Gordon Bryant

The Honourable Gordon Bryant
Bryant in 1973
Minister for the Capital Territory
In office 9 October 1973 – 11 November 1975
Prime Minister	Gough Whitlam
Preceded by	Kep Enderby
Succeeded by	Reg Withers
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
In office 19 December 1972 – 9 October 1973
Prime Minister	Gough Whitlam
Preceded by	Peter Howson (Environment, Aborigines and the Arts)
Succeeded by	Jim Cavanagh
Member of the Australian Parliament for Wills
In office 10 December 1955 – 19 September 1980
Preceded by	Bill Bryson
Succeeded by	Bob Hawke
Personal details
Born	(1914-08-03)3 August 1914 Lismore, Victoria, Australia
Died	14 January 1991(1991-01-14) (aged 76) Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
Political party	Labor
Spouse	Pat
Alma mater	University of Melbourne
Occupation	Teacher

Gordon Munro Bryant (3 August 1914 – 14 January 1991) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and represented the Division of Wills in Victoria from 1955 to 1980. He served as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (1972–1973) and Minister for the Capital Territory (1973–1975) in the Whitlam government.

Early life

Bryant was born on 3 August 1914 in Lismore, Victoria. He was the son of Agnes Keith (née Bain) and Donald Munro Bryant. His father, a storekeeper and farmer, was the nephew of Victorian premier James Munro.

Bryant moved to Baxter as a child and attended Frankston High School. He won a teaching scholarship and taught at Callaghan Creek (near Mitta Mitta), Pearcedale, and Mittyack. His teaching career was interrupted by the Second World War, but after the war's end he became a high school teacher at Upwey. He completed a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) at the University of Melbourne in 1950, having also studied at Melbourne Teachers' College before the war.

Military service

Bryant enlisted in the Citizen Military Force in 1934. He was called up for full-time duty in 1942 and was transferred to the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in January 1943. He remained in Australia until 1945, when he participated in the Battle of Balikpapan as a captain in the 2/33rd Battalion.

Politics

Bryant was elected to Parliament in 1955. A passionate supporter of land rights, he was president of the Aborigines Advancement League for seven years, from 1957 to 1964.

After seventeen years in Parliament, Bryant joined the Cabinet of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, becoming Minister for Aboriginal Affairs in 1972. A year later he became Minister for the Capital Territory. As Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, he was instrumental in the Whitlam government's historic land rights deal with Vincent Lingiari and the Gurindji people. Bryant retired in 1980, and his electorate was taken over by future Prime Minister Bob Hawke. Bryant had earlier resisted pressure to retire early in order to expedite Hawke's entry to Parliament via a by-election.

Personal life

Bryant was married and had two sons.

He died in January 1991, eleven months prior to Hawke's ousting as Prime Minister.

References

• Australian House of Representatives HANSARD, "DEATH OF HON. G.M. BRYANT, E.D.", 1991-02-12 (excerpt available online).
• "PM lent hand to land rights", Karen Middleton, The West Australian, 2004-01-01.