predecessor successor death_date birth_place death_place nationality party office birth_date term_start premier article_title term_end name
ray o'connor gerald wild mal bryce fred tubby 23 august 1992 denmark , western australia dalkeith , western australia australian liberal deputy assembly for dale premier of western australia member of the legislative 23 november 1922 25 january 1982 8 may 1965 ray o'connor cyril rushton
 25 february 1983 25 february 1988 cyril rushton
cyril rushton

edgar cyril rushton -lrb- 23 november 1922 -- 23 august 1992 -rrb- was an australian politician who was the deputy premier of western australia from 1982 to 1983 .
he served as the liberal member for dale in the legislative assembly of western australia from 1965 to 1988 , and was a minister in the court -- mcpharlin , court , and o'connor governments .
born in denmark , in western australia 's great southern region , rushton attended schools in denmark , mount barker , and katanning , before boarding at scotch college in perth .
he served in the military during the second world war , initially as a signaller in the australian army , and then as a navigator -lrb- rank leading aircraftman -rrb- in the royal australian air force -lrb- raaf -rrb- .
on returning to australia , rushton worked at the bank of new south wales , initially in country areas and then closer to perth .
a shire of armadale -- kelmscott councillor from 1958 to 1966 -lrb- and shire president from 1964 to 1965 -rrb- , he had joined the liberal party in 1947 .
he was first elected to parliament at a 1965 by-election , which came only three months after the 1965 state election .
the previous holder of the seat , gerald wild , had resigned from parliament to take up the position of agent-general for western australia .
as a new member of parliament , rushton did not serve in the second ministry led by sir david brand , but was appointed minister for local government and minister for urban development and town planning after charles court led a liberal -- national country coalition to victory at the 1974 state election .
the ministry was reconstituted in 1978 after a portfolio reshuffle , and rushton was named minister for transport , with june craig , the only woman in cabinet , taking over his portfolios .
following the 1980 state election , at which the government was again returned , there was speculation that court would retire .
rushton was considered a candidate to replace him , along with craig , bill grayden , ray young , jim clarko , and court 's deputy , ray o'connor .
court eventually resigned in early 1982 .
he was replaced by o'connor , who was elected unopposed , and rushton was elected deputy leader in a four-way contest .
retaining his transport portfolio , he also served as deputy premier and minister for emergency services in o'connor 's new ministry , which was defeated at the following year 's election .
with the liberal party now in opposition , rushton was one of four men to contest a leadership ballot in february 1984 , along with o'connor , bill hassell , and barry mckinnon .
hassell replaced o'connor as leader of the party and leader of the opposition , while mckinnon replaced rushton as deputy leader of the party , narrowly defeating richard court .
re-elected again at the 1986 state election , rushton underwent open-heart surgery in august 1987 , and , having missed much of the following parliamentary session , resigned on 25 february 1988 .
the resulting by-election was won by liberal candidate fred tubby , with labor not fielding a candidate .
rushton died at the nedlands golf club in dalkeith , a suburb of perth , in august 1992 , and was buried at karrakatta cemetery .
he had married elizabeth melva -lrb- betty -rrb- crouch in 1947 , with whom he had four sons and a daughter .
they divorced in 1976 , and he then re-married to jean rachel evans , in 1977 .
