Malcolm Fraser

About Malcolm Fraser

John Malcolm Fraser, the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia came to power as caretaker Prime Minister on 11 November 1975 following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government. A month later his coalition government returned to power winning the federal election. He led the nation from 1975 to 1983 representing Australian Liberal Party.

Personal life, Education and Early Political Career

Malcolm Fraser was born as the youngest child of John Neville and Una (Woolf) Fraser on 21st May 1930 at Toorak, Melbourne. His schooling was at Glamorgan and Melbourne Grammar School. He joined Oxford University for graduation in politics and economics. After graduation Fraser returned to Australia and joined the local branch of Liberal party. He lost the May 1954 election for the House of Representatives seat of Wannon. The next year witnessed a split in Labor party which led to the formation of Anti-Communist Labor Party. Malcolm Fraser served the country as a minister in the governments of Harold Holt, John Gorton and William McMahon, before becoming the Prime Minister. He played a vital role to improve the relations of countries that make up the British Commonwealth. He extended and shaped Australia’s relations with the countries of East and Southeast Asia. He resigned from the Liberal Party In December 2009 with the remark; “the party was no longer a liberal party but a conservative party.”

Personal Life

Malcolm Fraser married Tamara (Tamie) Beggs on 9th December 1956. They have four children; Mark, Angela, Hugh and Phoebe.

Fraser as Prime Minister

Fraser, active in foreign policy extended his support to the Commonwealth for the abolition of apartheid in South Africa. He was also against the white minority rule in Rhodesia. Fraser’s immigration policy that allows refugees from Asian countries to enter Australia surprised even his critics. The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), a government-funded multilingual radio and television network was established at his time aiming at enhancing multiculturalism.

In retirement Fraser served a variety of roles including the following:

• Chairman of the UN Panel of Eminent Persons on the Role of Transnational Corporations in South Africa (1985)
• Co-Chairman of the Commonwealth Group of Eminent Persons on South Africa (1985)
• Chairman of the UN Secretary-General's Expert Group on African Commodity Issues (1989)
• International fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (1984)
• President of the foreign aid group Care International (1991)
• Professorial Fellow at the Asia Pacific Centre for Military Law 2006
• He was also part of many charitable organizations.

Honours

Honours bestowed upon him include Privy Councillor (1976), Companion of Honour (1977), Human Rights Medal (2000), The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (2006) and the Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu- the highest honour of Papua New Guinea (2009). Fraser also received honorary doctorates from Deakin University, Murdoch University and the University of South Carolina. The University of Melbourne retains his personal papers, speeches, photographs and library named The Malcolm Fraser Collection.

22nd Prime Minister of Australia
In office:	11 November 1975– 11 March 1983
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor General	Sir John Kerr, Sir Zelman Cowen, Sir Ninian Stephen
Deputy	Doug Anthony
Preceded by	Gough Whitlam
Succeeded by	Bob Hawke
Member of the Australian Parliament for Wannon
In office:	10 December 1955�– 7 May 1983
Preceded by	Don McLeod
Succeeded by	David Hawker
Personal details
Born	21 May 1930 (age 83), Toorak, Victoria, Australia
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia (1954–2009)
Spouse(s)	Tamie Fraser (m.1956–present)
Children	4
Alma mater	Magdalen College, Oxford
Religion	Presbyterianism