Wal Fife

Background

Fife was born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, and was educated at Gurwood Street public school, Wagga Wagga and Canberra Grammar School.

Career

In 1948 he started working in the federal secretariat of the Liberal Party of Australia and in 1949 he joined his family business, Fifes Produce Pty Limited, in Wagga Wagga. Fife was elected as the member for Wagga Wagga in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1957. He was Minister for Mines from June 1967 to January 1975, Minister for Conservation from March 1971 to June 1972, Minister for Power from June 1972 to January 1975 and Minister for Transport and Minister for Highways from January 1975 until his retirement from the New South Wales Parliament in October 1975.

He was Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs from July 1977 to December 1979, Minister for Education from December 1979 to May 1982 and Minister for Aviation from May 1982 until the defeat of the Fraser government at the March 1983 election.

His role in Opposition included a stint as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in the House of Representatives between May 1989 and April 1990 since the then Deputy Liberal leader Fred Chaney was still a Senator. He retired from parliament prior to the 1993 election.

He received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Charles Sturt University.

Achievements

• Fife won the Australian House of Representatives seat of Farrer at the 1975 election. Following an electoral distribution that moved Wagga Wagga into the Division of Hume, he stood for and won that seat at the 1984 election.