Born in Sydney in 1933, Neal Blewett was raised in Tasmania and educated at Launceston High School and the University of Tasmania, graduating with an Arts degree and a Diploma of Education.
 
He became Tasmanian Rhodes Scholar in 1957 and continued his studies at Oxford University where he earned a Master of Arts degree, then graduated as a Doctor of Philosophy from St Anthony's College. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
 
He remained at Oxford (St Edmund Hall) as a lecturer until 1964 when he returned to Australia to begin a distinguished academic career in South Australia, specialising in political science.
 
He was appointed Lecturer in Politics at Adelaide University in 1964. In 1970 he took up the position of Reader at Flinders University (SA). In 1974 he was appointed professor in the Department of Political Theory and Institutions at Flinders University.
 
Dr Blewett was a member of the ALP (SA) State Conference Agenda Commitee in 1974 and 1977-1981.
 
In addition to his interests in Labor Party politics, Dr Blewett played an active role in the Peace in Vietnam movement and the South Australian Council for Civil Liberties (Member from 1967; President 1975-1976). He has written two books - "Playford to Dunstan: The Politics of Transition", (with Dean Jaensch - published 1971) and "The Peers, the Parties and the People: the general elections of 1910", (1972). Dr Blewett was also President of the Australian Political Studies Association (1977-1978) and a member of the Council of Adelaide International Film Festival (1976-1978).
 
Dr Blewett gained ALP pre-selection and was elected to the House of Representatives in the seat of Bonython (SA) in the 1977 election.  He was subsequently re-elected in 1980, 1983 and 1984,1987 and 1990.  In Federal Parliament, Dr Blewett served as a member of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence and was also a member of the parliamentary delegations which visited several overseas countries.
 
He was Opposition spokesman on Health, 1980-1983, and Tasmanian Affairs, 1980-1983. He was sworn in as Minister for Health in 1983 after the election of the Labor Government.
 
He was the Minister for Health till 24 July 1987 and served as the Minister for Community Services and Health from 24 July 1987 to 4 April 1990.
 
Dr Blewett's first priority as Minister was to implement the ALP's universal health insurance system, Medicare, which was introduced in February 1984. He also played a major role in the development of the Government's aged care policies and the establishment of the Home and Community Care Program.
 
Dr Blewett has received international recognition for the
implementation of a humane and multifaceted national strategy to counter the spread of AIDS throughout Australia. He was the
Minister-In-Charge of the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse, the first nationally co-ordinated and co-operative attempt by the Federal, State, and Territory Governments to reduce the demand for drugs through education and prevention programs, treatment and rehabilitation services, and law enforcement initiatives.
 
From 4 April 1990 to 1 February 1991, Neal Blewett was the Minister for Trade Negotiations and from 1 February 1991 to 27 December 1991 the Minister for Trade and Overseas Development. On 27 December 1991 he became the Minister for Social Security a position he held until he retired to the backbench on 23 March 1993.
 
On 9 February 1994 Dr Blewett announced his retirement from Federal Parliament.
 
His appointment as Australia's High Commissioner in London was officially announced on 13 March 1994. Dr Blewett took up his posting on 19 April 1994.

Dr Blewett was honored in the 1995 Queen's Birthday Honors with the Companion of the Order of Australia. The award was received for service to the 'Australian Parliament, to the development and implementation of public policy, particularly national AIDS policy, and for scholarship'.


Sources
 
1. Australian Parliamentary Handbook 1978, p 34; 1984, pp 42-43    
2. Who's Who in Australia 1980, p 113; 1983, p 109; 1993, pp 200-201 
3. Information supplied by Dr Blewett's Electorate Office
4. Information obtained from the Parliamentary Stack data base
5. 'The Advertiser', 10 February and 14 March 1994
6. 'The Advertiser', 12 May 1995

Agency associated with person unregistered

1978-1978 : Parliamentary Delegation to Bangladesh,
            India and Sri Lanka - Member
1978-     : Commonwealth Parliamentary Delegation to Australian
            Constitutional Convention, Perth - Member
1980-1980 : Parliamentary Observer Team to Rhodesia - Member
1980-1983 : Opposition Shadow Ministry - Spokesman on Health
            and Tasmanian Affairs
1983      : 7th Commonwealth Health Ministers Conference,
            Ottawa - Member
1984      : 37th World Health Assembly, Geneva - Delegate