Harold Vincent Drew (12 October 1902 – 2 December 1972) was an accountant, Australian politician, company director and the Chief President of the

Australian Natives' Association The Australian Natives' Association (ANA) was a mutual society founded in Melbourne, Australia in April 1871. It was founded by and for the benefit of native-born white Australians and membership was restricted exclusively to that group. The A ...

Early Years

Harry Drew was born in

South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at t ...

to dairyman Edward Harvey Drew and Charlotte Helen Farnell. He attended University High School and became an accountant, working for E. H. Shackell and Co.,

General Motors-Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last three ...

, from 1927 to 1931, and Vocalion (A'asia) Ltd from 1931 to 1933. He was also made a director of Vocalion in 1931.

Australian Natives' Association

Drew was a member of Middle Park A.N.A. Branch No.224. He was elected to the A.N.A. Board in 1930. He was elected Chief President at Mildura Annual Conference in 1934. He presided over Queenscliff Annual Conference in 1935. He was also Chairman of the Metropolitan Committee in 1929-1930 Drew was a skilled debater. He had a fluent ready wit and gave attention to detail. The Western Australian Secessionist movement was current during his Chief Presidency and he proposed that their grievances should be addressed though constitutional means, not secession. National health insurance and the development of Northern Australia were significant national issues to which he publicly referred.

Politics

In 1932, he was elected to the

Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The presiding ...

as the

United Australia Party The United Australia Party (UAP) was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. The party won four federal elections in that time, usually governing in coalition with the Country Party. It provided two prim ...

member for Albert Park where he severed for five year. He lost endorsement in 1937 and was defeated as an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

candidate. After return from the armed services in 1947 he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Mentone for the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

, but was defeated in 1950.

World War II

Drew joined the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

in 1939 and served as a squadron leader until 1947. He served in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

and

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

during the war.

Family

On 18 October 1940, Drew married Shirley Doreen Brand, with whom he had two children.

Later Years

He returned to work part-time as an accountant, but increasingly suffered from ill health. Drew died in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

in 1972.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Drew, Harry 1902 births 1970 deaths United Australia Party members of the Parliament of Victoria Independent members of the Parliament of Victoria Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly 20th-century Australian politicians Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II Royal Australian Air Force officers