Andrew Peacock

Andrew Sharp Peacock AC GCL (born 13 February 1939) is a former Australian Liberal politician. He was a minister in the Gorton, McMahon and Fraser governments and federal leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and Leader of the Opposition (1983–1985 and 1989–1990), leading the Coalition opposition to defeat at the 1984 election and the 1990 election.

Early life

Peacock was born in Melbourne, Victoria, the son of a wealthy company director. He was educated at Scotch College and at the University of Melbourne, where he graduated in law. He practised law in Melbourne while making a rapid advance in the Liberal Party. He was president of the Young Liberals in 1962, and in 1963 he married Susan Rossiter (b. 1940), the daughter of Victorian Liberal MLA Sir John Rossiter and Joan Stewart. They had three daughters, one of them being the horse trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam. By 1965 he was President of the Victorian Liberal Party.

Early political career

In February 1966, former Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies resigned, triggering a by-election in Kooyong, the eastern Melbourne electorate that he had held for 32 years. Peacock gained Liberal preselection, making him the favourite in this comfortably safe Liberal seat. The Liberals (and their predecessors) had held the seat since Federation, usually without serious difficulty. As expected, he won the 2 April by-election, albeit with a slightly reduced majority. He easily retained his seat in the general election held seven months later. In 1969 he was appointed Minister for the Army, and in this role played a minor part in the drama which brought down Prime Minister John Gorton in 1971. In 1972 William McMahon made him Minister for Territories, in charge of Australia's colonial possession, Papua New Guinea, where he was responsible for bringing in self-government.