John Tonkin

John Trezise Tonkin (2 February 1902 – 20 October 1995) was the 20th Premier of Western Australia from 3 March 1971 to 8 April 1974. He was from the Labor Party.

He was born in Boulder City in 1902. Educated in local schools Tonkin became a teacher in rural Western Australia. An active member of the Labor Party, he was Prime Minister John Curtin's campaign manager for the 1943 election. He was elected to the Western Australian parliament for the seat of North East Fremantle (1933–1950), and for the seat of Melville (1950–1977). He was a Cabinet Minister (1943–1947), Deputy Premier (1953–1959), Leader of the Opposition (1967–1971 and 1974–1976), and Premier (1971–1974). He retired from parliament in 1977 and died in 1995.

 Early life 
Albert Tonkin, born in Boulder, Western Australia, in 1902, became a teacher after attending Claremont Teachers College. He married Rosalie Maud Cleghorn in 1926 and later moved to Perth, where he taught and studied accounting.

References

Category:1902 births
Category:1995 deaths
Tonkin, John
Category:Australian Labor Party politicians
Category:Australian educators