{{Short description|Australian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=June 2015}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Neil Pope | honorific_suffix = AM | image = | office1 = Administrator of Norfolk Island | monarch1 = Elizabeth II | governor-general1 = Quentin Bryce<br>Sir Peter Cosgrove | predecessor1 = Owen Walsh | successor1 = Gary Hardgrave | term_start1 = 1 April 2012 | term_end1 = 1 July 2014 | constituency_MP = Monbulk | parliament = Victorian | majority = | predecessor = Bill Borthwick | successor = Steve McArthur | term_start = April 1982 | term_end = 3 October 1992 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1949|3|3}} | birth_place = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = Jennifer Mary Gebbie{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} | party = Labor Party | relations = | children = 2 | alma_mater = Swinburne Technical College<br>RMIT University | occupation = Politician | profession = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Neil Albert Pope''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} (born 3 March 1949){{citation needed|date=October 2024}} is an Australian former politician. He was the Labor member for Monbulk in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1982 to 1992<ref name="re-member">{{cite re-member |num2=1499 |title=Neil Albert Pope |access-date=28 August 2022}}</ref> and served as a Minister in the Labor Governments of John Cain II and Joan Kirner.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Neil Albert Pope {{!}} Parliament of Victoria |url=https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members/neil-albert-pope/ |access-date=2024-10-21 |website=www.parliament.vic.gov.au |language=en}}</ref>

He was the Victorian Minister for Labour from 1988 to 1992,<ref name=":0" /> Minister for Youth Affairs from 1988 to 1991<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2015-01-29 |title=Nine awarded Australia Day honours |url=https://www.mpnews.com.au/2015/01/29/nine-awarded-australia-day-honours/ |access-date=2024-10-21 |website=The Mornington Peninsula News |language=en-US}}</ref> and Minister for School Education from January to October in 1992.<ref name=":0" /> Pope lost his seat in October 1992, when the Kennett Liberal Government was elected.

Pope was appointed the 36th Administrator of Norfolk Island from 1 April 2012, initially for a two-year term.<ref name=":1" /> He completed this appointment on 30 June 2014.<ref name=":1" />

On 1 December 2017, the Federal Attorney-General Senator George Brandis appointed Pope as a part-time member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a period of 7 years.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

== Early life == {{BLP unreferenced section|date=October 2024}} Pope was born in Melbourne. He was educated at Christ Church Grammar School, Caulfield Grammar School, Swinburne Institute of Technology (now Swinburne University) and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (now RMIT University).

==Career== === Before State politics === Between 1973 and 1976, Pope was an Assistant Accountant and Assistant Town Clerk in Victorian local government.

In 1976, he became an Industrial Officer with the Municipal Officers Association.<ref name=":1" /> From 1980 to 1982 he was an executive member of the Municipal Association of Victoria.<ref name=":1" />

In 1979 until 1982, he served as a councillor on the Shire of Lillydale.<ref name=":1" />

=== State politics === In April 1982, Pope was elected to the Parliament of Victoria in the electorate of Monbulk. He defeated Bill Borthwick who was Deputy Premier of Victoria at the time. Pope was re-elected in 1985 and 1988, but lost his seat in the Victorian election of October 1992.

Following the Victorian election of 1988, Pope was elected to the Victorian Cabinet. He was a Government Minister until the defeat of the Labor Government in 1992. He served as Minister for Labour (1988–1992), Minister for Youth Affairs (1988–1991) and Minister for School Education (1991–1992).

=== After State politics === In February 1993, Pope established Neil Pope and Associates, a human resource management consultancy, specialising in mediation and workplace reform.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2003-08-13 |title=Former minister to mediate in FMP dispute |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-08-13/former-minister-to-mediate-in-fmp-dispute/1463730 |access-date=2024-10-21 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}</ref> He also worked as an industrial relations adviser for Monash University.<ref name=":1" />

From 2005 to 2012, he was chairman of the Forestry Industry Council of Victoria.<ref name=":1" />

=== Appointment as Administrator of Norfolk Island === On 13 February 2012, the Minister for Regional Australia announced that Pope had been appointed the 36th Administrator of Norfolk Island.<ref>{{cite web|title=Media Release by Hon. Simon Crean. New Norfolk Island Administrator Appointed|url=http://www.minister.regional.gov.au/sc/releases/2012/february/sc014_2012.aspx }}</ref>

Pope's term commenced on 1 April 2012 and was initially for two years.<ref name=":1" /> He was replaced by Gary Hardgrave on 1 July 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-06-17 |title=Dumped LNP MP appointed administrator of Norfolk Island |url=https://theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/dumped-lnp-mp-appointed-administrator-of-norfolk-island/news-story/e45402404b88c16224fa4939b66421ca |access-date=2024-10-21 |website=The Australian}}</ref>

==Honours== Pope was awarded a Centenary Medal in January 2001 for service to the community through industrial relations, local government and parliament.<ref>{{Cite It's an Honour |ausawardid=1120912 |date=1 January 2001 |recipient=Mr Neil Pope |award=Centenary medal |access-date=29 August 2022}}</ref>

In 2015, Pope was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for "significant service to the community of Victoria, particularly through local and state government roles, and to the administration of Norfolk Island."<ref name=":1" />

==See also== * List of Caulfield Grammar School people

==References== {{reflist}} &nbsp; {{s-start}} {{s-par|au-vic-la}} {{succession box | title=Member for Monbulk | before=Bill Borthwick | after=Steve McArthur | years=1982&ndash;1992}} {{s-off}} {{succession box| title=Minister for Education| before=Barry Pullen| after=Don Hayward| years=1992}} {{s-gov}} {{succession box|title=Administrator of Norfolk Island|before=Owen Walsh|years=2012–2014|after=Gary Hardgrave}} {{s-end}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pope, Neil}} Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:Administrators of Norfolk Island Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Category:Members of the Order of Australia Category:Politicians from Melbourne Category:Swinburne University of Technology alumni Category:Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology alumni Category:People educated at Caulfield Grammar School Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Victoria Category:Ministers for education (Victoria) Category:Ministers for labour (Victoria)