Walter Jona

Walter Jona (17 July 1926 – 22 July 2007) was a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.

Early life and career

Jona went to school at the Scotch College, Melbourne before studying medicine at the University of Melbourne in 1944. After spending 1945 in the Royal Australian Air Force, Jona returned to his medical course, but found his passion for politics after taking some politics units. This lead Jona to joining the Melbourne University Liberal Club and becoming active within the Liberal Party in his local area.

Jona was also active in many other groups including the Melbourne Apex Club, Melbourne Junior Chamber of Commerce and in 1958 he became President of the Victorian Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen.

Political career

In the lead up to the 1964 state election, Peter Garrisson, the Liberal member for Jona's local seat of Hawthorn was disendorsed because he was charged under the Companies Act. Jona won a hotly contested preselection against ten other candidates, and went on to win the seat despite challenges from Garrisson and from Labor (at the time, the seat of Hawthorn included parts of working class Richmond, making it less secure for the Liberals than today).