47 Facts About Andrew Peacock

Andrew Sharp Peacock was an Australian politician and diplomat.

Andrew Peacock served as a cabinet minister and went on to become leader of the Liberal Party on two occasions, leading the party to defeat at the 1984 and 1990 elections.

Andrew Peacock was appointed to cabinet in 1969 by John Gorton and later served under William McMahon and Malcolm Fraser.

Andrew Peacock held a variety of portfolios, most notably serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1975 to 1980.

Andrew Peacock unsuccessfully challenged Fraser for the Liberal leadership in 1982, but was then elected as Fraser's successor following the party's defeat at the 1983 election.

At the 1984 election, the Andrew Peacock-led Coalition slightly reduced the Labor Party's majority.

Andrew Peacock resigned the Liberal leadership the following year after failing to have his deputy John Howard removed; he was duly replaced by Howard.

Andrew Peacock remained a member of the shadow cabinet, and in 1987 unsuccessfully challenged Howard for the leadership; he was instead elected deputy leader.

Andrew Peacock left politics in 1994 and was later appointed Ambassador to the United States, serving from 1997 to 1999.

Andrew Peacock's father was a marine engineer and one of the founders of Peacock and Smith Ltd, a large shipbuilding firm.

Andrew Peacock was educated at Scotch College and at the University of Melbourne, where he graduated in law.

Andrew Peacock unsuccessfully contested the seat of Yarra in the 1961 federal election, although he bucked the national trend by increasing the Liberal primary vote, impressing party elders.

Andrew Peacock was president of the Young Liberals in 1962, and by 1965 he was president of the Victorian Liberal Party.

Andrew Peacock gained Liberal preselection, making him the favourite in this comfortably safe Liberal seat.

Andrew Peacock easily retained his seat in the general election held seven months later.

In November 1969 Andrew Peacock was appointed to the Second Gorton Ministry as Minister for the Army, and in this role played a minor part in the drama which brought down then prime minister John Gorton in 1971.

When Snedden lost the 1974 election, Andrew Peacock began to be seen as a leadership candidate, but it was Malcolm Fraser who took the initiative and deposed Snedden in 1975.

Andrew Peacock said before the 1975 election that "the US has no needs to take sides" because the ANZUS treaty had bipartisan support.

Andrew Peacock had a number of acrimonious disputes with Fraser, particularly over the recognition of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.

Andrew Peacock challenged for the deputy leadership against incumbent Phillip Lynch, but was defeated 47 votes to 35.

Fraser called a party meeting, at which Andrew Peacock tried to depose him as party leader and therefore prime minister.

Andrew Peacock returned to cabinet in October 1982, replacing the retiring Lynch as Minister for Industry and Commerce and holding that position until the defeat of the Fraser government.

Fraser immediately retired from politics, and Andrew Peacock contested the party leadership, defeating Howard, who remained as deputy leader.

Unlike the previous time his party was in opposition between 1972 and 1975, first led by Billy Snedden and then by Malcolm Fraser, Andrew Peacock did not push for an early election.

In 1985, as Labor's position in opinion polls improved, Andrew Peacock's popularity sank and Howard's profile rose, keeping leadership speculation alive.

Andrew Peacock said he would no longer accept Howard as deputy unless he offered assurances that he would not challenge for the leadership.

Andrew Peacock's supporters began to plot against Howard, and in May 1989 they mounted a party room coup which returned Andrew Peacock to the leadership.

On 18 March 1990, Andrew Peacock was interviewed by Laurie Oakes on the television program Sunday, regarding his stance on the Multifunction Polis, a proposal to build a Japanese funded technology city in Australia.

Andrew Peacock attacked the MFP concept, saying it would become an Asian "enclave".

Andrew Peacock became shadow attorney-general and shadow trade minister under the new leader, John Hewson, whom Peacock had supported in getting the job in 1990 over Peter Reith and to stop Howard returning.

Andrew Peacock had no interest in becoming deputy leader again and withdrew happily.

Andrew Peacock believed Hewson to be the best man for the job after seeing that Hewson was a hard-working shadow treasurer.

Andrew Peacock returned to Foreign Affairs when Hewson lost the 1993 election to Paul Keating.

Andrew Peacock retained Foreign Affairs when Hewson was displaced by Alexander Downer, whom Peacock supported after Hewson initiated the May 1994 spill.

Andrew Peacock believed Hewson made a mistake in calling a spill; Andrew Peacock was not aware of Hewson's intention before it happened but decided afterwards to support Downer as he felt no longer obligated to support Hewson.

In 1996, when asked about blocking John Howard, Malcolm Fraser said Andrew Peacock obviously had been, while Andrew Peacock claimed he supported John Hewson continuing.

Midway through 2002 Andrew Peacock joined Boeing Australia Holdings as President of Boeing Australia.

Andrew Peacock retired from Boeing in 2007, and joined Gold Coast-based fund manager MFS Ltd as chairman.

Andrew Peacock and his American-born third wife retired to Austin, Texas, where she had gone to university.

Andrew Peacock visited Australia regularly and did not intend to become a US citizen, although he held a green card.

Andrew Peacock gave up drinking after moving to the US, after experiencing heart problems.

Andrew Peacock supported Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election, after originally supporting Marco Rubio in the Republican primaries.

Andrew Peacock said that his wife is a staunch conservative and regards him as "the most liberal person she's ever met".

Andrew Peacock died at his Austin home on 16 April 2021, aged 82.

Obituaries took note of, and emphasised "his impact on Australia's foreign policy and international relations" and described Andrew Peacock as having "left an indelible mark on the country".

Andrew Peacock was given a state memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne on 11 February 2022; the 10 month delay being attributed to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2017, Andrew Peacock was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun by the government of Japan, "for his contribution to strengthening and promoting friendly relations between Japan and Australia".