Norman Henry Denham (later Sir Denham) Henty, a member of the pioneering Henty family, was born in Longford, Tasmania on 13 October 1903. He was educated at Launceston Church of England Grammar School but left school at 14 to work for his father. He later became Managing Director of T Norman Henty and Sons Pty Ltd in Launceston (1937-50), an Alderman of the Launceston City Council (1943-51) and the city's Mayor (1948-49). During World War II, Henty was also a member of the Volunteer Air Observers Corps and was a founding member of the Liberal Party in Tasmania (1945).

Henty was elected a Senator for Tasmania in the December 1949 general elections, taking up his appointment on 1 July 1950. In the Menzies Government, he was Minister for Customs and Excise (1956-64) and Minister for Civil Aviation (1964-66). In 1960, as Minister for Customs and Excise, he prohibited the commercial export of Australian native fauna and liberalised the censorship of books and film. He was Acting Minister for Trade/Trade and Industry in the absence of John McEwen, and also acted in other portfolios, on several occasions. In Parliament, Henty was a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works (1951-56, Chairman in 1956) and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate (1964-66). In the Holt Government he was Minister for Supply (1966-68) and Leader of the Government in the Senate (1966-1967), and was instrumental in the expansion of the Senate's committee system.  

During his parliamentary career, Henty made official overseas visits to the United Kingdom (1964), Tahiti and North America (1965); represented the Australian Government at the Malaysia Day Celebrations in Kuala Lumpur (1965); visited Europe for European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO) meetings (1966); and participated in discussions in the United States on Australian defence supplies and inspected NASA facilities (early 1968).  

Henty retired from federal politics in June 1968 and became a member of the Overseas Telecommunications Commission (1968-78). Other positions included Chairman of the Launceston General Hospital (1970-72) and directorships of the Launceston Bank for Savings, Equitable Building Society and A G Webster and Woolgrowers Ltd. 

Sir Denham Henty was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1968 Queen's Birthday Honours and became an honorary Freeman of the City of Launceston in 1970. He died in Launceston on 9 May 1978.

Sources

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol 14, 1940-1980 'Di-Kel', pp 437-8
Parliamentary Handbook 1965, 15th ed, p 120; 1968, 16th ed, pp 123-4
Who's Who in Australia 1962, p 400; 1971, p 462; 1977, p 515
Senate Hansard, 10 May 1978, pp 1539-41