Ross Freeman (politician)
Ross Freeman | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Coogee | |
| In office 17 November 1973 – 23 May 1974 | |
| Preceded by | Kevin Ellis |
| Succeeded by | Michael Cleary |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ross Buchanan Freeman 25 February 1947 Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia |
| Party | Liberal |
| Occupation | Barrister |
Ross Buchanan Freeman (born 25 February 1947) is an Australian barrister and former politician. A member of the Liberal Party, he represented Coogee in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 17 November 1973 to 23 May 1974.
Freeman was born in Maroubra to Arthur and Wilhelmina Freeman. He was educated at Daceyville Primary School and Maroubra Bay High School before working as a clerk in Petty Sessions and the Supreme Court for the Attorney-General's Department. He studied law part-time and was admitted to the bar in 1971. In 1965 he became a volunteer in the Liberal Party, joining officially in 1967. He held various positions in the party in the Coogee and Randwick areas.[1]
In 1973, following the retirement of Liberal MP Kevin Ellis, Freeman was preselected as the candidate for Ellis's seat of Coogee. In a closely fought race, Freeman was declared elected with an eight-vote majority over Labor candidate Michael Cleary.[2] The result was later overturned by the Court of Disputed Returns, which found that failures by electoral officials had disenfranchised voters and may have affected the result; the court declared the election void on 23 May 1974.[3] A by-election was held on 20 July 1974, and Cleary was declared elected by 54 votes.[4] Freeman was subsequently vice-president of the Gordon State Conference of the Liberal Party from 1975 to 1980, and the NSW Parliament profile lists him as president of the Balmoral branch from 1984.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Mr Ross Buchanan Freeman". Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ Green, Antony. "Elections for the District of Coogee". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ↑ Electoral District of Coogee: Judgment of Court of Disputed Returns: Cleary v. Freeman (PDF) (Report). Parliament of New South Wales. 1974. p. 20. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ Electoral District of Coogee: Judgment of Court of Disputed Returns: Freeman v Cleary (PDF) (Report). Parliament of New South Wales. 1975. p. 2. Retrieved 7 July 2026.