Bill Grayden

The Honourable Bill Grayden AM
Member of theWestern Australian Legislative Assembly
In office 7 April 1956 – 6 February 1993
Preceded by	George Yates
Succeeded by	Phillip Pendal
Constituency	South Perth
Member of theAustralian House of RepresentativesforSwan
In office 10 December 1949 – 29 May 1954
Preceded by	Len Hamilton
Succeeded by	Harry Webb
Member of theWestern Australian Legislative Assembly
In office 15 March 1947 – 27 October 1949
Preceded by	James Hegney
Succeeded by	James Hegney
Constituency	Middle Swan
Personal details
Born	Wilbur Ives (1920-08-05)5 August 1920 Bickley, Western Australia
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Betsy Marie Chadwick ​ ​ (m.1948; died 2007)​
Children	10
Relatives	David Grayden(brother) Nat Harper(grandfather)
Residence(s)	South Perth, Western Australia
Profession	Mechanical engineer
Military career
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Second Australian Imperial Force
Years of service	1940–1946
Rank	Captain
Service number	WX8868
Unit	2/16th Battalion
Battles/wars	Second World War Syria–Lebanon Campaign Kokoda Track campaign Finisterre Range campaign Battle of Balikpapan
Awards	Member of the Order of Australia

William Leonard GraydenAM(bornWilbur Ives;5 August 1920) is an Australian former politician. He was a member of parliament across six decades, serving in theWestern Australian Legislative Assembly(1947–1949, 1956–1993) and theAustralian House of Representatives(1949–1954). A World War II veteran, he served as aLiberalwith the exception of a brief period as anindependent.Grayden was abackbencherin federal parliament, but later held ministerial office in the state government ofCharles Court(1974–1978, 1980–1982). His brotherDavidand grandfatherNat Harperwere also members of parliament.

Early life and military service

Grayden was born Wilbur Iveson 5 August 1920 inBickley, Western Australia.He was one of three children born to Ethel May Harper and Aubrey Leonard Ives, including his younger brotherDavidwho also entered politics.Grayden's father participated in thelanding at Anzac Coveon 25 April 1915, and lost a lung after being shot by a Turkish sniper. The marriage broke up and his mother gave the children their step-father's surname after she remarried.Grayden is the maternal grandson of Western Australian businessman and politicianNat Harper.

Grayden was educated at state schools and then atPerth Technical College,as part of an apprenticeship commenced in 1938 as a motor mechanic with Winterbottom Motors.He attempted to enlist in the Australian Army when the Second World War broke out in September 1939, but was rejected. He succeeded the following year after lying about his age. Grayden joined the2/16th Infantry Battalionas a private, but was soon promoted tocorporaland then selected to attend Officer Training School inBonegilla.He served on theSyrian campaignand then in 1942 was sent to New Guinea, where he took part in theKokoda Track campaign,theBattle of Buna–Gona,and theMarkham and Ramu Valley campaign.He ended the war inBorneoand took part in theBattle of Balikpapan.

Politics

Grayden served a total of 43 years in State and Federal Parliament.

State and federal politics: 1946–1954

Grayden stood as an independent in theDivision of Swanat the1946 federal election.At the1947 Western Australian state election,he was elected to theLegislative Assemblyas theLiberalmember forMiddle Swan.He was the youngest member of the parliament.

At the1949 federal election,Grayden transferred to theAustralian House of Representatives,winning the seat ofSwanfor the Liberals. He stated his primary interest in parliament would be defence.He was re-elected at the1951 electionbut defeated byAustralian Labor Party(ALP) candidateHarry Webbat the1954 election.

Grayden initiated a number of publicity stunts during his time in parliament. In October 1950 he sentwhale meatfrom a station atCarnarvonto Canberra to be served on the parliamentary menu.In December 1950 he announced "Operation Corks", a plan to test the impact of pollution fromFremantle Harbourby dropping hundreds of coloured corks into theSwan River.In 1953 Grayden led an expedition to Central Australia seeking evidence of the lostLeichhardt expedition.It visited the area around theRawlinson Rangesand returned with various indigenous and non-indigenous artefacts, though none linked to Leichhardt.

State politics: 1956–1993

In 1956,Grayden returned to the Legislative Assembly, winning the seat ofSouth Perth.He stood as an unendorsed Liberal against the endorsedLiberal and Country League(LCL) candidate, and was re-elected as an "independent Liberal" at the1959 election,again defeating an endorsed candidate. He subsequently was admitted as an LCL member.

Grayden had a strong interest in indigenous affairs. In 1956, he told parliament that theBritish nuclear tests at Maralinga"could mean death from sickness or starvation to 800 tribal aborigines", and that it would be difficult to warn them due to their nomadic nature.In the same year he led a parliamentary enquiry into the state of remote indigenous peoples. The resulting report by the select committee was tabled in December 1956, officially called theReport of the Select Committee appointed to Enquire into Native Welfare Conditions in the Laverton-Warburton Range Area,also known as theGrayden Report.It brought to public consciousness the dreadful plight of many of the nomadicWongi peoples,and after newspaper publicity the affair developed into what became known as theWarburton Ranges controversy,leading to much public discussion, lobbying of both federal and state governments, and Indigenous activism. The latter contributed to a national movement campaigning for the rights ofIndigenous Australians,including the formation of what is now known asFederal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders(FCAATSI).

In February 1957, disappointed by the public reaction to the report, Grayden and Aboriginal pastorDouglas Nichollsreturned toNgaanyatjarrawith a film camera to document the conditions. The resulting filmTheir Darkest Hour(also titledManslaughter), shown at public meetings around Australia, was said to have "variously shocked and enraged audiences" and has been called "one of the earliest examples of activist documentary in Australia". Grayden also released a book of black and white photographs titledAdam and Atoms.

In 1974, Grayden was appointed Minister for Labour and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Immigration and Tourism in the government ofCharles Court.In 1976 he introduced legislation that would abolishcompulsory trade unionmembership.Grayden resigned from the ministry in 1978 following "an early-morning fracas involving two policemen in a Perth hotel", as a result of which he was convicted of assault and wilful damage. He returned to the ministry after the1980 state electionas Minister for Education, Cultural Affairs, and Recreation. Grayden was removed from the ministry in 1982 following Court's retirement and replacement byRay O'Connor.The Canberra Timesdescribed him at the time as "the WA Parliament'sstormy petrel"and noted that he expected to spend another 10 or 12 years in politics.

Grayden left the Assembly in 1993.

Later life

In 2015, aged 94, Grayden visited Gallipoli to commemorate the 100th anniversary of thelanding at Anzac Cove,which his father had participated in.

Graydenturned 100in 2020. He is the earliest elected federal MP still alive,and he is the last surviving "Forty-Niner" MP, as well as the last surviving MP first elected before1961.In a 2019 interview he recalled his personal memories ofRobert Menzies,Ben Chifley,andBilly Hughes.

Personal life

Grayden married Betsy Marie Chadwick on 31 July 1948, with whom he had five sons and five daughters.As of December 2019he had 36 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren, and was expecting his first great-great-grandchild.His son Jim stood as a candidate at the2018 Perth by-election(as an independent Liberal) and the2019 federal election(as an endorsed Liberal candidate).