Summary heading
Career details
Career within Commonwealth
Benjamin (Ben) Charles Humphreys was born and educated in Brisbane. Early in
his career he served with the Royal Australian Navy and later became an auto engineer
and businessman, a member of the Amalgamated Metal Workers’ and Shipwrights’
Union and Branch Secretary of the Amalgamated Engineering Union (1965-66).
In 1977, Ben Humphreys was elected to federal Parliament as the member for
Griffith (Qld). He retained the seat for the Australian Labor Party through the
next six general elections until his retirement in January 1996. Through a
political career spanning almost 20 years, he served on Parliamentary
Committees relating to Road Safety (1978-80), Public Works (1978-83 and
1993-96), Standing Orders (1983-84), Corporations and Securities (1993-96). He
was Deputy Opposition Whip (1980-83), Government Whip (1983-87), Minister for
Veterans’ Affairs (1987-93) and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Northern
Australia (1992-93).
Mr Humphreys was an active member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary
Association, as a member or leader of several CPA Conference delegations,
Regional Representative for Australasia and the Pacific (1985-87) and as
Vice-Chairman of its Executive Committee (1986-87). He was also a member or leader of other parliamentary delegations
and made several official visits overseas, including representing Australia at
the 50th Anniversary of the fall of Singapore (1992) and the Palau Independence
celebrations (1994).
Since leaving federal politics, Ben Humphreys has pursued various business
interests and has been a Director of the Stockman’s Hall of Fame in Longreach
(1989- ) and Trustee of the Mick
Young Scholarship Trust (1996-98). He received an award within the Order of
Australia (AM) in 2000.
Links to other Commonwealth Persons
Publications
End notes
Sources
Commonwealth Parliamentary Handbook, 26th ed (1993) and 27th
ed (1996)
Who's Who in Australia 2003, p1039