Lionel Bowen

The Honourable Lionel Bowen AC
Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
In office 11 March 1983 – 4 April 1990
Prime Minister	Bob Hawke
Preceded by	Doug Anthony
Succeeded by	Paul Keating
Member of the Australian Parliament for Kingsford-Smith
In office 25 October 1969 – 19 February 1990
Preceded by	Daniel Curtin
Succeeded by	Laurie Brereton
Personal details
Born	28 December 1922(1922-12-28) Ultimo, New South Wales
Died	1 April 2012(2012-04-01) (aged 89) Sydney, New South Wales
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Spouse(s)	Claire Clement
Alma mater	University of Sydney
Occupation	Solicitor
Religion	Roman Catholic
Military service
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Australian Army
Years of service	1941–1945
Rank	Corporal

Lionel Frost Bowen, AC (28 December 1922 – 1 April 2012) was an Australian politician and senior Labor Party figure, serving in the ministries of Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Australia from 1983 to 1990.

Personal life

Bowen was born in the Sydney suburb of Ultimo. His father left the family when Bowen was aged 10 years and Bowen's mother looked after her invalid brother and elderly mother, while working as a cleaner. Bowen was educated at Cleveland Street public school, Marcellin College Randwick and Sydney University where he graduated with a LLB in 1946, and became a solicitor. He served in the Second Australian Imperial Force from 1941 to 1945, achieving the rank of corporal.

Bowen and his wife, Claire, married in 1953 and together had three daughters and five sons. Bowen lived in the same home in Kensington for 73 years.

Political career

Bowen was elected to Randwick Council and became Mayor in 1948. He served in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1962 to 1969, representing Randwick, before being elected to the Parliament of Australia in 1969, to the seat of Kingsford Smith in the House of Representatives. From 1972 to 1975 he served successively as Minister for Manufacturing Industry, Special Minister of State and Postmaster-General in the Whitlam cabinet.

Bowen played a relatively quiet role in politics, preferring to work behind the scenes. A significant achievement came as acting education minister in the Whitlam government, when he managed to split the opposition and win National Party support in the Senate for needs-based funding for non-government schools.

When Whitlam resigned as Labor leader after his defeat at the 1977 election, Bowen contested the party leadership but was defeated by Bill Hayden and became Deputy Leader. He retained this position when Bob Hawke became Leader in February 1983. When Hawke won the March 1983 election, Bowen became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade in the first Hawke Ministry. In July 1983, he was appointed Vice-President of the Executive Council and in the second Hawke ministry, he became Attorney-General, losing the Trade portfolio.

In 1988 Bowen sponsored four referendums to reform the Australian Constitution (see Australian referendum, 1988), but all were defeated. He retired from federal politics prior to the March 1990 election, and was succeeded as Deputy Prime Minister by Paul Keating.

Post political career

Bowen served as Chairman of the National Gallery of Australia between 1990 and 1995 and shared a strong interest in horseracing.

In 1991, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia "in recognition of service to the community and politics." In 2001, he received a Centenary Medal.

Bowen died from pneumonia on 1 April 2012 after years afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. He was given a state funeral on 11 April 2012.

Legacy

The Family Court of Australia and the Federal Magistrates Court are located in the Lionel Bowen Building in Goulburn Street, Sydney. The City of Randwick main library is known as the Bowen Library.

Gallery

• 

  Bowen with German Federal Minister of Justice Hans A. Engelhard in April 1987

• 

  The Lionel Bowen Building in Goulburn Street, Sydney

References

Political offices
Preceded by Alan Hulme	Postmaster-General 1972–1974	Succeeded by Reg Bishop
Preceded by Don Willesee	Special Minister of State 1973–1975	Succeeded by Doug McClelland
Preceded by Jim McClelland	Minister for Manufacturing Industry 1975	Succeeded by Bob Cotton
Preceded by Doug Anthony	Deputy Prime Minister 1983–1990	Succeeded by Paul Keating
	Minister for Trade 1983–1984	Succeeded by John Dawkins
Preceded by Mick Young	Vice-President of the Executive Council 1983–1987	Succeeded by Mick Young
Preceded by Gareth Evans (Attorney-General) Barry Cohen (home affairs and consumer affairs)	Attorney-General 1984–1990	Succeeded by Michael Duffy
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Daniel Curtin	Member for Kingsford Smith 1969–1990	Succeeded by Laurie Brereton
Party political offices
Preceded by Tom Uren	Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party 1977–1990	Succeeded by Paul Keating