# Neil McNeill

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{{Short description|Australian politician (1921–2009)}}
{{For|the Australian rules footballer|Neil McNeill (footballer)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
| name             = Neil McNeill
| honorific_suffix = 
| image            = NeilMcNeil1962.jpg
| constituency_MP  = [Canning](/source/Division_of_Canning)
| parliament       = Australian
| majority         = 
| predecessor      = [Len Hamilton](/source/Len_Hamilton)
| successor        = [John Hallett](/source/John_Hallett_(Australian_politician))
| term_start       = 9 December 1961
| term_end         = 30 November 1963
| birth_date       = {{birth date|df=yes|1921|6|19}}
| birth_place      = [Yarloop, Western Australia](/source/Yarloop%2C_Western_Australia)
| death_date       = {{death date and age|df=yes|2009|2|8|1921|6|19}}
| death_place      = [Cottesloe, Western Australia](/source/Cottesloe%2C_Western_Australia)
| spouse           = 
| party            = [Liberal Party](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Australia_(Western_Australian_Division))
| relations        = 
| children         = 
| alma_mater       = [University of Western Australia](/source/University_of_Western_Australia)
| occupation       = Public servant, farmer
| profession       = 
| signature        = 
| website          = 
| footnotes        =  
}}
'''Neil McNeill''' (19 June 1921 – 8 February 2009) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the [Liberal Party](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Australia) and served in the [House of Representatives](/source/Australian_House_of_Representatives) from 1961 to 1963, representing the seat of [Canning](/source/Division_of_Canning). He later served in the [Western Australian Legislative Council](/source/Western_Australian_Legislative_Council) from 1965 to 1983 and was a state government minister from 1974 to 1977. He was a farmer and agricultural officer before entering politics and also served in the [Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve](/source/Royal_Australian_Naval_Volunteer_Reserve) during World War II.

==Early life==
McNeill was born on 19 June 1921 in [Yarloop, Western Australia](/source/Yarloop%2C_Western_Australia).<ref name=aph>{{cite news|url=https://handbook.aph.gov.au/parliamentarians/JT8|title=McNeill, Neil|work=Parliamentary Handbook|publisher=Parliament of Australia|access-date=15 February 2026}}</ref> He attended state schools in [Pithara](/source/Pithara%2C_Western_Australia) and [Waroona](/source/Waroona%2C_Western_Australia) before completing his secondary education at [Scotch College, Perth](/source/Scotch_College%2C_Perth). After leaving school he enrolled at the [University of Western Australia](/source/University_of_Western_Australia) to study agriculture, but deferred his studies to enlist in the military and later graduating [Bachelor of Science](/source/Bachelor_of_Science) in 1947.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Hansard%5Chansard.nsf/0/276774fe655ad645482576e200157076/$FILE/C38%20S1%2020090310%20p1367b-1371a.pdf|title=Condolence Motion|work=Hansard|publisher=Parliament of Western Australia|first=Norman|last=Moore|date=10 March 2009|access-date=15 February 2026}}</ref>

McNeill enlisted in the [Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve](/source/Royal_Australian_Naval_Volunteer_Reserve) in 1942, with the rank of [able seaman](/source/able_seaman).<ref name=church/> He served aboard [minesweeper](/source/minesweeper)s in the Pacific, including [HMAS ''Coolebar''](/source/HMAS_Coolebar).<ref name=parl>{{cite news|url=https://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament/library/MPHistoricalData.nsf/(Lookup)/95995DCD28AFE165482577E50028A706?OpenDocument|title=Neil McNeill|work=Members' biographical register|publisher=Parliament of Western Australia|access-date=15 February 2026}}</ref> He was later engaged as a naval liaison officer and beachmaster at the Army Amphibious Training Centre in [Darwin](/source/Darwin%2C_Northern_Territory), prior to his discharge in 1945.<ref name=church>{{Cite report |last=Church |first=Nathan |date=9 September 2016 |title=Commonwealth Members of Parliament who have served in war: the Second World War |url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/library/prspub/4807044/upload_binary/4807044.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf#search=%22library/prspub/4807044%22 |access-date=23 September 2024 |series=Research Papers Series, 2016-17 |publisher=Australian Parliamentary Library |page=19}}</ref>

McNeill was employed as an adviser with the state [Department of Agriculture](/source/Department_of_Agriculture_(Western_Australia)) from 1947 to 1948, then returned to his family farm at [Hamel](/source/Hamel%2C_Western_Australia) which he acquired outright in 1951. He served as president of the Waroona branch of the [Farmers' Union of Western Australia](/source/WAFarmers) from 1952 to 1959 and was active in the Junior Farmers' Movement.<ref name=parl/>

==Politics==
McNeill joined the [Liberal Party](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Australia) in 1949. He served on the [Drakesbrook Road Board](/source/Shire_of_Waroona) from 1956 to 1962, including as chairman from 1960 to 1961.<ref name=parl/>

McNeill was elected to the [House of Representatives](/source/Australian_House_of_Representatives) at the [1961 federal election](/source/1961_Australian_federal_election), winning the seat of [Canning](/source/Division_of_Canning) for the Liberal Party following the retirement of the incumbent [Country Party](/source/Australian_Country_Party) member [Len Hamilton](/source/Len_Hamilton). He was defeated after only a single term at the [1963 election](/source/1963_Australian_federal_election), with the unsuccessful Country Party candidate from 1961 [John Hallett](/source/John_Hallett_(Australian_politician)) winning a narrow victory with [Australian Labor Party](/source/Australian_Labor_Party) preferences.<ref name=aph/>

At the [1965 state election](/source/1965_Western_Australian_state_election), McNeill was elected to the [Western Australian Legislative Council](/source/Western_Australian_Legislative_Council) as the Liberal candidate for [Lower West Province](/source/Lower_West_Province). He served as leader of the government in the Legislative Council from 1974 to 1977, under Premier [Charles Court](/source/Charles_Court), and was Minister for Justice (1974–1977) and [Chief Secretary](/source/Chief_Secretary_of_Western_Australia) (1975–1977).<ref name=parl/> He was an advocate for community service as an alternative to imprisonment for minor offences.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110642529|title=Jail: looking for alternatives|newspaper=The Canberra Times|first=Athol|last=Thomas|date=18 June 1975}}</ref> He retired from parliament at the [1983 state election](/source/1983_Western_Australian_state_election).<ref name=parl/>

==Personal life==
McNeill retired to [Cottesloe](/source/Cottesloe%2C_Western_Australia). He died in [Claremont](/source/Claremont%2C_Western_Australia) on 8 February 2009 and was interred at Drakesbrook Cemetery in Waroona.<ref name=parl/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|au}}
{{succession box | title=Member for [Canning](/source/Division_of_Canning) | before=[Len Hamilton](/source/Len_Hamilton)| after=[John Hallett](/source/John_Hallett_(Australian_politician))| years=1961&ndash;1963}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McNeill, Neil}}
Category:1921 births
Category:2009 deaths
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Canning
Category:Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council
Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Western Australia
Category:People from Yarloop, Western Australia
Category:Australian MPs 1961–1963
Category:Australian farmers
Category:Australian military personnel of World War II

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Neil McNeill](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_McNeill) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_McNeill?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.