Charles Murray Hill AM (2 July 1923 – 24 March 2003), generally known as Murray Hill, was a

real estate Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...

agent and politician in the State of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

Biography

Hill was born in

Glenelg, South Australia Glenelg is a beach-side suburb of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Located on the shore of Holdfast Bay in Gulf St Vincent, it has become a tourist destination due to its beach and many attractions, home to several hotels and dozens of ...

, a son of Theodore Charles Hill and his wife Heloise Margery Hill (née Winterbottom); later at Millswood Estate. He enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy in 1941 and served as a seaman during World War II. In 1946 he established Murray Hill & Co., real estate agents, with offices in

Grenfell Street Grenfell Street () is a major street in the north-east quarter of the Adelaide city centre, South Australia. The street runs west-east from King William Street to East Terrace. On the other side of King William Street, it continues as Currie S ...

. In 1972 after the alleged murder of University of Adelaide law lecturer Dr George Duncan at a known gay beat at the hands of police officers, and the significant public outrage that followed, Hill proceeded to introduce a private member's bill, with implicit support from the Labor Party, on 26 July 1972 to amend the Criminal Law Consolidation Act that criminalised homosexuality, thus being the first serious attempt to decriminalise homosexuality in Australia. While Hill's amendment was assented to on 9 November 1972, a further amendment weakened it to only allow a legal defense for homosexual acts committed in private. Labor member Peter Duncan went further however when, following an unsuccessful attempt to strengthen Hill's bill in 1973, introduced on 27 August 1975 an unaltered bill to the parliament, which was defeated twice and then reintroduced a third time before passing, making South Australia the first Australian State to fully decriminalise homosexuality. He served as Minister for Transport, Local Government and Roads from April 1968 to June 1970, then as Minister for Arts, Local Government and Housing from September 1979 to November 1982. He retired in July 1988. In the 1990

Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port ...

honours list, Hill was made a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Order (distinction), honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarchy of Australia, Queen of Aus ...

(AM) for "service to the South Australian Parliament and to the community."

Family

He married Eunice Greenslade of Colonel Light Gardens on 21 June 1944. His son, Robert Hill, was a federal MP and Minister for Defence.

References

, - , - Members of the South Australian Legislative Council Members of the Order of Australia Australian real estate agents Royal Australian Navy personnel of World War II Liberal and Country League politicians Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of South Australia Royal Australian Navy sailors 1923 births 2003 deaths 20th-century Australian politicians {{Australia-Liberal-politician-stub