Sir John Leslie Carrick, (4 September 1918 – 18 May 2018) was an Australian politician who served as a
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
for
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 ...
from 1971 to 1987, representing 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 ...
. He was a minister for the duration of the
Fraser Government, holding several different portfolios.
Early life
Carrick was born in Sydney in 1918, as the fourth of six children born to Emily (née Terry) and Arthur James Carrick. His father worked as a clerk in the Government Printing Office, but lost his job during the Great Depression. Carrick grew up in
Woollahra
Woollahra is a suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woollahra is located 5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra. W ...
,
Randwick, and
Bondi, and attended the local state schools. He eventually won a scholarship to the selective
Sydney Technical High School
Sydney Technical High School (STHS) is a government-funded single-sex academically selective secondary day school for boys, located in Bexley, a southern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1911 as part of Sydney Technic ...
. He worked for the
Australian Gas Light Company
The Australian Gas Light Company (AGL) was an Australian gas and electricity retailer, operated entirely by McCarthy Hanlin. It was formed in Sydney in 1837 and supplied town gas for the first public lighting of a street lamp in Sydney in 1841. AG ...
after leaving school, while attending night classes in chemistry at
Sydney Technical College
The Sydney Technical College, now known as the TAFE New South Wales Sydney Institute, is a technical school established in 1878, that superseded the Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts. The college is one of Australia's oldest technical education i ...
. He eventually was admitted to the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
, graduating with a
Bachelor of Economics
The Bachelor of Economics (BEc or BEcon),
or the "Bachelor of Applied Economics", is a bachelor's degree awarded by many universities and colleges for completion of an undergraduate program in economics, econometrics, or applied economics;
the ...
in 1941.
After previously serving in the
Sydney University Regiment
Sydney University Regiment (SUR) is an officer-training regiment of the Australian Army Reserve. Its predecessor, the University Volunteer Rifle Corps, was raised in 1900 as a unit of the colonial New South Wales Defence Force. During the 20th ...
, Carrick joined the
Australian Imperial Force in December 1940. He was posted to the 18th Anti-Tank Battery, which in December 1941 was deployed to
West Timor
West Timor ( id, Timor Barat) is an area covering the western part of the island of Timor, except for the district of Oecussi-Ambeno (an East Timorese exclave). Administratively, West Timor is part of East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. The ca ...
as part of the
Sparrow Force
Sparrow Force was a detachment based on the 2/40th Australian Infantry Battalion and other Dutch, British, US and Australian 8th Division units during World War II. The force was formed to defend the island of Timor from invasion by the Empire ...
. After landing he was captured by the
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
. Carrick was initially imprisoned on
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
and later in Singapore's
Changi prison camp. In 1943, he was sent to work on the
Burma Railway
The Burma Railway, also known as the Siam–Burma Railway, Thai–Burma Railway and similar names, or as the Death Railway, is a railway between Ban Pong, Thailand and Thanbyuzayat, Burma (now called Myanmar). It was built from 1940 to 1943 ...
, including at
Hellfire Pass
Hellfire Pass ( th, ช่องเขาขาด, known by the Japanese as ''Konyu Cutting'') is the name of a railway cutting on the former Burma Railway ("Death Railway") in Thailand which was built with forced labour during the Second Wo ...
. He learned enough Malay and
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
to act as an interpreter.
[ After his liberation towards the end of the war, he was seconded to the Supreme Allied Commander, ]Lord Mountbatten
Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979) was a British naval officer, colonial administrator and close relative of the British royal family. Mountbatten, who was of German ...
.
Political career
In January 1946, Carrick began working as a research officer for the New South Wales Division of 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 ...
. He was appointed general secretary of the Division in 1948, and would hold the position until 1971. '' The Bulletin'' dubbed him the "grey eminence of Ash Street", referring to the location of the party's headquarters. Along with the state president, Bill Spooner
William "Sputnik" Spooner (born August 16, 1949) is a musician, guitarist, singer and songwriter, and the founder of The Tubes, a theatrical rock band. His songwriting is known for its use of humor and satire. He has released three solo albums ...
, Carrick toured New South Wales founding new branches and looking for prospective candidates. He published a book about liberalism in 1949 titled ''The Liberal Way of Progress''. The Liberals were in power federally for virtually the duration of Carrick's tenure as general secretary, but did not win a state election until 1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...
, when Robert Askin
Sir Robert William Askin, GCMG (4 April 1907 – 9 September 1981), was an Australian politician and the 32nd Premier of New South Wales from 1965 to 1975, the first representing the Liberal Party. He was born in 1907 as Robin William Askin, but ...
was elected as premier.[
After the retirement of Alister McMullin, Carrick won Liberal preselection for the 1970 half-Senate election, and was elected to a term beginning on 1 July 1971. He used his maiden speech to promote a series of proposed reforms to the relationship between the federal government and the states. His second speech was given in support of Senator ]Lionel Murphy
Lionel Keith Murphy QC (30 August 1922 – 21 October 1986) was an Australian politician, barrister, and judge. He was a Senator for New South Wales from 1962 to 1975, serving as Attorney-General in the Whitlam Government, and then sat on the ...
's private member's bill for the abolition of capital punishment
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
, which he described as "legal murder". The bill passed the Senate but was defeated in the House of Representatives; a similar bill eventually passed in 1973. Carrick was a strong defender of the powers of the Senate, which he viewed as "the only safeguard against unbridled power and arrogance". He was one of the leading advocates for the Senate's deferral of the Whitlam Government's appropriation bills, which led to the 1975 constitutional crisis and the eventual dismissal of the government.[
Carrick had been added to the shadow cabinet in 1974, under ]Billy Snedden
Sir Billy Mackie Snedden, (31 December 1926 – 27 June 1987) was an Australian politician who served as the leader of the Liberal Party from 1972 to 1975. He was also a cabinet minister from 1964 to 1972, and Speaker of the House of Represe ...
, and retained his place under Malcolm Fraser
John Malcolm Fraser (; 21 May 1930 – 20 March 2015) was an Australian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Australia from 1975 to 1983, holding office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Fraser was raised on hi ...
. He was Minister for Housing and Construction and Minister for Urban and Regional Development in the caretaker government from November to December 1975, and then served as Minister for Education from 1975 to 1979 and Minister for National Development and Energy
In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat a ...
from 1979 to 1983. He was also Leader of the Government in the Senate from 1978 to 1983. He retired from politics at the double dissolution election of 1987.[
]
Later life
From 1988 to 1989, Carrick was chairman of the Committee of Review of NSW Schools. This committee conducted a comprehensive inquiry from birth to HSC including the drafting of 1990 Education Reform Act. He subsequently reviewed the implementation of the report up to 1995. From 1992 to 1995 he was a member of the New South Wales Ministerial Advisory Council for Teacher Education.
As part of this process he travelled around New South Wales and met with students and teachers across both the public and private education systems in order to learn ways in which teacher education could be improved. From 1992 to 2001 he was a member of the Advisory Board of the Macquarie University
Macquarie University ( ) is a public research university based in Sydney, Australia, in the suburb of Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of S ...
Institute of Early Childhood.
In 1998, he became the chairman of the Advisory Committee, Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre at the University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensive ...
. In 2001, he was appointed chairman of the Macquarie University
Macquarie University ( ) is a public research university based in Sydney, Australia, in the suburb of Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of S ...
Institute of Early Childhood Foundation.[
In 2012, Connor Court Press published a biography of Carrick written by Graeme Starr, titled ''Carrick: Principles, Politics, and Policy''. It was launched by ]John-Paul Langbroek
John-Paul Honoré Langbroek (born 31 January 1961) is an Australian politician who has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland representing the centre-right Liberal Party and its successor, the centre-right Liberal National Part ...
, the Queensland Minister for Education.
Honours and awards
In 1982, Carrick was made a Knight Commander 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, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III.
It is named in honour ...
(KCMG), "for services to the Parliament of Australia". He was awarded honorary Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Doctor ...
degrees by the University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
(1988) and Macquarie University
Macquarie University ( ) is a public research university based in Sydney, Australia, in the suburb of Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of S ...
(2000), and, in 1994, he was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Australian College of Educators
The Australian College of Educators (ACE) is an Australian national professional association for educators. Membership is open to all professional educators working in the early childhood, school, and tertiary education sectors, as well as to ed ...
.
He received the Centenary Medal
The Centenary Medal is an award which was created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the centenary of the Federation of Australia and to recognise "people who made a contribution to Australian society or go ...
in 2001, "for outstanding leadership and service to the Australian community, especially through education", and in 2008 was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
(AC), "for distinguished service in the area of educational reform in Australia, particularly through the advancement of early childhood education and to the development and support of new initiatives in the tertiary sector, and to the broader community". The Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education was named after him in 2004.[
]
Personal life and death
On 2 June 1951, Carrick married Diana Margaret Hunter. The couple had three daughters together.[ One daughter, Jane, became a gastroenterologist and married Liberal politician Bob Woods. Carrick was widowed in February 2018, a few months before his own death. His wife served as chief commissioner of ]Girl Guides Australia
Girl Guides Australia (GGA) is the national Guiding organisation in Australia. Its mission is to empower girls and young women to grow into confident, self-respecting members of the community. Membership is open to all girls and young women fro ...
from 1983 to 1988, and was an Officer of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
(AO).
Carrick died on 18 May 2018 at the age of 99 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 ...
, some four months before what would have been his centenary. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Turnbull grad ...
and former prime ministers John Howard
John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the s ...
, Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and again from June 2013 to September 2013, holding office as the leader of the ...
and Tony Abbott
Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Abbott was born in Londo ...
all issued condolence statements. Turnbull's statement described Carrick as "a lion of the Liberal Party, a soldier and a statesman whose passion for education improved the lives of many Australians", while Howard cited Carrick as a "close friend and political mentor" who "taught me more about politics than anyone else".
References
External links
Photo of Senator John Carrick
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carrick, John
1918 births
2018 deaths
Members of the Cabinet of Australia
20th-century Australian politicians
Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia
Members of the Australian Senate
Members of the Australian Senate for New South Wales
Companions of the Order of Australia
Australian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Australian politicians awarded knighthoods
Recipients of the Centenary Medal
Burma Railway prisoners
Australian Army personnel of World War II
University of Sydney alumni
Government ministers of Australia
World War II prisoners of war held by Japan
People educated at Sydney Technical High School
Australian Army officers
Politicians from Sydney