69 Facts About Billy Snedden

Billy Snedden was a cabinet minister from 1964 to 1972, and Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1976 to 1983.

Billy Snedden served in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II, and then studied law at the University of Western Australia.

Billy Snedden was elected to the House of Representatives the following year, aged 28.

In 1964, Billy Snedden was elevated to cabinet by Robert Menzies.

Billy Snedden served as a government minister until the Liberal government's defeat at the 1972 election, under an additional four prime ministers.

Billy Snedden spent periods as Attorney-General, Minister for Immigration, Minister for Labour and National Service, and Treasurer.

Billy Snedden was elected deputy leader of the Liberal Party in 1971, and replaced William McMahon as leader after the following year's election loss, thus becoming Leader of the Opposition.

Billy Snedden led the Liberal Party to the 1974 federal election, which saw the Labor Party retain government with a narrow majority.

Billy Snedden was elected to the speakership when the parliament next sat.

Billy Snedden held the position for almost seven years, gaining a reputation for impartiality.

In retirement, Billy Snedden served as chairman of the Melbourne Football Club and on the board of the Victorian Football League.

Billy Snedden was born on 31 December 1926 at a private hospital in Newcastle Street, West Perth, Western Australia.

Billy Snedden was the youngest of six children born to Catherine and Alan Snedden.

Billy Snedden's mother was 43 years old when he was born, and his siblings, one sister and four brothers, were much older than him.

Billy Snedden's parents were born in Alva, Clackmannanshire, Scotland, and spoke "broad Scots".

Billy Snedden's grandparents were illiterate, and his parents had only limited schooling; they were both from coal-mining families.

Billy Snedden's father worked mostly as a stonemason, but spent periods as a miner and general labourer when better work was not available.

Billy Snedden reputedly left Scotland to escape a paternity suit, and had earlier been in trouble with the law for poaching.

Billy Snedden grew up in Perth's inner north near the suburb of Highgate, living initially on Robinson Avenue and later on Bulwer Street.

Billy Snedden's father left home when he was about three or four years old, and they had only limited contact thereafter.

Billy Snedden was close to his sister Jean, who often babysat him.

Billy Snedden worked part-time from about the age of eight, helping his brothers on construction sites and selling and delivering newspapers.

Billy Snedden began his schooling at Highgate Primary School, and later attended the Perth Boys' School through to the ninth grade.

Billy Snedden left school in April 1942 and began working as a junior law clerk for Thomas Hughes, who was a solicitor and independent state MP.

Billy Snedden would not normally have been considered qualified for the job, but there was a shortage of applicants due to the war.

Billy Snedden was eventually able to receive his leaving certificate by attending night school at Perth Technical College.

Billy Snedden fell out with Hughes late in 1943, and in January 1944 began working as a clerk at the Commonwealth Crown Solicitor's office.

Billy Snedden was a talented sportsman as a youth, and played a few games for the West Perth Football Club during the 1944 WANFL season, at a time when the competition was age-restricted.

Billy Snedden later represented Western Australia at the Australian Amateur Football Carnival in Melbourne in 1951.

Billy Snedden attempted to join the Royal Australian Navy when he was 17, but his mother refused her permission; three of his brothers were already on active service.

Billy Snedden eventually enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in January 1945, two days after his 18th birthday.

Billy Snedden began an air crew training scheme, but as the war came to an end he was taken off the course and given more general duties; this included a period tending bar at an officers' mess.

Billy Snedden failed two subjects in his first year, and was only able to continue when the law school dean Frank Beasley intervened on his behalf.

Billy Snedden graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1950, and completed his articles of clerkship with Harvey, Slattery, and Gibson.

Billy Snedden was called to the bar in December 1951.

In 1951, Billy Snedden briefly returned to the Commonwealth Crown Solicitor's office.

Billy Snedden learnt to speak Italian, and travelled around the country conducting interviews with prospective migrants.

Billy Snedden stayed there for a year, and was then supposed to be moved on to Germany.

Billy Snedden was state president of the Young Liberals, and from 1951 to 1952 served as the inaugural federal chairman of the organisation.

In 1954 Billy Snedden moved to Melbourne, where he practised law until 1955, when he was elected to the House of Representatives for the outer suburban seat of Bruce.

Billy Snedden defeated Keith Ewert, the former Labor member for nearby Flinders.

In 1961, Billy Snedden faced Ewert again, and this time trailed in initial counting.

However, with Billy Snedden's win, the best Labor could hope for was a hung parliament, though the Coalition was not assured of another term in government until later in the night, with its narrow victory in Moreton.

Billy Snedden served in the ministries of Sir Robert Menzies, Harold Holt, John McEwen, John Gorton and William McMahon.

Billy Snedden was rebuffed, but he gained agreement when he made a similar submission to the Holt Cabinet in 1966.

In 1971, Billy Snedden was appointed Treasurer by William McMahon, and was elected Liberal Deputy Leader, making him the heir apparent to the leadership.

When McMahon was defeated by the Labor Party under Gough Whitlam in 1972, Billy Snedden was elected as his replacement as Liberal leader, winning by a single vote over Nigel Bowen on the fifth ballot.

Billy Snedden promised a new and more "liberal" Liberal Party, but he suffered from his continuing image as a light-weight, and many Liberals believed he would never defeat Whitlam.

Billy Snedden allowed himself to be persuaded to use the conservative majority in the Senate to block the Whitlam government's budget in 1974.

When he failed to make any headway against Whitlam, Fraser mounted a second challenge, and Billy Snedden was deposed in March 1975, becoming the first leader of the Liberal Party not to gain the prime ministership.

Billy Snedden retired to the backbench until February 1976, when Fraser supported his election as Speaker of the House.

Billy Snedden was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives on 17 February 1976, defeating the previous Speaker, Gordon Scholes, by a majority of 53 votes.

Billy Snedden was re-elected on 21 February 1978, defeating Labor MP Dr Harry Jenkins by a majority of 44 votes, and on 25 November 1980, again defeating Dr Jenkins by a majority of 22 votes.

Billy Snedden was the last Speaker of the House of Representatives to wear the formal regalia of full-bottomed wig and gown inherited from the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, believing that it would restore the dignity of the office of Speaker.

Billy Snedden preferred the Speaker to be recognised as an impartial umpire like the Speaker of the House of Commons.

Billy Snedden tried to strengthen the Parliament's ability to withstand pressures from the Executive.

Billy Snedden believed that it was contrary to Parliament's independence for the Executive to control the funds allocated to Parliament, so he authorised parliamentary officers to write a paper in 1976 entitled The Parliamentary Budget.

Billy Snedden followed parliamentary procedure and asked Hawke to withdraw the remark.

When Hawke refused, Billy Snedden named him and a motion for his suspension was moved.

Billy Snedden later wrote: "It was his [Fraser's] instigation which was making the Parliament unworkable, not the Opposition's response, like the classroom situation where the smart little man hits the fellow next to him who retaliates and is seen by the teacher".

Fraser was furious and attempted to intimidate Billy Snedden into punishing Hawke for not withdrawing or take his "punishment".

Billy Snedden refused and was convinced that he would be replaced as Speaker but, once Fraser realised that he had no support in the Liberal Party to remove Billy Snedden from office, he sent a conciliatory message.

Billy Snedden believed that if he stayed in Parliament, he might be called on for advice on his successor's rulings, which would be undesirable because it would undermine the Chair.

Billy Snedden separated from his wife, Lady Snedden, and was later to withdraw from public life as his health declined from atherosclerosis and heart disease.

Billy Snedden was Chairman of the Melbourne Football Club from 1981 to 1986, later a Director of the Victorian Football League and Patron of the Professional Boxing Association of Australia.

Melbourne newspaper The Truth headlined its report "Billy Snedden died on the job", while the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Billy Snedden was wearing a condom and that "it was loaded".

Billy Snedden married Joy Forsyth, a dental nurse, on 10 March 1950.

Billy Snedden stood for re-election to council in 2008 but lost her seat.

Billy Snedden was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in January 1978.