Pat Morton

Morton's grandfather, Henry Gordon Morton, born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1828, arrived in Australia in 1852 and was a surveyor for the Berry Estate and the first Mayor of Numbaa, the private town founded by Alexander Berry.

Henry Morton and his wife Jane Fairless had eight sons: Mark Fairles Morton, who served as Mayor and Alderman on Nowra Municipal Council and the NSW Parliament from 1901 to 1938 for Shoalhaven, Allowrie and Wollondilly; Henry Douglas Morton, who served the NSW Parliament from 1910 to 1920 for Hastings and Macleay and as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in 1913; Philip Henry Morton, who served as member for Shoalhaven from 1889 to 1898 and later as an Alderman on the Sydney City Council from 1904 to 1908; and Pat's father, Alexander Richmond Morton, who, after serving as an Alderman on Nowra Municipal Council, moved with his wife to Lismore and served as an Alderman on Lismore Municipal Council.

Morton was educated at Lismore High School, which he left at the age of 14 to be employed in a law firm, but had a varied career in many different businesses.

Philip Henry (Pat) Morton (28 October 1910 – 18 January 1999) was an Australian businessman and politician.

Born in Lismore in Northern New South Wales to a prominent political family and educated at Lismore High School, Morton left school at fourteen to be employed in a legal firm, before branching out into various businesses.

Pat Morton was born on 28 October 1910 in Lismore, New South Wales, the son of Arthur Richmond Morton and Maria Morton.

Although born on the north coast of New South Wales, Morton's family were prominent members of the Shoalhaven District on the New South Wales south coast.

On 31 March 1937, he married Nance Maude on 31 March 1937 and had two daughters, Patricia and Margaret.

Moving to Sydney, Morton first entered politics in 1944 as an Alderman on Mosman Municipal Council, rising to be Mayor in 1946.

Morton moved to Mosman, New South Wales, where he was elected to the Mosman Municipal Council in December 1944 as an Alderman, rising to become Mayor in 1946.

Morton then entered the New South Wales Legislative Assembly on 3 May 1947, representing the Electoral district of Mosman for the Liberal Party.

Morton soon rose through the party ranks, becoming touted as a possible leader.

Morton soon joined the NSW Branch under party Leader Vernon Treatt and stood for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Mosman at the state election on 3 May 1947.

At the election he succeeded in defeating the conservative Independent member, The Reverend Donald MacDonald, with 55.56% of the vote.

Treatt led the Coalition again at the 17 June 1950 election, which resulted in a hung parliament, with the Coalition gaining 12 seats and a swing of 6.7% for a total of 46 seats.

With the Labor Party also holding 46 seats, the balance of power lay with the two re-elected Independent Labor members, James Geraghty and John Seiffert, who had been expelled from the party for disloyalty during the previous parliament.

Under a legalistic interpretation of the ALP rules, Seiffert was readmitted to the party and, together with the support of Geraghty, Premier James McGirr and Labor were able to stay in power.

Morton was re-elected with 77.28%.

This result wiped out nearly all of the electoral gains made in 1950; and not surprisingly, the party's confidence in Treatt's leadership decayed, now that Treatt had led the party to three consecutive losses.

He would remain on council until September 1951.

As an Alderman, Morton joined the new Liberal Party, becoming a member of the Balmoral local branch and a federal councillor.

Morton also finished his term on Mosman Municipal Council in 1951.

At the 14 February 1953 election, Morton retained his seat with 75.59%, The Liberals, however, suffered a total loss of ten seats and a swing against them of 7.2%.

When the Liberals lost their third election under party leader Vernon Treatt, Morton contested the leadership in July 1954.

Although Morton was defeated, Treatt did not stay long, resigning in August.

Morton then stood, but was deadlocked against party whip, Robert Askin, and Askin then asked Murray Robson to take the leadership.

The Liberal Party soon descended into factional in-fighting, culminating in the resignation of Deputy Leader Walter Howarth on 22 July 1954.

Howarth announced on 4 July his imminent departure, and accused Treatt of having doubted Howarth's loyalty.

Robert Askin became Deputy Leader in Howarth's stead.

The resignation split the party and sparked a leadership challenge from Morton, who criticised Treatt's "lack of aggression" towards the Labor Government.

At the party meeting on 6 July, Treatt narrowly defeated Morton by 12 votes to 10.

Nevertheless, with party support eroded, Treatt did not remain long as leader afterwards.

On 6 August, Treatt announced that he would resign as leader four days later.

At the following party meeting, after a deadlocked vote between Askin and Morton, Askin persuaded Murray Robson to accept the Leadership of the Liberal Party as a compromise candidate.

Robson proved ineffective and was deposed in September 1955 in a party spill and Morton was elected to succeed him as Leader of the New South Wales Opposition.

Morton contested as Leader the 1956 and 1959 elections, gaining seats each time but failing to defeat the long-standing Labor Government.

A few months after the 1959 election, Morton was deposed as Leader by now-Deputy Leader Askin in July 1959.

He remained on the backbenches until Askin led the Liberal Party to its first electoral victory in May 1965, whereupon Morton was appointed as the Minister for Local Government and Minister for Highways.

He served in the cabinet, becoming prominent and controversial in his role in the reorganisation of the City of Sydney as Local Government Minister and state planning regulations, until he retired from parliament in June 1972.

He died in Mosman aged 88 in 1999.