27 Facts About Eric Willis

Eric Willis continued to serve the Citizen Military Forces until 1958.

Eric Willis rose to become a long-serving Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party from 1959 to 1975 under Robert Askin.

Eric Willis was born in January 1922 in Murwillumbah, New South Wales, the first son of Archibald Clarence Eric Willis, a butter factory hand and First World War veteran, and his wife, Vida Mabel Buttenshaw.

Eric Willis was educated at Tyalgum Public School and then at Murwillumbah High School, at which he was Dux of his year and won a scholarship to study arts at the University of Sydney.

Eric Willis received a Bachelor of Arts with double honours in Modern History and Geography from Sydney University in 1942.

Eric Willis served in the Second Australian Imperial Force from 1941 to 1946 in Army Intelligence in New Guinea and Philippines during the Second World War ending the war with the rank of Sergeant.

Eric Willis remained in the military after demobilisation, being discharged from the regular military on 3 June 1946.

Eric Willis continued to serve in the Citizen Military Forces from 1946, achieving the rank of major in 1948, until retiring in 1958.

Eric Willis married Norma Dorothy Thompson on 11 May 1951 and they had a daughter and two sons.

Eric Willis was employed as a senior geographer and investigation officer for Cumberland County Council.

Eric Willis joined the newly formed Liberal Party of Australia in 1945, after hearing a speech by Sir Robert Menzies.

Eric Willis sought preselection for the federal seat of Evans in the 1949 federal election but was defeated in favour of Frederick Osborne.

At the June 1950 state election, at the age of 28, Eric Willis was elected to the newly created Legislative Assembly seat of Earlwood, in the inner southwestern suburbs of Sydney, becoming the youngest Member of Parliament.

Eric Willis soon gained a reputation as rebel in the House, always attacking the Labor Speakers, and consequently being expelled from the house more than any other member.

Eric Willis declined to run for the leadership and Deputy Leader Robert Askin was made Leader.

Eric Willis was appointed Minister for Labour and Industry from 1965 to March 1971 and during that same time he was Minister for Sport.

Eric Willis served as a Fellow of University of Sydney Senate in 1972.

Eric Willis was regarded as the outstanding minister of the Askin Government and is considered one of the state's greatest Education Ministers.

However, despite Askin's initial support, Eric Willis refused his help, preferring to gain the leadership on his own merits.

Eric Willis introduced Daylight Saving time, to be decided upon in a referendum, scrapped the unpopular petrol tax and announced a masterplan for Sydney's transport system.

When former Minister Steve Mauger resigned on 27 January 1976, sparking a by-election in his seat of Monaro in May, and early polls had indicated a large swing to Labor, Eric Willis announced an early election on 1 May, thereby cancelling the by-election in the hope of preventing a larger move of voters against the government.

At that same election Daylight Saving time for New South Wales was passed by 68.4 per cent for and 31.6 per cent against and whenever Eric Willis was asked what his greatest achievement as Premier was, he would always say "Daylight Saving".

On 15 December 1977, Eric Willis called a press conference to announce his intention to resign as leader:.

Eric Willis resigned as Member for Earlwood on 16 June 1978, at the age of 56.

Eric Willis spent time as vice-president of the Red Cross and was a Fellow of the Royal Society of St George, a Member of the Australian Institute of Political Science and the Australian Institute of International Affairs.

Eric Willis left his residence in Bardwell Park and moved to Neutral Bay, where his marriage collapsed.

Eric Willis divorced his first wife, Norma, and remarried to Lynn.