Neville Kenneth Wran AC CNZM QC (1926 - 2014)

Born 11 Oct 1926 in Paddington, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Marcia Patricia (Oliver) Wran — married 1952 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Died 20 Apr 2014 at age 87 in Elizabeth Bay, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Neville Wran AC CNZM QC is Notable.

Neville Wran AC CNZM QC was a politician with the Australian Labor Party (ALP) who was the premier of New South Wales for ten years. He was the national president of the ALP for six years and chairman of both the Lionel Murphy Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

Neville Kenneth Wran was born on 11th October 1926 at Paddington, New South Wales, Australia. He was the eighth and youngest child of Joseph Wran and Lillian Langley. The family soon after moved to Balmain, where he was educated at Nicholson Street Public School, Balmain. He later attended Fort Street Boys High and the University of Sydney, from which he graduated with Bachelor of Laws in 1948.^[1]

He was admitted as a solicitor in 1951, called to the Bar in 1957, and became a Queen's Counsel in 1968.^[1]

Neville's first marriage was in January 1952, at Sydney, New South Wales, to Marcia Hopkinson nee Oliver, a showgirl at the New Tivoli Theatre.^[2] Marcia had a young son, whom Neville adopted, and they had one other child, a daughter.^[1]

Neville began his political career in 1970 when he became a member of the upper house of the parliament of New South Wales, the Legislative Council. Three years afterwards, he moved to the lower house, the Legislative Assembly, in the seat of Bass Hill. After winning the leadership of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) caucus in parliament, he led the ALP to victory in the New South Wales elections in May 1976.^[1]

Shortly after becoming premier in 1976, Neville married literary agent, Jill Hickson, 22 years his junior. They had two children, Hugo and Harriet.^[3]

Wran went on to win a further three terms, retiring as premier in 1986 after ten years. In June 1987, Wran was appointed Officer in the Order of the Golden Ark by the government of the Netherlands for his 'contribution to the environment'. In October that year he was appointed Grand Officer (2nd Class) of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by the President of Italy, Francesco Cossiga. He was appointed Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) on 26th January 1988 for 'service to government and politics and to the New South Wales Parliament'.^[1]

On 6th May 1995, the University of Sydney awarded Wran the degree of Doctor of Laws (honoris causa).^[1]

In the 2010 New Year Honours, Wran was appointed Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for services to New Zealand–Australia relations.^[1]

In his later years, Wran suffered with dementia and from July 2012 had been under special care at the Lulworth House aged care facility in Elizabeth Bay, New South Wales. He died there on 20th April 2014 at the age of 87 years.^[4] He was survived by his wife Jill and four children.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Wikipedia profile: Neville Wran; accessed 29 Seo 2019
2. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #33/1952
3. ↑ Daily Telegraph 8 Dec 2012 : Ailing Wran and his wife bury hatchet; accessed 29 Sep 2019
4. ↑ Carroll, Lucy 20 Apr 2014, Sydney Morning Herald: Neville Wran dead aged 87; accessed 29 Sep 2019