Parliamentary matters

Abstract

(John) Malcolm Fraser was born on 21 May 1930 in Melbourne. The Fraser family lived in NSW before moving to 'Nareen', a sheep station in western Victoria, in 1943. Malcolm Fraser attended Tudor House School in NSW (1940-1943) and Melbourne Grammar (1944-1948). In 1949 he was admitted to the University of Oxford to study Modern Greats. Malcolm Fraser was elected Liberal member for Wannon in Western Victoria in 1955. He gained his first Cabinet post as Minister for the Army in 1966 and later became Minister for Education and Science (1968-1969 and 1971-1972) and Minister for Defence (1969-1971). He became leader of the Liberal Party in March 1975, and in November was appointed caretaker Prime Minister following the dismissal of the Whitlam government. He served as Prime Minister until 1983. Following his political career, Malcolm Fraser has maintained a role in world affairs and remains actively interested in issues such as human rights and the rule of law.