Spender was born in Sydney, the son of Jean and Percy Spender. His mother was a novelist and his father was a politician, diplomat and judge. He spent part of his childhood in Washington, D.C., during his father's service as Ambassador to the United States. Spender was educated at Yale University and Gray's Inn. He returned to Australia and practised as a barrister in Sydney from 1961 to 1980. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1974. In 1978, he represented the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association in a lawsuit against the Australian Workers' Union. Spender was commissioned by the Government of New South Wales to report on the collapse of Gollin Holdings Limited. He found that the company's managing director Keith Gale had falsified accounts to cover a $10.8 million loss in 1975, and had also misappropriated company funds. His final report was tabled in state parliament in March 1979 and recommended changes to company laws and practices.
Politics
Spender served as treasurer and metropolitan vice-president of the Liberal Party of Australia. In 1979, he and state president David Patten conducted an inquiry into Lyenko Urbanchich, a Liberal Party official who had been accused of collaboration with the Nazis in war-time Slovenia. They found no clear evidence to verify the allegations but recommended he be barred from holding party office with the permission of the state executive. However, the state executive subsequently voted that Urbanchich be expelled from the party. Spender unsuccessfully sought Liberal preselection at the 1969 federal election and the 1973 Parramatta by-election. He was eventually elected to the House of Representatives at the 1980 federal election, succeeding Bill Graham in North Sydney. After the Coalition's defeat in 1983, he was appointed to Andrew Peacock's shadow ministry with responsibility for aviation and defence support. He was later removed for opposing the Costigan Commission. Following the 1985 leadership spill, the new opposition leader John Howard appointed Spender as shadow attorney-general. In June 1986 he strongly criticised proposals for a bill of rights. In April 1987 he succeeded Peter Baume as the Coalition's spokesman on the status of women, in the absence of any women in the shadow ministry. After the 1987 federal election Spender was given the foreign affairs portfolio. In August 1988 he called for all Australian sanctions against South Africa to be removed, stating they had slowed reform. Spender held the seat until his defeat by prominent independentTed Mack at the 1990 election. He lost over 18 percent of his primary vote from 1987, allowing Mack to win when Democrat and Labor preferences flowed overwhelmingly to him.
Ambassador
In 1996 Spender was appointed Australian Ambassador to France, a position he held until 2000. He was also Australian ambassador to Portugal and Australian special envoy to Cyprus.
Personal life
Spender was married to fashion designerCarla Zampatti and has three children. They married in 1975, but separated in 2008 and divorced in 2010. He is now married to Catherine Spender
