Lindsay Thompson

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Lindsay Hamilton Simpson Thompson AO CMG (born 15 October 1923), Australian politician, was Liberal Premier of the state of Victoria from 1981 to 1982.

1 Early history and family
2 Political career
3 Awards
4 References

[edit] Early history and family

Thompson was born in Warburton, a town north-east of Melbourne, and was educated at Caulfield Grammar School. After service in the Australian Army in World War II, he graduated from the University of Melbourne with degrees in arts and education, and became a school teacher.

In 1950 Thompson married Joan Poynder, and they had three children. Thompson's son Murray Thompson has been a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 1992.

[edit] Political career

In 1955 he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council in the Monash and Higginbotham Provinces as a Liberal, where he served until 1970, when he transferred to the Legislative Assembly as MP for Malvern.

In 1958 Thompson was appointed Assistant Chief Secretary in the government of Henry Bolte, and held office continuously until 1982, making him the longest-serving minister in the history of the Victorian Parliament. In 1967 he was appointed Minister for Education, and held this post until 1979, a record term. He presided over the major expansion of state education in Victoria during this period. In 1971 he became Deputy Premier.

In 1972, a teacher and six school children were kidnapped at a school in the country town of Faraday by a man demanding a $1 million ransom. Thompson went to the site and was ready to personally deliver the ransom, but the children were freed by the police before this was necessary. Thompson received a bravery award for his actions during the kidnapping. [1]

During the premiership of Rupert Hamer Thompson was Chief Secretary, then Treasurer and Minister for Police and Emergency Services. In 1981, Hamer resigned and Thompson won a Liberal Party ballot to succeed him as Premier. But the Liberals had been in power for 27 years and the new Labor leader, John Cain, was mounting a strong challenge to the government. At the March 1982 election the Liberals were heavily defeated and Thompson resigned as Liberal leader and from Parliament.

[edit] Awards

Thompson was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George on June 14, 1975 for serving as a minister.^[1] He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia on Australia Day in 1990 "for service to government and politics and to the Victorian Parliament".^[2] He also received a Centenary Medal in 2001.

In 1981 he was awarded the Douglas Wilkie Medal by the Anti-Football League for his efforts to ban football games on Sunday.