1. Bill Grayden was a member of parliament across six decades, serving in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly and the Australian House of Representatives.
26 Facts About Bill Grayden
1. 2.
Bill Grayden was a backbencher in federal parliament, but later held ministerial office in the state government of Charles Court.
3.
Bill Grayden was born Wilbur Ives on 5 August 1920 in Bickley, Western Australia.
4.
Bill Grayden's father participated in the landing at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915, and lost a lung after being shot by a Turkish sniper.
5.
Bill Grayden is the maternal grandson of Western Australian businessman and politician Nat Harper.
6.
Bill Grayden was educated at state schools and then at Perth Technical College, as part of an apprenticeship commenced in 1938 as a motor mechanic with Winterbottom Motors.
7.
Bill Grayden attempted to enlist in the Australian Army when the Second World War broke out in September 1939, but was rejected.
8.
Bill Grayden succeeded the following year after lying about his age.
9.
Bill Grayden ended the war in Borneo and took part in the Battle of Balikpapan.
10.
Bill Grayden served a total of 43 years in State and Federal Parliament.
11.
Bill Grayden stood as an independent in the Division of Swan at the 1946 federal election.
12.
At the 1949 federal election, Bill Grayden transferred to the Australian House of Representatives, winning the seat of Swan for the Liberals.
13.
Bill Grayden stated his primary interest in parliament would be defence.
14.
Bill Grayden was re-elected at the 1951 election but defeated by Australian Labor Party candidate Harry Webb at the 1954 election.
15.
Bill Grayden initiated a number of publicity stunts during his time in parliament.
16.
In 1953 Bill Grayden led an expedition to Central Australia seeking evidence of the lost Leichhardt expedition.
17.
In 1956, Bill Grayden returned to the Legislative Assembly, winning the seat of South Perth.
18.
Bill Grayden stood as an unendorsed Liberal against the endorsed Liberal and Country League candidate, and was re-elected as an "independent Liberal" at the 1959 election, again defeating an endorsed candidate.
19.
Bill Grayden released a book of black and white photographs titled Adam and Atoms.
20.
In 1974, Bill Grayden was appointed Minister for Labour and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Immigration and Tourism in the government of Charles Court.
21.
Bill Grayden resigned from the ministry in 1978 following "an early-morning fracas involving two policemen in a Perth hotel", as a result of which he was convicted of assault and wilful damage.
22.
Bill Grayden returned to the ministry after the 1980 state election as Minister for Education, Cultural Affairs, and Recreation.
23.
Bill Grayden was removed from the ministry in 1982 following Court's retirement and replacement by Ray O'Connor.
24.
In 2015, aged 94, Bill Grayden visited Gallipoli to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the landing at Anzac Cove, in which his father had participated.
25.
Bill Grayden is the earliest elected federal MP still alive, and he is the last surviving "Forty-Niner" MP, as well as the last surviving MP first elected before 1961.
26.
Bill Grayden married Betsy Marie Chadwick on 31 July 1948, with whom he had five sons and five daughters.