John Tonkin

John Trezise Tonkin (2 February 1902 – 20 October 1995) was an Australian politician who was the premier of Western Australia from 3 March 1971 to 8 April 1974.

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 and had Cornish descent.

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 several times, to the states of Victoria and South Australia and the town of Gwalia in Western Australia, before moving back to Boulder.

He attended Boulder City Central School (graduating as a dux) and Eastern Goldfields High School.

Tonkin became interested in politics at a young age as his father was a unionist and a supporter of the Australian Labor Party.

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.

Tonkin joined the Labor Party in 1923 and started a branch in Forest Grove.

He married Rosalie Maud Cleghorn at St Mary's Church in West Perth on 29 December 1926.

He contested the state electoral districts of Sussex in 1927 and Murray-Wellington in 1930.

Although unsuccessful in both elections, this helped him gain a profile within the Labor Party and he caught the eye of Joe Chamberlain.

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.

He then taught at several small schools in the South West until 1930, including at Yallingup, Nuralingup, Margaret River, Kulin, Picton, Karnup, Hamel and Palgarup.

In 1930, they moved to Perth and Tonkin taught at schools in North Perth and North Fremantle.

He also studied accounting by correspondence.

He was a minister in the governments of John Willcock, Frank Wise and Bert Hawke, and a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from April 1933 to February 1977, making him the longest serving member of the Parliament of Western Australia as of 2021.

Tonkin was born in the Goldfields town of Boulder, Western Australia, the eldest of three children.

His family moved several times before moving back to Boulder, where he attended Boulder City Central School and Eastern Goldfields High School.

After working several jobs, he graduated from Claremont Teachers College and became a teacher, mainly working in small schools in rural areas.

After several unsuccessful attempts to enter state parliament, Tonkin was elected as the member for North-East Fremantle in the 1933 state election.

Tonkin was first a minister from 1943 to 1947.

He held several portfolios during this time, his most important being education.

Labor lost the 1947 state election which resulted in Tonkin leaving the ministry.

He transferred to the electoral district of Melville when North-East Fremantle was abolished at the 1950 state election.

After the resignation of Wise as Labor leader in 1951, Hawke became leader and Tonkin became deputy leader.

He entered the ministry again after Labor won the 1953 state election, this time most notably serving as the minister for works and minister for water.

In 1955, he became the first deputy premier of Western Australia following an act of parliament to formally create the position.

Labor lost the 1959 state election, causing Tonkin to leave the ministry again.

Following the resignation of Hawke in 1966, Tonkin became leader of the Labor Party in Western Australia.

After its longest period in opposition ever, the Labor Party won the 1971 state election to defeat David Brand and make Tonkin premier.

Labor had a slim majority, meaning any by-election had a chance of defeating the Tonkin government.

By-elections occurred in 1971 and 1973, each resulting in the near-defeat of Labor.

Tonkin's achievements included reforms in industrial relations and employment and passing the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972.

After three years in government, the Tonkin government was defeated in the 1974 state election.

He was succeeded as premier by Charles Court.

Tonkin was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1977, and has been honoured with the naming of Tonkin Highway and John Tonkin College after him, among other things.