Facts: - party: liberal party of australia - monarch: elizabeth ii - deputy: sir charles cutler leon punch - predecessor: sir robert askin blake pelly - birth date: 23 january 1922 - branch: australian army - relations: essington -rrb- lewis -lrb- uncle -rrb- sandy lewis -lrb- brother - parliament: new south wales - order: 33rd premier of new south wales - term end: 23 january 1976 7 september 1978 - serviceyears: 1941 -- 1946 - unit: 1st armoured division 2/3rd commando squadron - name: tom lewis - birth place: adelaide , south australia , australia - successor: sir eric willis bill knott - constituency mp: wollondilly - allegiance: australia - battles: world war ii - term start: 3 january 1975 26 october 1957 - image: thomas lewis.gif - rank: lieutenant Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of tom lewis -lrb- australian politician -rrb- .
thomas lancelot -lrb- tom -rrb- lewis ao -lrb- born 23 january 1922 -rrb- is a former new south wales politician , premier of new south wales and minister in the cabinets of sir robert askin and sir eric willis .he became premier following askin 's retirement from politics and held the position until he was replaced by willis in a party vote .lewis was first elected to the new south wales legislative assembly for the electoral district of wollondilly for the liberal party of australia from 1957 until his resignation in 1978 .