Sir David Brand KCMG (1 August 1912 – 15 April 1979) was an Australian politician. He was the longest-serving premier of Western Australia, in office from 1959 to 1971, and was state leader of the Liberal Party from 1957 to 1972.

Brand was born in Dongara, Western Australia. He was raised on farms in the Mid West and left school at the age of 14. He moved to the Eastern Goldfields in 1935 and worked as a miner for several years, later serving in the Australian Army during World War II where he was wounded on the Greek campaign. Brand was elected to the Parliament of Western Australia at a 1945 by-election for the seat of Greenough. He served as a cabinet minister under Ross McLarty from 1949 to 1953 and replaced McLarty as leader of the Liberal Party in 1957.

Brand led the Liberal Party to victory at the 1959 state election and won three subsequent terms governing in coalition with the Country Party. His term as premier saw significant population growth and economic development, including the expansion of the Ord River Scheme and the development of the iron ore mining industry in the Pilbara and the bauxite mining industry in the south-west. Brand's government was defeated at the 1971 state election and he resigned as Liberal leader in 1972 and from parliament in 1975. The federal Division of Brand and Brand Highway are named in his honour.

Early life

Brand was born on 1 August 1912 in Dongara, Western Australia. He was the first of four children born to Hilda () and Albert John Brand. His maternal grandfather was Samuel Mitchell, a Cornish immigrant who was a pioneer of the mining industry in Western Australia and served in both houses of state parliament. His father's grandfather George Brand was transported to Western Australia on the convict ship Stag in 1855, subsequently settling in the Greenough area.

Brand's parents acquired a farm at Northampton shortly after his birth. In 1924 they moved to Mullewa, He left school at 14 to work on the farm, and at Mullewa became secretary of the local branch of the Primary Producers' Association. He subsequently gave evidence at the inquest into Veitch's death.

Military service

thumb|200px|[[Tobruk, Libya, 22 January 1941. Brand is fifth right in the back row of this picture, as a member of C Company, 2/11th Infantry Battalion. Australian forces were in the process of capturing Tobruk from Italian forces, during Operation Compass.]]

Following the outbreak of World War II, Brand enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 23 November 1939. As a private, he was assigned to the 2/11th Battalion, part of the 6th Division, which embarked for the Middle East on 20 April 1940. Brand fought in the North African campaign, including the advance on Benghazi, and was promoted to corporal before the 2/11th was sent to the Greek campaign, in which he was seriously wounded on 24 April 1941.

Brand was eventually sent back to Australia for further treatment, arriving in August, and was discharged as medically unfit in April 1942. He was re-mobilised in September, as an instructor with the 7th Battalion, Volunteer Defence Corps, in Geraldton and was promoted to Warrant Officer in January 1943. With the war effort beginning to wind down, Brand was discharged from the army in January 1945.

Early political career

thumb|upright|Brand c. 1960

After his army discharge, Brand took over the general store at Dongara. In 1970, the government also legislated to lower the voting age from 21 to 18, the first Australian jurisdiction to do so. The measure enjoyed bipartisan support and Brand stated that "by and large the percentage of responsible youth is much the same as it was in our day or anyone's day".

Defeat

The rapid growth of the Perth metropolitan area, and the strain this put on essential services, eroded the government's popularity, especially after 1969. In addition, Brand's relations with the federal Liberal Party worsened after the retirement of Sir Robert Menzies in 1966. While Brand's administration suffered from a series of controversies relating to environmental, heritage, Aboriginal and housing issues, the impact of production quotas for wheat, imposed by Prime Minister Sir John Gorton led to open conflict with the federal Liberal Party.

In the midst of this conflict the Brand government's attempt to demolish the remains of the Colonial Barracks ("the Barracks Arch") immediately opposite the parliament building led to a parliamentary revolt within the Liberal Party. Brand prevented this by dropping the proposal, and agreeing to allow the National Trust to restore the Arch. However, the strains this had caused within the government became evident when Brand collapsed while speaking publicly in 1971. He recovered, but the Coalition lost the election to Labor by one seat, and Tonkin became Premier.

Brand led the Liberals in opposition until his resignation in 1973; Sir Charles Court succeeded him as the party's leader. He resigned from parliament in 1975. The Sir David Brand Award is the highest award of the West Australian Tourism Awards, in recognition of his work to advance the tourism industry.

Personal life

thumb|right|Brand with his wife Doris in 1948

In 1944, Brand married Doris Elspeth McNeill, with whom he had three children. After leaving parliament he retired to his property at Carnamah. Outside of politics he was active in the Methodist Church and was a scoutmaster, later becoming state president of the Boy Scouts' Association. He was also a long-serving patron of the Spastic Welfare Association. attributed to hypertensive heart disease.

Brand made a guest appearance in the film Nickel Queen while Premier of Western Australia.

See also

thumb|right|David Brand statue at Shire of Irwin's chambers in Dongara.

  • Brand–Watts Ministry (1959–1962)
  • Brand–Nalder Ministry (1962–1971)

References

  • Australian Dictionary of Biography

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