Doug Everingham | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 1973 | |
| Minister for Health | |
| In office 19 December 1972 – 11 November 1975 | |
| Prime Minister | Gough Whitlam |
| Preceded by | Lance Barnard (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Don Chipp |
| Member of theAustralian Parliament forCapricornia | |
| In office 30 September 1967 – 13 December 1975 | |
| Preceded by | George Gray |
| Succeeded by | Colin Carige |
| In office 10 December 1977 – 26 October 1984 | |
| Preceded by | Colin Carige |
| Succeeded by | Keith Wright |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1923-06-25)25 June 1923 Wauchope, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 24 August 2017(2017-08-24) (aged 94) |
| Political party | Labor |
| Alma mater | University of Sydney |
| Occupation | Doctor |
Douglas Nixon Everingham (25 June 1923 – 24 August 2017)[1] was an Australian politician who served asMinister for Health in theWhitlam government from 1972 to 1975. He represented theLabor Party in theHouse of Representatives from 1967 to 1975 and 1977 to 1984. He is remembered for his pivotal role in the formation of theWhitlam government'sMedicare program.
Born inWauchope, New South Wales, Everingham was educated atFort Street High School[2] and graduated with aBachelor of Medicine and Surgery from theUniversity of Sydney in 1946 and worked in public and private hospitals and as a family doctor.[3] He spent time working in New South Wales psychiatric hospitals before relocating back toRockhampton, Queensland where he had done his internship.[4]
Everingham's first attempt at entering politics came in 1963 when he unsuccessfully ran as theAustralian Labor Party candidate in the seat ofDawson but was defeated by theCountry Party'sGeorge Shaw.[4]
Following the death of Member for CapricorniaGeorge Gray, Everingham nominated for pre-selection for the resulting1967 by-election. Everingham won pre-selection, beating out local Rockhampton Labor identity Evan Schwarten (father ofRobert Schwarten) at a time when Labor leaderGough Whitlam was seeking more tertiary-educated Labor MPs amongst the party's traditional working class members.[5]
Everingham went on to win the 1967 by-election beating his nearest rival, theLiberal candidate Frank Rudd, and was subsequently elected as Member forCapricornia serving on the opposition.[4] After Labor was returned to power at the1972 federal election,Gough Whitlam appointed Everingham asMinister for Health.[4]
Everingham was known for his fierce campaigning against cigarettes, alcohol, drugs and the sport ofboxing.[4] Local Rockhampton Labor identity, Barry Large (former Member for Capricornia Kirsten Livermore's long-serving political advisor), recalled that Everingham placed anti-smoking stickers oncigarette vending machines throughoutParliament House in Canberra due to his anti-tobacco stance.[5]
Everingham was a proponent of the proposedSR1 set of spelling reforms, which resulted in him referring to his department the "Department of Helth"[6][7] and dubbed himself as "Minister for Helth".[8] This prompted Prime Minister Whitlam to send correspondence to Everingham beginning with "Dear Dug" and signed "Yurs Gof".[4][7][9]
Everingham was one of many Queensland Labor MPs to lose their seats at the1975 election held after thedismissal of the Whitlam government, defeated by theNational Country Party'sColin Carige.[4] However, Everingham was re-elected when he was victorious against Carige at the1977 federal election.
He remained the Member for Capricornia until his retirement at the1984 election.[9]
Everingham was the coordinator of the World Election Commission in theWorld Government of World Citizens. He was appointed by the World CoordinatorGarry Davis.[10]
At the time of his death in late August 2017, Everingham was one of four remaining originalWhitlam government ministers.[4]
His death prompted a number of tributes including from long-serving state Labor MP Robert Schwarten who described Everingham as the "father ofMedicare" due to his campaign for Australia to have a universal health care system. Schwarten described Everingham as being "instrumental" in establishing Medicare which was originally known as Medibank.[5]
Everingham was married twice, his two wives having pre-deceased him. Everingham had two daughters, Jo-Anne and Sue; and two sons, Stephen and Rick.[5]
Everingham's son Stephen was killed at the age of 22 in a car accident in June 1973. Stephen's 19-year-old passenger was also killed in the accident. The car collided head-on with a truck on theWarrego Highway nearLaidley west ofBrisbane, while Stephen and his passenger were returning to theQueensland Agricultural College atLawes where they were both students.[11]
At the time of his death, Doug Everingham had seven grandchildren, one great-grandchild, two step-grandchildren, and three step-grandchildren.[5]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister for Health 1972–1975 | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of Australia | ||
| Preceded by | Member forCapricornia 1967–1975 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member forCapricornia 1977–1984 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| Other | |
