Alexander James (Dr Jim) Forbes was born in Hobart in 1923 and was educated at Knox Grammar School in Sydney, St Peter's College in Adelaide, the University of Adelaide and Oxford University in England. During World War II, after graduating from the Royal Military College Duntroon in December 1942, Dr Forbes served with the 2nd Australian Mountain Battery in New Guinea and Bougainville (1944-46), and with the occupation forces in Japan and Germany. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1945 and was a member of the Australian Victory Contingent in 1946.

In June 1946, Dr Forbes was appointed to the Australian Army Staff in London but transferred to the Reserve of Officers in April the following year with the rank of Lieutenant. He later served with the Adelaide University Regiment, Commonwealth Military Forces (1948-52 and 1954-56) with the rank of Captain, before returning to the Reserve of Officers in November 1956. In 1951 Dr Forbes became a Resident Tutor at St Marks College, University of Adelaide and was subsequently a lecturer in Political Science at that University (1954-56).

Dr Forbes entered Commonwealth Parliament in 1956 (through a by-election caused by the death of A G Cameron) as the Liberal Member for the South Australian seat of Barker. He was re-elected at subsequent general elections in 1958, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1969, 1972 and 1974. During the Menzies Government, he held the portfolios of Navy (1963-64) and Army (1963-66) and was Minister Assisting the Treasurer (1963-66). In this period he was also a member of Parliamentary Committees relating to the Parliamentary Library (1958-63) and Foreign Affairs (1959-63), a member of the Australian National University Council (1962-75), a member of the Prime Minister's party during an official visit to Indonesia, the Federation of Malaya and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (December 1959) and a member of a Parliamentary Delegation to South East Asia (1963). He also visited Nigeria in 1961 and, as Minister for the Army, the Australian Forces in Vietnam in July 1965.  

In the Holt and Gorton Governments, Dr Forbes was Minister for Health (1966-71) and, in the McMahon Government, Minister for Immigration (1971-72).

During the Whitlam Labor Government Dr Forbes was a member of the Opposition Executive and spokesman on Defence (1972-74), a member of the Australian Delegation to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference in London and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Delegation to the Australian Constitutional Convention in Sydney (1973). He also served on Parliamentary Committees relating to the Parliamentary Library (1973-74), Foreign Affairs and Defence (1973-75) and the Parliamentary Committee System (1974-75). On the defeat of B M Snedden as Leader of the Liberal Party in March 1975, Dr Forbes stated that he would not serve under the new leader (Malcolm Fraser) and, following the double dissolution of Parliament on 11 November 1975, was one of eleven members of the House of Representatives and Senate who decided not to seek re-election.

In his later career, Dr Forbes was a Research Officer for the President of the Senate, Senator Condor Laucke (1976), Chairman of the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories Commission (1978-84) and a member of the National Library Council (1979-85, Chairman from 1982).  He is a Companion in the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG).

Sources:
 
1. Commonwealth Directory, 1979-1984 editions 
2. Commonwealth Parliamentary Handbook 1975. pp 109-110; 1976, p 205
3. The Canberra Times, 30 January 1973, p 9; 14 November 1975, p 8
4. The National Times, 10 May 1976, p 6
5. Who's Who in Australia 1985, p 310