# Norm Baxter

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Australian politician

The Honourable Norm Baxter Member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia In office 6 May 1950 – 21 May 1958 Preceded by None (new seat) Succeeded by Charles Abbey Constituency Central Province In office 22 May 1960 – 21 May 1983 Preceded by Sir Charles Latham Succeeded by Gordon Atkinson Constituency Central Province Personal details Born (1909-06-21)21 June 1909 West Perth, Western Australia Died 14 November 2003(2003-11-14) (aged 94) Perth, Western Australia Party Country / National Country

**Norman Eric Baxter** (21 June 1909 – 14 November 2003) was an Australian politician who was a member of the [Legislative Council](/source/Western_Australian_Legislative_Council) of [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia) from 1950 to 1958 and again from 1960 to 1983. He was a minister in the government of Sir [Charles Court](/source/Charles_Court).

## Early life

Baxter was born in [Perth](/source/Perth) to Jessica Minnie (née Milsom) and [Charles Farquharson Baxter](/source/Charles_Baxter_(politician)). His father was also a member of parliament and government minister. Baxter attended the [Perth Boys' School](/source/Perth_Boys_High_School) and [Hale School](/source/Hale_School). From 1929 to 1946, he had a farm at [Balingup](/source/Balingup%2C_Western_Australia), which until 1933 he owned in partnership with his brother. After 1946, Baxter worked as an organiser for the [Country Party](/source/National_Party_of_Australia_(WA)).[1]

## Politics

Baxter first ran for parliament at the [1947 state election](/source/1947_Western_Australian_state_election), as a [Country Party](/source/National_Party_of_Australia_(WA)) candidate, but was defeated in the [seat of Northam](/source/Electoral_district_of_Northam) by [Albert Hawke](/source/Albert_Hawke) (a future [Labor](/source/Australian_Labor_Party_(Western_Australian_Branch)) premier).[2] In March 1950, his father, who represented [East Province](/source/East_Province_(Western_Australia)) in the Legislative Council, died in office. Baxter stood for the resulting by-election (which was held for [Central Province](/source/Central_Province_(Western_Australia)) due to a redistribution), and was successful.[1]

Having served out his father's term, Baxter was re-elected at the [1952 Legislative Council election](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1952_Western_Australian_Legislative_Council_election&action=edit&redlink=1), but [in 1958](/source/1958_Western_Australian_Legislative_Council_election) was defeated by [Charles Abbey](/source/Charles_Abbey) of the [Liberal Party](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Australia_(Western_Australian_Division)). He re-entered parliament just two years later, following the retirement of Sir [Charles Latham](/source/Charles_Latham), a former Country Party leader. Baxter would be re-elected on another three occasions, at the [1965](/source/1965_Western_Australian_state_election), [1971](/source/1971_Western_Australian_state_election), and [1977 state elections](/source/1977_Western_Australian_state_election). After the [Liberal–NCP coalition](/source/Coalition_(Australia)) won power at the [1974 election](/source/1974_Western_Australian_state_election), he was made [Minister for Health](/source/Minister_for_Health_(Western_Australia)) and [Minister for Community Welfare](/source/Minister_for_Community_Welfare_(Western_Australia)) in [the new ministry](/source/Court%E2%80%93McPharlin_Ministry). However, the coalition broke in May 1975, and he and the two other NCP ministers ([Ray McPharlin](/source/Ray_McPharlin) and [Matt Stephens](/source/Matt_Stephens_(politician))) resigned from cabinet. The disputes which had led to the split were quickly resolved, and Baxter re-entered the ministry the following month, where he remained until a reshuffle following the 1977 election.[1]

## Later life

Baxter retired from parliament at the [1983 state election](/source/1983_Western_Australian_state_election). He died in Perth in November 2003, aged 94. He had married twice, firstly in 1934 to Dulcie Armour, with whom he had four children. He divorced her in 1966 and remarried the following year to Joan Ellis (née Hughes), although he was widowed in 1998.[1]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-bio_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-bio_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-bio_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-bio_1-3) [Norman Eric Baxter](http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament/library/MPHistoricalData.nsf/(Lookup)/F044A14C38869A64482577E50028A519?OpenDocument) – Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 26 June 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-res_2-0)** [Black, David](/source/David_Black_(historian)); Prescott, Valerie (1997). *Election statistics : Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, 1890-1996*. Perth, [W.A.]: Western Australian Parliamentary History Project and Western Australian Electoral Commission. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0730984095](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0730984095).

Parliament of Western Australia Political offices Preceded by Ron Davies Graham MacKinnon Minister for Health 1974–1975 1975–1977 Succeeded by Graham MacKinnon Alan Ridge Preceded by Ron Thompson Graham MacKinnon Minister for Community Welfare 1974–1975 1975–1977 Succeeded by Graham MacKinnon Alan Ridge

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