Alex Dewar
Honorific prefixThe Honourable
OfficeDeputy Leader of the
Queensland Liberal Party
Term start23 December 1965
Term end9 June 1967
LeaderGordon Chalk
PredecessorGordon Chalk
SuccessorPeter Delamothe
Office 1Minister for Industrial Development
Term start 128 January 1965
Term end 19 June 1967
Premier 1Frank Nicklin
Predecessor 1Alan Munro
Successor 1Fred Campbell
Office 2Minister for Labour and Industry
Term start 210 January 1963
Term end 228 January 1965
Premier 2Frank Nicklin
Predecessor 2Kenneth Morris
Successor 2John Herbert
Constituency am 3Wavell
Chermside (1950–1960)
Assembly 3Queensland Legislative
Term start 329 April 1950
Term end 317 May 1969
Predecessor 3New seat
Successor 3Arthur Crawford
Birth date19 June 1912
Birth placeBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
Death date7 January 1995 (aged 82)
Death placeBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
Birth nameAlexander Tattenhall Dewar
PartyLiberal Party
Other partyIndependent Liberal
SpouseAilsa Marjorie Drain (m.1946 d.1991)
OccupationLeather manufacturing

Alexander Tattenhall Dewar (19 June 1912 – 7 January 1995) was a leather manufacturer and member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.[1]

Early life

Dewar was born in Brisbane, Queensland, to parents Alexander Sawers Dewar and his wife Elizabeth Fraser (née Macdonald). He was educated at Chermside and Wooloowin State Schools and the Commercial High School. In World War II he served in 143rd Australian General Transport Company from 1942 and then joined the RAAF the next year where he achieved the rank of Flying officer and serving in England and Canada. He was discharged in February 1946[2] and took up work at the family leather manufacturing in Kedron.[3]

Political career

At the 1950 state election, Dewar contested the new seat of Chermside for the Liberal Party and defeated Labor's J.B. Macarthur.[4] He held the seat until it was abolished for the 1960 election. He then won the seat of Wavell, holding it until his defeat in 1969.

During his time in Parliament he was Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Problems of Youth (1957-1959), Minister for Labour and Industry (1963-1965), Minister for Industrial Development (1965-1967) and deputy leader of the Liberal Party in 1965.

He was forced to resign as Minister for Industrial Development in 1967 for allegedly "kissing and certain other actions" with two girls from the Department of Labor and Tourism. Dewar was outraged at the accusations and accused departmental public servants of spreading the story. He resigned from the Liberal Party in August 1968 and sat as an Independent Liberal for the last year of his parliamentary career.

Personal life

On the 16 Nov 1946, Dewar married Ailsa Marjorie Drain (died 1991)[5] and together had one son and one daughter.[1]

Dewar died in January 1995 and was cremated at Albany Creek Memorial Park Crematorium.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Former Members". Parliament of Queensland. 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  2. ^ World War II Nominal RollAustralian Government. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  3. ^ And here are some new facesThe Sunday Mail. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  4. ^ This is how you voted at yesterday's electionThe Sunday Mail. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  5. ^ Ailsa Marjorie Dewar ( - 1991) — Heaven Address. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  6. ^ Alexander Tattenhall Dewar ( - 1995) — Heaven Address. Retrieved 12 March 2015.