Summary heading
Hon Robert Brown
Career within Commonwealth
Robert James (Bob) Brown was born at Pelaw Main in the
Hunter Valley, New South Wales, son of Edward Thomas and Mary Frances Brown,
and educated at Kurri Kurri Central School, Maitland Boys High School, the
University of Sydney, Sydney Teachers’ College and the University of New
England. He married Elizabeth Joy Hirschausen on 27 August 1960 and has one
daughter and one son.
Prior to entering Federal Parliament he worked as an
economics teacher and high school deputy principal between 1956 and 1978. He
also served on the Cessnock City Council as alderman in 1969-1980 and mayor in
1969-1970 and 1975-1980. He was elected ALP member of the New South Wales
Legislative Assembly in the seat of Cessnock in 7 October 1978. During this
time R J Brown served as a member on the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and
on the Select Committee of Public Accounts and Financial Accounts of Statutory
Authorities. He resigned from the NSW Parliament on 29 August 1980.
On 18 October 1980 he was elected to the Federal House of
Representatives for Hunter (NSW), and re-elected in 1983. Following 1984
electoral redistribution, he was elected as Member for Charlton (NSW) in on 1
December 1984 and re-elected on 1987, 1990, 1993 and 1996. In the Hawke Labor
Government R J Brown was Minister for Land Transport and Shipping Support from
2 September 1988 to 4 April 1990, and Minister for Land Transport from 4 April
1990 to 24 March 1993. He was also a member of the Advisory Council for
Inter-government Relations from 18 May 1983 to 21 February 1985; of the House
of Representatives Standing Committees on Expenditure (4 Dec 1980-5 Jun 1987),
on Privileges (12 May 1993 - ), on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Affairs (12 May 12 May 1993-29 Jan 1996), on Procedure (9 May 1994-29 Jan 1996,
Chair from 30 May 1994); of the Joint Statutory Committee on Public Accounts
(28 Oct 1987-31 Aug 1988, 12 May 1993-29 Jan 1996), and of the Joint Select
Committee on Australia Card (4 Dec 1985-8 May 1986).
He stood as the (unsuccessful) Labor candidate in the
federal elections of 1961 (Paterson) and 1963 (Robertson); after the 1984
redistribution he was member for Charlton until retiring from Parliament in
1998.
In June 2007 he was appointed a member of the order of
Australia (AM) for service to the Australian Parliament, particularly in the
area of transport policy, to the community of the Hunter Region through local
government, heritage and sporting organisations, and to economics education.
Sources
It's An Honour, web site maintained by the Awards and
National Symbols branch within the Department of the Prime Minister and
Cabinet, http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/index.cfm,
accessed 22 April 2006
Commonwealth
Parliamentary Handbook 1988, pp 147-148
Who's Who in Australia
1980, p 525