John Don

John Don MBE (10 September 1918 – 1 April 2013) was an Australian politician.

The Honourable John Don MBE
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Elsternwick
In office 10 November 1945 – 27 May 1955
Preceded by	District created
Succeeded by	Richard Gainey
Personal details
Born	10 September 1918 Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Died	1 April 2013 (aged 94)
Political party	Liberal Party Liberal and Country Party Victorian Liberal Party
Spouse(s)	Joan Davies
Children	Three daughters
Alma mater	University of Melbourne
Profession	Solicitor
Military service
Allegiance	Australia
Branch/service	Australian Imperial Force
Years of service	1940–1946
Rank	Major
Unit	9th Division Cavalry Regiment British Intelligence Corps
Awards	MBE (1943)

He was born in Ballarat to solicitor Joseph Edwin Don and Mary Minnie Cross. He attended various state schools before studying at Melbourne University. During World War II he served in the Middle East and later the Philippines, attaining the rank of major and being awarded the MBE. On 9 March 1943, he married Joan Yvonne Davies, with whom he had three daughters.

In 1945, Don was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as the Liberal member for Elsternwick, while he was still studying law (he would be admitted as a solicitor in 1954). He was briefly a minister without portfolio in June 1950. A supporter of Thomas Hollway, he was one of the rebels who voted against the McDonald Country Party government in 1952 and served as Minister of Transport and Labour in the seventy-hour ministry that resulted. Expelled from the Liberal Party, he was defeated as an Electoral Reform League candidate in 1955. A solicitor after leaving parliament, he later rejoined the Liberal Party. Don died in 2013.[1]

References

1. Parliament of Victoria (2001). "Don, John". re-member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 13 December 2015.