{{Short description|Australian politician}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Rex Patterson | honorific_suffix = | image = Rex Patterson 1973 (cropped).jpg | caption = Patterson in 1973 | office = Minister for Agriculture | term_start = 21 October 1975 | term_end = 11 November 1975 | predecessor = Ken Wriedt | successor = Ian Sinclair | office1 = Minister for Northern Australia | term_start1 = 6 June 1975 | term_end1 = 21 October 1975 | predecessor1 = Himself | successor1 = Paul Keating | office2 = Minister for the Northern Territory | term_start2 = 19 October 1973 | term_end2 = 6 June 1975 | predecessor2 = Himself | successor2 = Paul Keating | office3 = Minister for Northern Development | term_start3 = 19 December 1972 | term_end3 = 6 June 1975 | predecessor3 = Lance Barnard | successor3 = Himself | constituency_MP4 = Dawson | parliament4 = Australian | majority4 = | predecessor4 = George Shaw | successor4 = Ray Braithwaite | term_start4 = 26 February 1966 | term_end4 = 13 December 1975 | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1927|1|8}} | birth_place = Bundaberg, Queensland | death_date = {{death date and age|2016|4|13|1927|1|8|df=y}} | death_place = Mackay, Queensland<ref name="obit">{{cite news|last1=Kippen|first1=Troy|title=Former politician Rex Patterson has died in Mackay aged 89|url=http://www.dailymercury.com.au/news/former-politician-rex-patterson-has-died-mackay-ag/2995229/|accessdate=2016-04-29|work=Daily Mercury|date=2016-04-13}}</ref> | spouse = | party = Labor | relations = | children = | alma_mater = University of Queensland <br>Australian National University <br>University of Illinois <br>University of Chicago | occupation = | profession = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Rex Alan Patterson''' (8 January 1927 – 13 April 2016) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and held ministerial office in the Whitlam government as Minister for Northern Development (1972–1975), the Northern Territory (1973–1975), Northern Australia (1975), and Agriculture (1975).

==Early life, war service and education==

Patterson was born in Bundaberg, Queensland on 8 January 1927.<ref name=ww2nRoll1>{{cite web|title=Service record – Patterson, Rex Alan|url=http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=R&veteranId=1038088|work=WW2 Nominal Roll|publisher=Department of Veterans' Affairs, Commonwealth of Australia|accessdate=4 December 2011|archive-date=1 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701190539/http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=R&veteranId=1038088|url-status=dead}}</ref> He enlisted for war service on 22 February 1945 in Brisbane, Queensland, during the final months of World War II.<ref name=ww2nRoll1 /> He served with the Royal Australian Air Force and was discharged on 25 September 1945.<ref name=ww2nRoll1 />

He was educated at the University of Queensland, the Australian National University, the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago.<ref name=ww>{{cite book|title =Who's who in Australia|publisher=Crown Content|year =2008|location =North Melbourne|pages =2303|isbn = 978-1-74095-160-9}}</ref>

==Political career==

Patterson was elected as an Australian Labor Party member for the House of Representatives seat of Dawson, Queensland at a by-election in 1966. He was the first Labor member ever to win it.

When the Whitlam government was elected at the December 1972 election, he was appointed Minister for Northern Development, responsible for the Department of Northern Development, charged with "overall policy and co-ordination in the development of all of Australia north of the 26th parallel". In this role, Patterson was concerned with the Australian sugar and beef industries as well as the specialised development and utilisation of land, water and minerals in northern Australia.<ref name=NAA>{{citation|title=CA 1483: Department of Northern Development, Central Office|url=http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/SearchOld.asp?Number=CA+1483|publisher=National Archives of Australia|accessdate=19 March 2016|archive-date=12 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200312073625/https://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/DumpSession.asp?C=Initialise.inc&S=Open%20P_RECORDSEARCH_SERVICE%20SQLSERVER_ODBC&E=%5BMicrosoft%5D%5BODBC+Driver+17+for+SQL+Server%5D%5BSQL+Server%5DIncorrect+syntax+near+%27207.241%27.|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 19 October 1973, he was sworn in as Minister for the Northern Territory by Queen Elizabeth II, the only occasion when an Australian minister has been sworn in by the Monarch of Australia directly (rather than by the Governor-General of Australia).<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=wmZ2BQAAQBAJ&dq=Rex+Patterson+sworn+in+queen&pg=PT79 Jenny Hocking, ''Gough Whitlam: His Time Updated Edition'']. Retrieved 20 September 2015</ref>

On Christmas Day, 1974, the day after Cyclone Tracy, he flew into Darwin with Major-General Alan Stretton and they took responsibility for rebuilding Darwin. In June 1975, Patterson's portfolios were combined and retitled as Minister for Northern Australia.

On 14 October 1975, following Rex Connor's resignation from the ministry, he became Minister for Agriculture. He lost this position when the government was dismissed on 11 November, and lost his seat in the subsequent election.<ref name=ww/><ref name=ph>{{cite web | title =Members of the House of Representatives since 1901 | publisher=Parliament of Australia | work=Parliamentary Handbook | url =http://www.aph.gov.au/library/handbook/historical/representatives/makin.price.htm | accessdate = 25 January 2008 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20071117114054/http://www.aph.gov.au/library/handbook/historical/representatives/makin.price.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 17 November 2007}}</ref>

==Personal life== Patterson died on 13 April 2016.<ref name="obit"/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== *{{cite journal|first=Lyndon|last=Megarrity|journal=The Queensland Journal of Labour History|title=Dr Rex Patterson: a biographical portrait|year=2017|pages=44–56|number=25|url=https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.178645686459084 }}

{{s-start}} {{s-par | au}} {{s-bef | before= George Shaw }} {{s-ttl | title=Member for Dawson | years=1966–75 }} {{s-aft | after= Ray Braithwaite }} {{s-off}} {{s-bef | before=Lance Barnard}} {{s-ttl | title= Minister for Northern Development | years=1972–75}} {{s-non| reason = Merged into Northern<br>Australia portfolio}} {{s-bef | before=Kep Enderby}} {{s-ttl | title= Minister for the Northern Territory/<br>Minister for Northern Australia | years=1973–75}} {{s-aft| after = Paul Keating }} {{s-bef | before=Ken Wriedt}} {{s-ttl | title= Minister for Agriculture | years=1975}} {{s-aft| after = Ian Sinclair }} {{s-end}} {{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Patterson, Rex}} Category:1927 births Category:2016 deaths Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Dawson Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives Category:Members of the Cabinet of Australia Category:1975 Australian constitutional crisis Category:Cyclone Tracy Category:Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II Category:Australian MPs 1963–1966 Category:Australian MPs 1966–1969 Category:Australian MPs 1969–1972 Category:Australian MPs 1972–1974 Category:Australian MPs 1974–1975