John Tonkin

The Honourable John Tonkin AC
Tonkin in 1964
20th Premier of Western Australia
In office 3 March 1971 – 8 April 1974
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor	Sir Douglas Kendrew Sir Hughie Edwards
Deputy	Herb Graham Don Taylor
Preceded by	Sir David Brand
Succeeded by	Sir Charles Court
1st Deputy Premier of Western Australia
In office 7 December 1955 – 2 April 1959
Premier	Bert Hawke
Succeeded by	Arthur Watts
Leader of the Opposition
In office 31 December 1966 – 3 March 1971
Premier	Sir David Brand
Deputy	Herb Graham
Preceded by	Bert Hawke
Succeeded by	Sir David Brand
In office 8 April 1974 – 15 April 1976
Premier	Sir Charles Court
Deputy	Colin Jamieson
Preceded by	Sir Charles Court
Succeeded by	Colin Jamieson
Leader of the Western Australian Labor Party
In office 31 December 1966 – 15 April 1976
Preceded by	Bert Hawke
Succeeded by	Colin Jamieson
Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
In office 25 March 1950 – 19 February 1977
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Barry Hodge
Constituency	Melville
In office 8 April 1933 – 25 March 1950
Preceded by	Hubert Parker
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Constituency	North-East Fremantle
Personal details
Born	John Trezise Tonkin (1902-02-02)2 February 1902 Boulder, Western Australia
Died	20 October 1995(1995-10-20) (aged 93) South Perth, Western Australia
Political party	Labor
Spouses	Rosalie Maud Cleghorn ​ ​ (m. 1926; died 1969)​ Winifred Joan West ​ (m. 1971)​
Children	3 from first marriage
Occupation	Schoolteacher, politician
Nickname(s)	Honest John, Supertonk[1][2][3]

John Trezise Tonkin AC (2 February 1902 – 20 October 1995) was an Australian politician who was the premier of Western Australia from 3 March 1971 to 8 April 1974. A member of the Labor Party, Tonkin had been a minister in the John Willcock, Frank Wise and Bert Hawke governments, and a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from April 1933 to February 1977, making him the longest-serving member of the Parliament of Western Australia as of 2021.

Tonkin was born in the Goldfields town of Boulder, Western Australia, the eldest of three children. His family moved several times before returning to Boulder, where he attended Boulder City Central School and Eastern Goldfields High School. After several successive jobs, he graduated from Claremont Teachers College and became a teacher, mainly working in small schools in rural areas. After several unsuccessful attempts to enter state parliament, Tonkin was elected as the member for North-East Fremantle in the 1933 state election.

Tonkin was first a minister from 1943 to 1947. He held several portfolios during this time, the most important being education. Labor lost the 1947 state election which resulted in Tonkin losing his portfolios. He transferred to the electoral district of Melville when North-East Fremantle was abolished in 1950. After the resignation of Wise as Labor leader in 1951, Hawke became leader and Tonkin became deputy leader. When Labor won the 1953 state election, he reassumed his role as a minister, including as the minister for works and minister for water supplies. In 1955, he became the first deputy premier of Western Australia following an act of parliament to formally create the position. Labor lost the 1959 state election, causing Tonkin to lose his portfolios again.

Following the resignation of Hawke in 1966, Tonkin became the leader of the Labor Party in Western Australia. After its longest period in opposition ever, the Labor Party won the 1971 state election to defeat David Brand and make Tonkin premier. Labor's one-seat majority meant that any by-election had a chance of defeating the Tonkin government. By-elections occurred in 1971 and 1973, each of which was narrowly won by Labor. The Tonkin government's achievements included reforms in industrial relations and employment, and the passing of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972. After three years in government, Labor was defeated in the 1974 state election. Tonkin was succeeded as premier by Charles Court. Tonkin was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1977, and has been honoured with the Tonkin Highway and John Tonkin College being named after him, among other things.