Lance Barnard

The Honourable Lance Barnard AO
Barnard in 1973
Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
In office 5 December 1972 – 12 June 1974
Prime Minister	Gough Whitlam
Preceded by	Doug Anthony
Succeeded by	Jim Cairns
Minister for Defence
In office 5 December 1972 – 6 June 1975
Prime Minister	Gough Whitlam
Preceded by	David Fairbairn
Succeeded by	Bill Morrison
Deputy Leader of the Labor Party
In office 9 February 1967 – 12 June 1974
Leader	Gough Whitlam
Preceded by	Gough Whitlam
Succeeded by	Jim Cairns
Member of theAustralian Parliament forBass
In office 29 May 1954 – 2 June 1975
Preceded by	Bruce Kekwick
Succeeded by	Kevin Newman
Personal details
Born	Lance Herbert Barnard (1919-05-01)1 May 1919 Launceston,Tasmania,Australia
Died	6 August 1997(1997-08-06)(aged 78) Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
Political party	Labor
Spouses	Doris Burston ​ ​ (m.1943; died 1960)​ Jill Cant ​ (m.1962)​
Relations	Claude Barnard(father) Michael Barnard(nephew) Eric Barnard(cousin) Harry Cant(father-in-law)
Occupation	School teacher

Lance Herbert BarnardAO(1 May 1919 – 6 August 1997) was an Australian politician and diplomat. He was the deputy leader of theAustralian Labor Party(ALP) from 1967 to 1974 and held senior ministerial office in theWhitlam government,most notably as the thirddeputy prime minister of Australiafrom 1972 to 1974.

Barnard was born inLaunceston, Tasmania,into a prominent political family; his fatherClaude Barnardwas also a federal government minister. He was a timber worker, soldier and schoolteacher before entering politics himself. He was elected to theHouse of Representativesat the1954 federal election,winning the seat ofBassthat his father had lost five years earlier. Barnardwas electeddeputy toGough Whitlamin 1967 and became deputy prime minister following the ALP's victory at the1972 election.

After an initial "duumvirate"in which he and Whitlam both held multiple portfolios, Barnard was appointedMinister for Defence.He subsequently oversaw the merger of several smaller departments into theDepartment of Defence.In 1974, Barnard lost the deputy leadership toJim Cairnsbut remained in the defence portfolio. He resigned from parliament in 1975 to become ambassador to Norway, Finland and Sweden, triggeringa by-electionthat resulted in the loss of his seat to theLiberal Party.

Early life

Barnard was born on 1 May 1919 inLaunceston, Tasmania.He was one of four children born toHerbert Claude Barnardand the former Martha Melva McKenzie. His father, a trade unionist and locomotive driver, was elected to parliament in 1934, and was a minister in theChifley government.

Barnard attended Launceston Junior Technical School.He left school during the Great Depression and worked in a timberyard for a few years. He began training as a schoolteacher by attending night school. In 1940, Barnard enlisted in theAustralian Army.He fought with the9th Divisionin the Middle East and Africa, including in theBattle of El Alamein.His military service left him with a permanent hearing impairment. After returning to Australia in 1945, Barnard qualified as a school teacher and subsequently taught mathematics in various Tasmanian schools.

Political career

Barnard in the 1950s.

At the1954 federal election,Barnard was elected to theDivision of Bassfor the Labor Party. He defeated the sitting Liberal memberBruce Kekwick,who had defeated Claude Barnard for the seat in 1949. He was later elected to theALP Federal Executiveand a delegate toFederal Conference,where he "more than once put up spirited battles against left-wing influence".

Following the ALP's defeat at the1966 federal election,Arthur Calwellresigned as party leader andwas succeededby his deputyGough Whitlam.Barnard was then elected deputy leader with the endorsement of Whitlam, defeatingJim Cairnsby 35 votes to 33 on the final ballot following the elimination ofFrank Crean.At the time he was described inThe Canberra Timesas "a personal friend of Mr Whitlam and a competent if not brilliant speaker in the House, mainly on his father's subject of repatriation, and social services".

Whitlam government

Barnard (left) with Gough Whitlam in 1969

When the ALP won the1972 federal electionBarnard became deputy prime minister. For the first two weeks of Whitlam's government, before the full electoral result was known, Whitlam and Barnard formed atwo-man ministry,known as aduumvirate,to govern until a full ministry could be announced. Barnard held 14 portfolios including Defence and Immigration. Following the announcement of a complete ministry, Barnard served asMinister for Defence.He personally ensured the recommendations of the Jess Committee and new Defense Force Retirements Benefits Scheme was implemented in 1972.

Following the1974 federal election,Barnard was challenged for Labor's deputy leadership byJim Cairns.He was defeated by 54 votes to 42.Contemporary sources reporting that he was receiving "fairly active" support from Whitlam,and that Whitlam was "actively canvassing" for him.However, it was later reported that he had received "only token support" from the prime minister.

Later years

In June 1975, Whitlam announced that Barnard would leave politics to become Australia's residentambassador to Sweden,with accreditation also to Finland and Norway.He presented hiscredentialsto KingCarl XVI Gustafon 10 September.Bass was resoundingly lost to the Liberals atthe ensuing by-election,in which Labor lost 17 per cent of its primary vote. This shock result was seen by many as the beginning of the end for the Whitlam government, which was dismissedfive months later.

Barnard returned to Launceston after completing his term as ambassador in 1978.The following year he won ALP preselection to recontest his old seat of Bass,but withdrew four months later for health reasons.In May 1981 he was nominated by theFraser governmentas director of theOffice of Australian War Graves.He retired in 1983.

Barnard died in Melbourne on 6 August 1997 at the age of 78, following vascular surgery.In response Gough Whitlam stated that "My partnership with Lance Barnard was the most satisfying and significant of my political life. I have lost my oldest and best mate".

Personal life

Barnard married Doris Burston on 6 March 1943.They had two daughters together, Patricia and Suzanne. He was widowed in September 1960.

Barnard married a second time on 11 September 1962 to Jill Cant, the daughter of SenatorHarry Cantof Western Australia. They had a son together, Nicholas,and also adopted two Vietnamese orphan girls, Amanda and Jacqueline; Amanda died as an infant.