Lionel Frost Bowen AC (28 December 1922 – 1 April 2012) was an Australian politician. He was the deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1977 to 1990 and served as the sixth deputy prime minister of Australia in the Hawke government from 1983 to 1990.
Bowen was born in Sydney to a working-class family. He served in the Australian Army during World War II and subsequently studied law at the University of Sydney. He was elected mayor of Randwick in 1948 and served in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1962 to 1969. Bowen was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1969 federal election, representing the seat of Kingsford Smith. He served as Postmaster-General (1972–1974), Special Minister of State (1973–1975) and Minister for Manufacturing Industry (1975) in the Whitlam government, before being elected deputy leader to Bill Hayden in 1977. He retained the position when Bob Hawke was elected leader in 1983 and became deputy prime minister after Labor won the 1983 election. He served as Minister for Trade (1983–1984) and Attorney-General (1984–1990) until his retirement from politics in 1990, and was later chair of the National Gallery of Australia.
Bowen was born in the Sydney suburb of Ultimo. His father left the family when Bowen was aged 10 years and Bowen's mother looked after her invalid brother and elderly mother, while working as a cleaner.[1] Bowen was educated at Cleveland Street public school, Marcellin College Randwick and Sydney University where he graduated with a LLB in 1946 and became a solicitor. He served in the Second Australian Imperial Force from 1941 to 1945, reaching the rank of corporal.[2][3]
Bowen was elected to Randwick Council and became Mayor in 1948.[4] He served in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1962 to 1969, representing Randwick,[3] before being elected to the Parliament of Australia in 1969, to the seat of Kingsford Smith in the House of Representatives. From 1972 to 1975, he served successively as Minister for Manufacturing Industry, Special Minister of State and Postmaster-General in the Whitlam cabinet.
Bowen played a relatively quiet role in politics, preferring to work behind the scenes.[1][5][4] A significant achievement came when he served as acting education minister in the Whitlam government (during the illness and hospitalization of incumbent education minister Kim Beazley Senior), when he managed to split the opposition and win National Party support in the Senate for needs-based funding for non-government schools.[6]
When Whitlam resigned as Labor leader after his defeat at the 1977 election, Bowen contested the party leadership but was defeated by Bill Hayden and became Deputy Leader. He retained this position when Bob Hawke became Leader in February 1983. When Hawke won the March 1983 election, Bowen became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade in the first Hawke Ministry. In July 1983, he was appointed Vice-President of the Executive Council and in the second Hawke ministry, he became Attorney-General, losing the Trade portfolio.
In 1988, Bowen sponsored four referendums to reform the Australian Constitution (see 1988 Australian referendum), but all were defeated. He retired from federal politics prior to the March 1990 election, and was succeeded as Deputy Prime Minister by Paul Keating.
Bowen served as Chairman of the National Gallery of Australia between 1990 and 1995 and shared a strong interest in horseracing.[5]
In 1990, he was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal,[7] and in 1991, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia "in recognition of service to the community and politics."[8] In 2001, he received a Centenary Medal.[9]
Bowen and his wife, Claire, married in 1953 and had three daughters and five sons. He lived in the same home in Kensington for 73 years.[5] His son, Tony, was a mayor of the City of Randwick.[10]
Bowen died from pneumonia on 1 April 2012.[11] after years afflicted with Alzheimer's disease.[5] He was given a state funeral on 11 April 2012.[12]
The Family Court of Australia and the Federal Magistrates Court are located in the Lionel Bowen Building in Goulburn Street, Sydney.[citation needed] The City of Randwick main library is known as the Lionel Bowen Library.[13] Lionel Bowen Park is situated in the suburb of Mascot.[14]
