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Don Taylor (Australian politician)

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Don Taylor
Deputy Premier of Western Australia
In office
30 May 1973 – 8 April 1974
PremierJohn Tonkin
Preceded byHerb Graham
Succeeded byRay McPharlin
Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
In office
23 March 1968 – 31 August 1984
Preceded byHenry Curran
Succeeded byClive Hughes
ConstituencyCockburn
Administrator of Christmas Island
In office
4 August 1986 – 24 February 1990
Preceded byTom Paterson
Succeeded byBill McKenzie
Personal details
Born(1928-01-24)24 January 1928
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Died26 July 2023(2023-07-26) (aged 95)
Myaree, Western Australia
Political partyLabor

Alexander Donald Taylor AM (24 January 1928 – 26 July 2023) was an Australian politician who was a Labor Party member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1968 to 1984, representing the electoral district of Cockburn. He served as a minister in the government of John Tonkin, including as deputy premier from 1973 to 1974. Taylor later served as Administrator of Christmas Island (an Australian external territory) from 1986 to 1990.

Early life

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Taylor was born in Kalgoorlie to Lily Irene (née Jennings) and Alexander Taylor. He was raised in Perth, attending Perth Modern School, and was a state-level basketball player in his youth. Taylor studied teaching at the University of Western Australia and Claremont Teachers College, and after graduating worked at Applecross Senior High School (1959–1960) and Perth Modern School (1961–1962). He later worked as a rural education officer with the Junior Farmers' Council.[1]

Politics

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A member of the Labor Party from 1956, Taylor was elected to parliament at the 1968 state election, replacing the retiring Henry Curran in Cockburn.[2] After the 1971 election, which saw the election of a Labor government, he was made Minister for Housing and Minister for Labour in the new ministry. Following a ministerial reshuffle in October 1971, Taylor's titles were Minister for Labour, Minister for Prices Control, and Minister for Tourism. He was additionally made Minister for Immigration in February 1973.[1]

In May 1973, Herb Graham stepped down as deputy leader of the Labor Party, with Taylor being elected as his replacement and consequently being appointed deputy premier. He served as deputy premier until Labor's defeat at the 1974 election, a term of less than a year (the shortest term of any deputy premier in Western Australia).[3] After the election, Taylor was replaced as Labor's deputy leader by Colin Jamieson. He remained in the shadow ministry until 1980, serving under three leaders of the opposition (John Tonkin, Colin Jamieson, and Ron Davies).[1]

Later life

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Taylor retired from parliament in August 1984. He served on the Judiciary and Parliamentary Salaries Tribunal from 1984 to 1986, and then was briefly chairman of the Authority for the Intellectually Handicapped. From 1986 to 1990, Taylor served as Administrator of Christmas Island, an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean.[1] He was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 1991 Australia Day Honours, for "public service and service to the Western Australia parliament".[4] Taylor died on 26 July 2023 in Myaree, Western Australia. He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Alexander Donald Taylor". Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  2. ^ Black, David; Prescott, Valerie (1997). Election statistics : Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, 1890-1996. Perth, [W.A.]: Western Australian Parliamentary History Project and Western Australian Electoral Commission. ISBN 0730984095.
  3. ^ Deputy Premiers of Western Australia – Parliamentary Library Western Australia. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  4. ^ TAYLOR, Alexander Donald, It's An Honour. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
Parliament of Western Australia
Preceded by Member for Cockburn
1968–1984
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Deputy Premier
1973–1974
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Housing
1971
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Labour
1971–1973
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Prices Control
1971–1973
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Consumer Protection
1971–1973
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Tourism
1971–1973
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Immigration
1973
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Development and Decentralisation
1973–1974
Succeeded by