Richard Charles Old was an Australian politician who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1974 to 1986.
11 Facts About Dick Old
1.
2.
Dick Old was state leader of the National Country Party from 1975 to 1985, and served as a minister in the governments of Charles Court and Ray O'Connor.
3.
Dick Old's uncle, Cyril Cornish, was a member of parliament.
4.
Dick Old enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in 1941, and during the war served on airbases in North-West Australia as a wireless operator.
5.
Dick Old managed a machinery company in Mingenew from 1953 to 1956, and then returned to Katanning to take over his father's fuel business.
6.
Dick Old was elected to the Katanning Shire Council in 1961, and served as shire president from 1966 to 1973.
7.
Dick Old entered parliament at the 1974 state election, replacing Sir Crawford Nalder in the seat of Katanning.
8.
Dick Old became Minister for Agriculture in the new ministry, but was not appointed deputy premier due to Charles Court's belief that he was too inexperienced.
9.
Dick Old remained in the ministry until the government's defeat at the 1983 election.
10.
Dick Old continued to campaign for the Liberal Party candidates for several years, but in 1991 resigned his membership to protest the treatment of Liz Constable.
11.
Dick Old had married Patricia Isabel Hansen in 1945, with whom he had two children.