

After the election, many people lay the blame for Labor's defeat with the Whitlam government.[1][59] Liberal turned independent MP Ian Thompson said that Whitlam was a bigger factor in Labor's defeat than the work done by Court as opposition leader. Thompson said: "I can tell [Court] that had it not been for Whitlam, we wouldn't have won the 1974 election and, indeed, I regard Tonkin as one of the unluckiest premiers this state has known".[59][60] Court said that "John Tonkin, instead of finding himself with a friend in Canberra, found himself with a person who was trying to tip Australia upside down".[61][62] Tonkin's wife Joan agreed that Whitlam damaged Labor in Western Australia. On the other hand, Deputy Premier Don Taylor said that Court had led the Liberals to victory by "good generalship" and that Whitlam had not been a big factor.[61]

Later life

Tonkin continued on as opposition leader, heading the Tonkin shadow ministry, the first formal shadow ministry in Western Australia.[63] He resigned as leader on 14 April 1976 and chose not to recontest his seat at the 1977 state election. He was succeeded in the seat of Melville by Barry Hodge and as the leader of the Labor Party by Colin Jamieson. Tonkin had served in parliament for 43 years, ten months and eleven days, making him the longest serving member of the Parliament of Western Australia as of 2021.[1][64]

In the 1977 Queen's Birthday Honours, Tonkin was appointed as a Companion of the Order of Australia "for eminent and meritorious service to politics and government".[65][66]

In his retirement, he lived in East Fremantle and later South Perth. He died at Concorde Nursing Home in South Perth on 20 October 1995. A state funeral service was held at Wesley Church five days later and he was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery.[1][5][67]

Legacy

In 1985, the Beechboro–Gosnells Highway was renamed Tonkin Highway upon the opening of stage four, which linked Hardey Road in Cloverdale to Great Eastern Highway in Redcliffe.[68] Tonkin cut the ribbon at the stage's opening ceremony on 1 May 1985.[69]

The headquarters of the Water Corporation in Leederville was named the John Tonkin Water Centre when it opened c. 1980.[1][70] A park in East Fremantle is named John Tonkin Reserve.[1][71]

Tonkin's East Fremantle house, a 1939 California bungalow on Preston Point Road, was assessed for placement on the State Register of Heritage Places in 2003, but the minister for heritage, Tom Stephens, directed that the house not be added to the register,[72][73] against the advice of the Heritage Council of Western Australia. This came under controversy when the owners applied in December 2003 to have the house demolished. The Town of East Fremantle rejected the application[74] but the Town Planning Appeal Tribunal overturned the decision in August 2004, allowing the house to be demolished. Local heritage activists and the National Trust of Western Australia called for the house to be heritage listed.[75]

In September 2011, it was announced that the new school in Mandurah formed by the merger of Mandurah High School and Mandurah Senior College would be named John Tonkin College.[76][77] Members of Tonkin's family, including his wife Joan, attended the official naming ceremony on 16 November 2011.[78][79] The school opened at the start of the 2012 school year.[80]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay Cowdell, John (2021). "Tonkin, John Trezise (1902–1995)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 19. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Published online 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2023
  2. ^ Kennedy 2019, p. 59.
  3. ^ a b c Kennedy 2019, p. 44.
  4. ^ Payton, Philip (1999). The Cornish overseas. Alexander Associates. ISBN 1-899526-95-1.
  5. ^ a b c d "John Trezise Tonkin". Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  6. ^ "State Elections: The Nominations". The Albany Advertiser. 5 March 1927. p. 3. Retrieved 10 April 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Collier Government May Come Back Without Loss". The Mirror. 5 April 1930. p. 6. Retrieved 10 April 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ Kennedy 2019, pp. 44–45.
  9. ^ Oliver 2003, pp. 137–138; Kennedy 2019, p. 45.
  10. ^ Kennedy 2019, pp. 45–46.
  11. ^ Tonkin 1976, p. 110; Kennedy 2019, p. 46.
  12. ^ Oliver 2003, p. 162; Kennedy 2019, p. 46.
  13. ^ Black 2021, p. 270.
  14. ^ "Tonkin May Be Candidate". The Daily News. 11 July 1945. p. 1. Retrieved 10 April 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ Black 2021, pp. 270–271.
  16. ^ Tonkin 1976, p. 146.
  17. ^ Black 2021, p. 231.
  18. ^ Tonkin 1976, p. 150.
  19. ^ Black 2021, p. 272.
  20. ^ a b c d Kennedy 2019, p. 47.
  21. ^ "Another 'Autobahn' Will Run To Perth". The West Australian. 25 July 1953. p. 9. Retrieved 1 April 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ^ "Australian Political Chronicle January-June 1958". Australian Journal of Politics & History. 4 (2): 267. November 1958. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8497.1958.tb00407.x. Retrieved 10 April 2023 – via Wiley Online Library.
  23. ^ "Australian Political Chronicle September-December 1966". Australian Journal of Politics & History. 13 (1): 123. May 1967. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8497.1967.tb00320.x. Retrieved 10 April 2023 – via Wiley Online Library.
  24. ^ Oliver 2003, p. 238; Kennedy 2019, pp. 47–48.
  25. ^ a b Kennedy 2019, p. 50.
  26. ^ Lee, David (19 August 2020). "The ghost of Lang Hancock". Inside Story. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  27. ^ a b c Kennedy 2019, p. 48.
  28. ^ Black 2021, p. 322.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g "Australian Political Chronicle January-April 1971". Australian Journal of Politics & History. 17 (2): 294–295. August 1971. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8497.1971.tb00847.x. Retrieved 14 April 2023 – via Wiley Online Library.
  30. ^ Black 2021, p. 274.
  31. ^ van Schoubroeck, Lesley (January 2010). The Lure of Politics: Geoff Gallop's Government 2001–2006. UWA Publishing. p. 119. ISBN 9781742580692 – via Informit.
  32. ^ Reid & Oliver 1982, p. 8.
  33. ^ Oliver 2003, p. 250; Kennedy 2019, p. 48.
  34. ^ Black 2021, p. 328.
  35. ^ Reid & Oliver 1982, p. 5.
  36. ^ a b Kennedy 2019, p. 49.
  37. ^ Oliver 2003, p. 250; Kennedy 2019, p. 49.
  38. ^ "She kept him waiting". The Age. 14 June 1971. p. 2. Retrieved 1 April 2023 – via Google News.
  39. ^ a b c "Australian Political Chronicle May-August 1971". Australian Journal of Politics & History. 17 (3): 449–453. 7 April 2008. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8497.1971.tb00512.x. Retrieved 14 April 2023 – via Wiley Online Library.
  40. ^ Black 2021, p. 274–276.
  41. ^ a b "Australian Political Chronicle September–December 1971". Australian Journal of Politics & History. 18 (1): 121–124. April 1972. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8497.1972.tb00585.x. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  42. ^ a b c d Oliver 2003, p. 251.
  43. ^ Kennedy 2019, pp. 57–58.
  44. ^ Kennedy 2019, p. 58.
  45. ^ Kennedy 2019, p. 51.
  46. ^ Oliver 2003, pp. 151–152; Kennedy 2019, p. 52.
  47. ^ Black 2021, p. 212.
  48. ^ Oliver 2003, p. 153; Kennedy 2019, p. 53.
  49. ^ Oliver 2003, p. 152; Kennedy 2019, p. 53.
  50. ^ Oliver 2003, p. 152.
  51. ^ Oliver 2003, p. 253.
  52. ^ Kennedy 2019, p. 53.
  53. ^ Kennedy 2019, p. 54.
  54. ^ Kennedy 2019, p. 55.
  55. ^ Kennedy 2019, p. 56.
  56. ^ Stewart, Ian (21 March 1974). "Americans in Joint Alumina Venture Disappointed by Australia's Terms". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  57. ^ Oliver 2003, p. 253; Kennedy 2019, p. 56.
  58. ^ Black 2021, p. 260.
  59. ^ a b Kennedy 2019, pp. 56–57.
  60. ^ Thompson, Ian (July–November 1987). "Ian Thompson Oral History" (PDF) (Interview). Interviewed by Ronda Jamieson. Retrieved 9 April 2023 – via Parliament of Western Australia.
  61. ^ a b Kennedy 2019, p. 57.
  62. ^ Jamieson, Ronda (2010). Charles Court: I love this place. St George Books. p. 253. ISBN 9780867782936.
  63. ^ Oliver 2003, p. 290.
  64. ^ Kennedy 2019, p. 58; Black 2021, p. 319.
  65. ^ Reid & Oliver 1982, p. 93.
  66. ^ "884350". Australian Honours Search Facility. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  67. ^ "Details of State Funeral arrangements for former WA Premier John Tonkin". Media Statements. 23 October 1995. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  68. ^ Edmonds, Leigh (1997). The Vital Link: A History of Main Roads Western Australia 1926–1996. University of Western Australia Press. p. 331. ISBN 1-875560-87-4.
  69. ^ "Dedication ceremony: Tonkin Highway". Western Roads. 10 (2): 1. July 1985. ISSN 0313-1637.
  70. ^ "John Tonkin Water Centre Heritage Assessment" (PDF). City of Vincent. p. 2. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  71. ^ "Explore: Discover the River Journeys Project at the John Tonkin Reserve, East Fremantle". WA Parks Foundation. 14 August 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  72. ^ Town of East Fremantle. "John Tonkin's House (fmr)". inHerit. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  73. ^ "Register of Heritage Places: Assessment Documentation: Fermoy House (fmr), Northam". inHerit. 2013. p. 12. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  74. ^ Lampathakis, Paul (25 July 2004). "Fight to save Tonkin's home". The Sunday Times.
  75. ^ Lampathakis, Paul (22 August 2004). "Tonkin home to go down fighting". The Sunday Times.
  76. ^ "New Mandurah high school named after former premier". Media Statements. 12 September 2011. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  77. ^ "New name for high school". Mandurah Coastal Times. 14 September 2011. p. 5.
  78. ^ "Mandurah school named for John Tonkin". Media Statements. 16 November 2011. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  79. ^ "Merger ushers in new learning era". Mandurah Coastal Times. 23 November 2011. p. 8.
  80. ^ "Exciting times as two new schools open doors". Mandurah Coastal Times. 8 February 2012. p. 4.

Bibliography

Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Member for North-East Fremantle
8 April 1933 – 25 March 1950 		Succeeded by
Abolished
Preceded by
New seat
 Member for Melville
25 March 1950 – 19 February 1977 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Minister for Education
9 December 1943 – 1 April 1947 		Succeeded by
New title Minister for Social Services
9 December 1943 – 1 April 1947 		Abolished
Preceded by Minister for Agriculture
3 August 1945 – 1 April 1947 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Education
23 February 1953 – 13 May 1954 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Works
23 February 1953 – 2 April 1959 		Succeeded by
Minister for Water Supplies
23 February 1953 – 2 April 1959
New title Deputy Premier of Western Australia
7 December 1955 – 2 April 1959 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the Opposition
1 January 1967 – 2 March 1971 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Premier of Western Australia
3 March 1971 – 8 April 1974 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Education
3 March 1971 – 12 October 1971 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Environmental Protection
3 March 1971 – 12 October 1971 		Succeeded by
New title Minister for Cultural Affairs
3 March 1971 – 8 April 1974 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Treasurer of Western Australia
12 October 1971 – 8 April 1974 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the Opposition
8 April 1974 – 15 April 1976 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
New title Deputy Leader of the Labor Party in Western Australia
3 July 1951 – 31 December 1966 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the Labor Party in Western Australia
31 December 1966 – 15 April 1976 		Succeeded by
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