Robert Askin

Sir Robert William Askin, GCMG (4 April 1907 – 9 September 1981), was an Australian politician and the 32nd Premier of New South Wales from 1965 to 1975, the first representing the Liberal Party.

He was born in 1907 as Robin William Askin, but always disliked his first name and changed it by deed poll in 1971.

Born in Sydney in 1907, Askin was educated at Sydney Technical High School.

Robin William Askin was born in Sydney, New South Wales on 4 April 1907, at the Crown Street Women's Hospital, the eldest of three sons of Ellen Laura Halliday (née Rowe) and William James Askin, an Adelaide-born sailor and worker for New South Wales Railways.

His parents later married on 29 September 1916.

Askin spent his early years in Stuart Town before his family moved to Glebe, a working-class inner-city suburb of Sydney.

After primary education at Glebe Public School, Askin was awarded a bursary to study at Sydney Technical High School, where he sat in the same class as the future aviator Charles Kingsford Smith.

At school he gained good marks, with a particular interest in Mathematics and History, and enjoyed swimming and Rugby League.

He completed his Intermediate Certificate in 1921.

At the age of 15, after a short time in the electrical trade, in 1922 Askin joined the Government Savings Bank of New South Wales as a Clerk.

Between 1925 and 1929 Askin served part-time as a Lieutenant in the 55th Battalion, Citizens Military Forces.

However, when the Savings Bank closed due to the Great Depression in 1931, he joined the Rural Bank of New South Wales.

On 5 February 1937 Askin married Mollie Isabelle Underhill, a typist at the bank, at Gilbert Park Methodist Church, Manly.

They lived in Manly for the rest of their lives.

He began his interest in politics by assisting in Percy Spender's successful campaign for Askin's local seat of Warringah as an Independent candidate at the 1937 Federal election.

He served as vice-president from 1939 to 1940 and President from 1940 to 1941 of the Rural Bank branch of the United Bank Officers' Association.

In 1940 Askin was appointed manager of the Bank service department, which focused on public relations.

Askin enlisted as a Private in the Second Australian Imperial Force on 30 March 1942.

In November 1942 he joined the 2/31st Infantry Battalion in New Guinea, where he served for two months.

He was in New Guinea for another six months from July 1943.

Landing at Balikpapan, Borneo, in July 1945, Askin was promoted to Sergeant under Lieutenant Colonel Murray Robson.

When hostilities ceased, he unsuccessfully attempted to set up an import business in Bandjermasin.

Returning to Australia in February 1946, he was demobilised on 22 March.

After serving as a bank officer and as a Sergeant in the Second World War, Askin joined the Liberal Party and was elected to the seat of Collaroy at the 1950 election.

Askin quickly rose through party ranks, eventually becoming Deputy Leader following Walter Howarth's resignation in July 1954.

When long-serving party leader Vernon Treatt announced his resignation in August 1954, Askin put his name forward to replace him.

At the vote, he became deadlocked against Pat Morton and Askin asked his former commanding officer Murray Robson to take the leadership instead.

Robson did not live up to expectations and was deposed in September 1955 by Morton, who then became Leader.

Askin remained as Deputy until, after leading the party to a second electoral defeat in 1959, Morton was deposed and Askin was elected to succeed him.

At the May 1965 election, Askin presented the Liberal Party as a viable alternative government.

He won a narrow victory, ending a 24-year Labor hold on government.

Askin's time in office was marked by a significant increase in public works programs, strong opposition to an increase in Commonwealth powers, laissez-faire economic policies and wide-ranging reforms in laws and regulations such as the Law Reform Commission, the introduction of consumer laws, legal aid, breath-testing of drivers, the liberalisation of liquor laws and the restoration of Postal voting in NSW elections.

More controversial changes included the 1967 abolition of Sydney City Council and increased rates of development in Sydney, often at the expense of architectural heritage and historic buildings.

This culminated in the 'Green ban' movement of the 1970s led by the Union movement to conserve the heritage of Sydney.

At the end of his term, after winning another three elections, Askin was the second longest serving Premier of New South Wales (after Henry Parkes) and served the longest consecutive term of any Premier.

This record has since been overtaken by Neville Wran and Bob Carr.

Askin remains the longest-serving Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party.

Before being knighted in 1972, however, he was generally known as Bob Askin.

Since his death in 1981, however, Askin's legacy has been tarnished by persistent allegations that he was involved in organised crime and official corruption.

An instructor with the 14th Infantry Training Battalion at Dubbo, he was appointed Acting Corporal, then reverted to Private.