Tom Hughes (Australian politician)


Thomas Eyre Forrest Hughes AO QC is a former Australian politician and a prominent barrister practising at Blackstone Chambers in Sydney, who served as the 19th Attorney-General of Australia from 1969 to 1971. He was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1963 to 1972, representing first the seat of Parkes and then the seat of Berowra. He is the last surviving member of the Second Gorton Ministry from the Liberal Party, along with Andrew Peacock.

Early life and education

Born in South Sydney, Hughes was the son of lawyer and aviator Geoffrey Forrest Hughes. His brother was the writer and critic Robert Hughes. His grandfather and great-uncle were members of the New South Wales Legislative Council. He was educated at Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview, and the University of Sydney, where he graduated in law. He served in the Royal Australian Air Force in World War II and was awarded the French Légion d'honneur in 2005 for his courage while flying planes in the Invasion of Normandy. He was called to the New South Wales bar in 1949, becoming a QC in 1962.

Politics

Hughes defeated the long-serving Labor member Les Haylen to unexpectedly win the seat of Parkes at the 1963 elections. He was attorney-general in the government of John Gorton, but was dropped from the ministry by William McMahon, and the disillusionment this caused led him to retire at the 1972 election.

Later legal career

After leaving politics he became one of the leading figures at the Sydney bar, and was president of the New South Wales Bar Association between 1973 and 1975. He was formerly engaged in full-time practice as a member of Sydney's Blackstone Chambers, and is the most senior member of the NSW Bar.
In 2002, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Hughes was still working full-time at the age of 78, as one of only two active barristers admitted to the New South Wales bar in the 1940s.

Personal life

In 1951 Hughes married Joanna Fitzgerald, a niece of the poet R. D. Fitzgerald. The couple had three children together – Lucy, Tom Jr. and Michael. Lucy served as Lord Mayor of Sydney and married Malcolm Turnbull, who became prime minister of Australia. Tom followed his father into the legal profession, often serving as his junior. Michael became a stockbroker and business executive, also holding senior office in the Liberal Party's organisational wing.
Hughes and his first wife divorced in 1972. He subsequently proposed marriage to actress Kate Fitzpatrick, who turned him down. He re-married in 1981 to Chrissie Abel Smith, at a ceremony officiated by Ted Noffs.
Hughes was raised Catholic. He left the church for a period due to disagreements with its social policies, but rejoined in the early 1990s.

Honours