The influence of Queensland in the Menzies government 1949-1966

Sir Neil O'Sullivan had a remarkable career. After the 1946 national elections there were just THREE members of the Opposition in the Senate – Sir Neil, Dame Annabelle Rankin, and Sir Walter Cooper.

So when the Menzies-Fadden Government was elected in 1949, Sir Neil was appointed Leader of the Government in the Senate, and Minister for Trade and Customs. He was a Liberal, and along with the Country Party Leader Fadden he successfully boosted Australia's trade links to the great advantage of industry, business and the overall economy.

He was also a Roman Catholic in an era when most Roman Catholics voted for and belonged to the Labor Party. His mentor was the all- powerful Roman Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane, Sir James Duhig.

The influence of Fadden and O'Sullivan in the Menzies Government continued until Fadden retired in 1958. O'Sullivan left the ministry earlier, and retired from the Senate a few years later.

But Fadden and O'Sullivan not only were instrumental in the stability of the Menzies Government in its formative years, they paved the way for some remarkable contributions to the government by Queenslanders. All but one of them was knighted (with Annabelle Rankin being made a Dame).

As Jim reminded me, not as much as a whiff of scandal attached to any of them! And they were drawn from both the Liberal and Country Parties representing urban, regional and rural electorates.

When Jim was first elected in 1955 he succeeded Sir Josiah Francis, who had been Minister for the Army, and left politics to be Australia's Consul General in New York. In the post war environment, the Army portfolio was a key position.

Without going into detail, he is a list of the other Queenslanders who achieved cabinet and senior ministerial rank between 1949 and 1966:

Sir Walter Cooper – Health Minister.

Sir Alan Hulme – Minister for Supply and then Postmaster General

Sir Charles Adermann – Primary Industry Minister and Deputy Country Party Leader

Sir Charles Davidson – Postmaster General