26 Facts About Tom Uren

Thomas Uren was an Australian politician and Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party from 1975 to 1977.

Tom Uren served as the Member for Reid in the Australian House of Representatives from 1958 to 1990, being appointed Minister for Urban and Regional Development, Minister for Territories and Local Government and Minister for Local Government and Administrative Services.

Tom Uren helped establish the heritage and conservation movement in Australia and, in particular, worked to preserve the heritage of inner Sydney.

Tom Uren was born in Balmain, Sydney, then a working-class suburb, and was educated at Manly High School.

Tom Uren's family is of Cornish ancestry, having originated in Penzance.

Tom Uren played rugby league for Manly Warringah in his youth and was a strong competitive swimmer.

Tom Uren had an early career as a professional boxer, and challenged for the Australian heavyweight championship against Billy Britt.

Tom Uren was deployed to Timor and was a prisoner of the Japanese from 1942 to 1945, during which time he worked on the Burma Railway and served with Edward "Weary" Dunlop.

Tom Uren was discharged in December 1945 with the rank of Bombardier.

On return, Tom Uren worked as a Woolworths manager at Lithgow which led to being inspired to join the Australian Labor Party after attending Ben Chifley's funeral.

Tom Uren built a family home nearby, before transferring from the Lithgow branch of the Labor party to the West Guildford branch in 1954.

Tom Uren won Labor pre-selection in 1957 for the House of Representatives seat of Reid in western Sydney, which he won at the 1958 election.

Tom Uren represented the electorate until his retirement before the 1990 election, thirty-two years later.

Tom Uren was a strong supporter of the left wing of the Labor Party, led at first by Eddie Ward and later by Jim Cairns, and was sometimes accused of being a secret communist, an accusation he denied.

Tom Uren campaigned against the Vietnam War, conscription and nuclear testing.

Tom Uren was Minister for Urban and Regional Development in the Whitlam government from 1972 to 1975.

Tom Uren established the Australian Heritage Commission and consequent compilation of the Register of the National Estate.

In Sydney, Tom Uren promoted the restoration and re-use of derelict inner city areas such as the Glebe Estate and Woolloomooloo, the reclamation of Duck Creek and the creation of the Chipping Norton Lakes Scheme.

Tom Uren was a key player in the creation of the Towra Point Nature Reserve.

In 1976 Tom Uren was elected Deputy Leader of the Labor Party under Whitlam as Opposition Leader, but after the 1977 election, when Bill Hayden was elected Leader, Tom Uren was replaced by Lionel Bowen.

Tom Uren succeeded Jim Cairns as leader of the ALP Left, and bitterly opposed Bob Hawke's rise to the Labor leadership.

Tom Uren became Father of the House of Representatives in 1984.

Tom Uren stood down from the ministry after the 1987 election and retired from Parliament in 1990.

Tom Uren opposed Australia's participation in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Tom Uren was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 1993 Queen's Birthday Honours, awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001, and advanced to a Companion of the Order of Australia in the 2013 Australia Day Honours.

Tom Uren had a strong influence on Anthony Albanese, who became the Prime Minister of Australia in May 2022.