John Cyril James Matthews (11 February 1928 – 19 August 2019) was an Australian politician. He was a

Liberal 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 m ...

member of the

New South Wales Legislative Council The New South Wales Legislative Council, often referred to as the upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in th ...

from 1981 to 1991. Matthews was born in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

to Cyril Claude Matthews, a rubber technician, and Helen Cummings. He was educated at private schools

Christian Brothers College, Rose Bay Christian Brothers College was established by the Christian Brothers in Carlisle St, Rose Bay, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wale ...

;

St Stanislaus' College (Bathurst) , motto_translation = But we (Trust) in the name of the Lord , established = , type = Independent secondary day and boarding school , denomination = Roman Catholic , religious_affiliation = V ...

, and then 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 ...

, where he studied for a

Master of Pharmacy The Master of Sciences of Pharmacy (MPharm) is the standard master's degree program in Pharmacy. It is the oldest honorable Diploma (Degree) authorized from the European Faculties of Pharmacy as it takes five years to complete. It is based on a c ...

1947–50. He worked as a

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...

, and married Dympna Guthrie on 11 April 1955 at Bathurst; they would have six children. In 1965 he was elected to Bathurst City Council and was immediately elected mayor; he held both positions until 1976, and also served on Southern Mitchell Count Council 1968–77. In 1969 he established Devro Pty Ltd and Uncle Ben's Pet Foods Bathurst, and in 1970 opened Clyde Industries Ltd. He was a member of

Mitchell College of Advanced Education Charles Sturt University is an Australian multi-campus public university located in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. Established in 1989, it was named in honour of Captain Charles Napier Sturt, a British explorer w ...

(1972–76) and the New South Wales Pharmacy Guild (1967–80). In 1973 he became a member of the state executive 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 ...

, becoming country vice-president in 1974 and state treasurer in 1979. In 1981, Matthews was elected to the

as a Liberal member. In 1984 he became Opposition Finance Spokesman, a position he held until 1987. Matthews left the Council in 1991.

References

1928 births 2019 deaths Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of New South Wales Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council People educated at St Stanislaus' College (Bathurst) {{Australia-Liberal-politician-stub