14 Facts About Bob Whan

Bob Whan was a member of the Australian Labor Party and represented the Division of Eden-Monaro in the House of Representatives from 1972 to 1975.

Bob Whan worked in the wool industry before entering politics.

Bob Whan's parents moved to Melbourne where he attended East Kew Central School and Richmond Technical College.

Bob Whan left school at the age of 15 and went with his family to King Island, where he worked in the dairy industry.

Bob Whan later moved to Albury, New South Wales, where he worked in a woolstore and gained a wool classing certificate.

Bob Whan later attained a degree in wool technology from the University of New South Wales and completed postgraduate studies at the University of Leeds in England.

Bob Whan worked as a public servant before entering politics, serving as the officer-in-charge of the wool marketing section of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics.

Bob Whan was elected to federal parliament at the 1972 federal election, as the Labor candidate in the Division of Eden-Monaro.

Bob Whan won the seat by a margin of 503 votes, and retained it at the 1974 election by a margin of 146 votes, making it one of the most marginal seats in the country.

Bob Whan lost his seat in Labor's landslide defeat at the 1975 election, although the relatively small swing against him was seen as evidence of his personal following.

Bob Whan won Labor preselection as the Labor candidate in the Division of Canberra at the 1977 election, but following a series of challenges the initial ballot was overturned and he was replaced by Henry Lawrence, who lost to the incumbent Liberal MP John Haslem.

Bob Whan later served as chief of staff to Richard Amery.

Bob Whan was a founder of Jobless Action, a Canberra-based organisation.

Bob Whan died of cardiac arrest on 4 October 2015 at the age of 82.