kent hughes sir june july australian soldier olympic games author federal state government minister born melbourne upper middle class family set attend university_of_oxford rhodes scholarship enlisted army outbreak world war discharge army attended oxford represented australia athletics summer olympics antwerp completion degree oxford returned australia seeking career politics elected victorian state parliament sat conservative rising position deputy premier victoria proved controversial figure politics afraid publicly personal beliefs admiration poor understanding enlisted army outbreak world war stationed singapore captured japanese spent years prisoner war liberation returned victorian state politics switching federal politics appointed minister federal government led complained responsibilities interesting summer olympics organising committee showed willing break longstanding olympic conventions order games role organisation melbourne olympics led sporting historians refer important figures olympic history following olympics kent hughes dropped ministerial posts spent remainder time parliament gaining reputation ardent parliament died aged member federal parliament history early life second child seven english surgeon publisher wife née born educated accepted christ church oxford commence study oxford war service family hughes young usually called bill billy later avoid confusion fellow politician adopted middle names kent surname known spelled given father spelled number relatives gained national recognition chosen fields uncle canon influential member church_of_england australia leading australian rules uncle brigadier general mayor governor general earl aunt hughes founded australian women national_league largest body organised women country sisters leading community activist referred family communist renowned proponent indigenous rights world war enlisted private august served 3rd gallipoli wounded palestine syria reached rank major mentioned despatches times received marked ability energy performance duties appointed deputy adjutant general return australia published volume memoirs exploits university olympics war end entered christ church oxford gaining bachelor_of_arts honours captained oxford ski team showed proficiency athletics chosen represent australia metre summer olympics finished fourth heat metre failed progress won metre heat finishing fifth semi final return england handed later admitted official olympic flag olympic stadium visit europe australian ski overseas following graduation oxford married wealthy american thread manufacturing empire february new_jersey returned melbourne work director father publishing company career politics political life unsuccessfully sought newly created seat winning seat independent candidate election joined nationalists soon found opposed conservative establishment considered victorian politics openly referred number fellow nationalists opposition members semi educated ill narrow minded close friend ally founded influential force conservative politics victoria nationalists came power december appointed cabinet secretary government whip resigned positions july ostensibly protest government freezing works company likely reaction ongoing fellow following formation place nationalists served including railways transport minister portfolio designed deal poverty great depression known minister starvation drafted legislation unemployment relief administration bill enacted january forced unemployed work denied form financial assistance women bill described piece legislation australia directed unemployed depression january embroiled cricket affair friend english captain oxford days publicly defended tactics sustained short pitched bowling australian batsmen arguing australia similar tactics england ashes tour criticised protests australian cricket governing body stating bitter insulting attacking simultaneously organising australian tour duke gloucester efforts appointed member royal victorian order manager australian team empire games held sydney fascist late 1920s 1930s developed strong sympathy encouraged uncle visited italy published enthusiastic report italy local newspaper return impressed sir proposal british parliament consisting business national interests headed powerful executive government published series articles titled fascist article wrote avoid attitude socialism kent hughes saw half way house systems fascist countries said industrial peace security found worth price sacrificing individual liberty previously enjoyed called british communities expected black shirt style british parliamentary representative unique prominent australians publicly identifying fascist joined fascist organisation acted overtly way described fascist evidence suggest anti biographer maintains know word mainly shock value kent hughes paid attention difference theory practice italy observes public support failed damage political career elected victorian deputy leader serving army world war resigning parliament rejoined army colonel 8th division served malaya campaign mentioned despatches taken prisoner japanese singapore kept prisoner war camp beaten half shipped slave taiwan october shipped japan korea sent rail prisoners war work arms factories august liberated invading returned australia complaint continue bother imprisoned secretly wrote slaves colourful account wartime experiences published took case australian general accused leaving singapore shortly city surrendered japanese appeared bennett case argued bennett correct avoid taken prisoner return australia continue fight appointed officer order british empire wartime service popular service community appearing day march april year horseback world war uniform campaigning improved benefits servicemen particularly prisoners war post war politics returned politics followed newly created served deputy premier minister transport minister public instruction chief secretary minister electrical decided transfer federal politics bulk state electorate comfortably safe liberal federal seat held old colleague federal leader instead opted stand newly created seat south east melbourne safe duly elected appointed minister interior minister minister works june complained left charge issues olympics following successful bid melbourne host summer olympics problems organising games extent president threatened award games city response approached chairman believing public stature background experience administration great assets took chairman role relationship visit melbourne inspect preparations impressed progress achieved condemned apparent lack concern deadline games criticism lightly quoted saying worry having chicago blow ins come blow tops particular general broke olympic tradition significant ways decided charge television footage games previously footage provided free charge secondly following suggestion year old apprentice carpenter melbourne instigated familiar closing ceremony tradition athletes different nations instead national teams symbol world unity plan charge television footage games strongly opposed circles including media believed games news free australian government authorities thought providing free television coverage games lead greater tourism opportunities public comment television rights games financial possibilities charging rights television rights fees policy following games television stations forced negotiate televised rights future games policy believed billion inception summer olympics recognition work successfully organising games kent hughes knight commander order british empire award presented athlete considers given outstanding performance games named honour significance modern olympic movement suggested oil portrait commissioned placed political decline dropped cabinet ostensibly opposed housing plans canberra likely continued public comments foreign affairs defence matters took independent line favouring policy anti communist higher defence spending conscription widely renowned parliamentary figure asian affairs leading member taiwan lobby sought maintain recognition taiwan official representative china met times following unexpected death prime minister number liberal politicians expressed support leader acting prime minister remaining prime minister ahead fellow turned member selected new leader prime minister remained popular electorate served parliament death survived wife daughters accorded state funeral times obituary highlighted war service status referring colourful australian earlier
Wilfrid Kent Hughes