Andrew Thomas (Australian politician)

Andrew Murray Thomas (14 March 1936 – 14 May 2011) was a farmer, stud breeder and politician in Western Australia.

Andrew Thomas
Senator for Western Australia
In office 13 December 1975 – 4 February 1983
Personal details
Born	(1936-03-14)14 March 1936 Blyth, South Australia
Died	14 May 2011(2011-05-14) (aged 75) Adelaide, South Australia
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia
Spouse	Jenny
Children	Kym, Christopher and Elizabeth
Occupation	Farmer

Thomas was born in Blyth, South Australia, the eldest child of Joy Gertrude née Tiver and Philip Murray Thomas, a farmer. After leaving school he became a farmer. He married Jennifer Margaret Eime on 27 March 1958 and they would have three children. His father died in 1962 and Thomas and his family moved to a property at Northampton, Western Australia where he bred merino sheep. He was active in rural bodies, including the South Australian Stud Merino Sheepbreeders’ Association, West Australian Merino Breeders’ Association, Australian Merino Society, Westralian Farmers Co-operative Limited (Wesfarmers) a board member of the Muresk Agricultural College and the National Advisory Council of the CSIRO.^[1]

He joined the Liberal party because it had a branch in Northampton, becoming president of the branch, chairman of the rural policy committee of Western Australian division and vice-president of the division from 1975.^[1] He was sixth on the Liberal senate ticket at the 1974 election, but was unsuccessful with the Liberals only winning three of the ten seats.^[2] He was fifth on the Liberal senate ticket at the 1975 election, where the Liberals won five of the ten seats. He was second on the Liberal ticket at the 1977 election and was comfortably re-elected.^[3] Thomas was one of the backbenchers who objected to the retrospective penalties in the legislation outlawing bottom of the harbour tax avoidance schemes and he was dropped to fifth again on the Liberal ticket for the 1983 Senate election,^[1] where he was defeated, with the Liberals only winning four of the ten seats.^[4]

Thomas died in Adelaide on 14 May 2011, aged 75.^[5]

References

1. Bolton, Geoffrey (2010). "THOMAS, Andrew Murray (1936–2011 )". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
2. Carr, Adam. "1974 Senate election: Western Australia". Psephos, Adam Carr's election archive. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
3. Carr, Adam. "1977 Senate election: Western Australia". Psephos, Adam Carr's election archive. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
4. Carr, Adam. "1983 Senate election: Western Australia". Psephos, Adam Carr's election archive. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
5. "Condolences: Thomas, Mr Andrew Murray" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Parliament of Australia: Senate. 14 June 2011. pp. 2649–2653. Retrieved 19 January 2023.