Frederick Austin Johnston (9 October 1909 – 19 May 1990) was an Australian businessman and political activist. He ran one of Western Australia's largest meat-processing firms and served on the

Perth City Council Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

from 1963 to 1965, also serving terms as president of the

Liberal and Country League Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and ...

and the Australian Council of Employers' Federations.

Early life

Johnston was born on 9 October 1909 in

Blaydon Blaydon is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England, and historically in County Durham. Blaydon, and neighbouring Winlaton, which Blaydon is now contiguous with, form the postal town of Blaydon-on-Tyne. The Blay ...

, Durham, England. He was the son of Elizabeth Florence (née Johnston) and William Oliver Johnston, his father being a butcher. He attended secondary school in Wallsend. The family immigrated to Australia in 1926, settling in Perth where his father opened a butcher's shop on Barrack Street. The shop relocated to Beaufort Street in 1929.

Business career

Johnston became managing director of W. O. Johnston & Sons in 1942. The company became "one of Western Australia’s biggest meat-processing firms", exporting sausages and

smallgoods Smallgoods is a term used in New Zealand and Australia to refer to small meat products such as ham, bacon, sausages or salami.The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (Fifth edition; 2002) Volume 2, p. 2884. Many companies, such as Primo Smallg ...

overseas to Singapore and the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...

. It also supplied the

Department of Defence Co-ordination The Department of Defence Co-ordination was an Australian government department that existed between November 1939 and April 1942. History The department was formed shortly after Australia declared war on Germany in September 193 ...

during World War II. In 1947, the company was fined for producing sausages with too much starch. Johnston claimed in 1949 that the company would soon close down due to inconsistent electricity supply and a shortage of meat. In October 1964 he announced that his firm had become insolvent, stating in a notice to creditors that "the stock and receivables of the company had been gravely overvalued". It was taken over in 1967 by Talloman Holdings. Johnston was a member of the Meat and Allied Trades Federation of Australia, a

peak body A peak organisation or peak body is an Australian term for an advocacy group or trade association, an association of industries or groups with allied interests. They are generally established for the purposes of developing standards and processes, ...

for employers, and helped establish the Western Australian Meat Exporters' Association in the 1960s. He served as president of the

Western Australian Employers' Federation The Western Australian Employers' Federation was an employers' organisation in Western Australia between 1913 and 1975. It was a member of the Employers' Federation of Australia. As an employers advocacy group, the organisation was involved in ...

(1948–1953) and the Australian Council of Employers' Federations (1953–1955). In 1952 he stated that communists were to blame for a strike in the

Midland Railway Workshops The Midland Railway Workshops in Midland, Western Australia, were the main workshops for the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) for over 80 years. History The first railway workshops in Western Australia were located at Fremantle an ...

. In 1954 he publicly criticised federal opposition leader

H. V. Evatt Herbert Vere Evatt, (30 April 1894 – 2 November 1965) was an Australian politician and judge. He served as a judge of the High Court of Australia from 1930 to 1940, Attorney-General and Minister for External Affairs from 1941 to 1949, and l ...

's statements on the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration. He was also a member of the council of the Chamber of Manufactures (1949–1957).

Politics and public life

Johnston was a foundation member of the Liberal Party of Australia in 1945. In the lead-up to the

1947 Western Australian state election Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 15 March 1947 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly. The result was a hung parliament—the four-term Labor government, led by Premier Frank Wise, was defeated with a swing of ...

he "took a leading role in mobilising business support in the campaign". Johnston was elected state president of

in 1954, but resigned in February 1955 to take an overseas trip. He served a further term from 1957 to 1961, and again "rallied business support" in the lead-up to the 1959 state election. He served on the

from 1963 to 1965. Outside of politics, Johnston served terms as president of the Western Australian Golf Club and the Badminton Association of Western Australia. He was chairman of the finance committee for the

1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games The 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Australia, from 22 November to 1 December 1962. Athletic events were held at Perry Lakes Stadium in the suburb of Floreat and swimming events at Beatty Park in North Perth. The ...

in Perth. He also served as chairman of

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH) is a teaching hospital in Nedlands, Western Australia. Opened in 1958 as the Perth Chest Hospital and later named in honour of Sir Charles Gairdner, governor of Western Australia from 1951 to 1963, it is pa ...

(1974–1982) and president of the Cancer Council of Western Australia (1978–1984).

Personal life

Johnston married Nance Jessie Dethridge on 23 March 1935, with whom he had two children. His daughter-in-law Ricky Johnston was also involved in the Liberal Party and became a federal MP. He died in Subiaco, Western Australia, on 19 May 1990, aged 80. Johnston was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1956. He was also made

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

(CMG) in 1963 for service to the Commonwealth Games.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnston, Frederick 1909 births 1990 deaths Australian butchers Australian chief executives People from Blaydon-on-Tyne Businesspeople from Tyne and Wear English emigrants to Australia Liberal Party of Australia Australian Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Australian food industry businesspeople