Sir Gilbert Lawrence Chandler

KBE KBE may refer to: * Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, post-nominal letters * Knowledge-based engineering Knowledge-based engineering (KBE) is the application of knowledge-based systems technology to the domain o ...

, CMG (29 August 1903 – 8 April 1974) was a

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

who served in the Bolte Ministry in Victoria. Chandler, a

horticulturist Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

, was educated at Scotch College in Melbourne. As a 25-year-old, Chandler played a game for the

Hawthorn Football Club The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Mulgrave, Victoria, that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club was founded in 1902 in the inner-east suburb of Hawth ...

in the

1928 VFL season The 1928 VFL season was the 32nd season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest-level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs and ran from 21 April to 29 September, comprising an 18 ...

. He became a partner in his family's nursery at The Basin in Bayswater before following his father, Alfred, into politics. When Alfred Chandler died in 1935, Gilbert won the subsequent by-election and took his place as the

United Australia Party The United Australia Party (UAP) was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. The party won four Elections in Australia, federal elections in that time, usually governing Coalition (Australia), in coalition ...

representative for Southern Province in the

Victorian Legislative Council The Victorian Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Victorian Legislative Assembly, Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House, Melbourne, Parliament ...

. In 1935, Chandler also joined the Fern Tree Gully Shire Council, and served as its president in 1938 and 1939. He switched to the

in 1943. He was minister without portfolio from 1943 to 1945 and as the chairman of the Bush Fire Relief committee from 1944 until 1946. When

Henry Bolte Sir Henry Edward Bolte ( ; 20 May 1908 – 4 January 1990) was an Australian politician who served as the 38th premier of Victoria from 1955 to 1972. He held office as the leader of the Victorian division of the Liberal Party of Australia ...

became premier in 1955, he wanted Chandler as the Education Minister, but due to Chandler's horticultural background, Chandler requested to be Minister of Agriculture. The son-in-law of former politician Jabez Coon, he served in that position until he retired from parliament in 1973. Chandler was the Minister of State Development, Decentralisation and Minister of Immigration briefly in 1956. In 1962, he was appointed as the leader of the Legislative Council, having been deputy-leader since 1955. Due to his sporting history, Chandler was a member of the

1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XVI Olympiad and officially branded as Melbourne 1956, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December ...

organising committee. He later served as chairman of the

Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as the 'G, is a sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere, the Lis ...

in 1973 and 1974. He died of a

coronary occlusion A coronary occlusion, or coronary artery disease, is the partial or complete Coronary artery disease, obstruction of blood flow in a coronary artery. This condition was first discussed in 1910 by William Osler, Sir William Osler. This condition s ...

in 1974, at the William Angliss Hospital, which he had been co-founder and president of since 1939. An agricultural college called the Gilbert Chandler Institute of Dairy Technology at Werribee was named after him.

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Chandler, Gilbert 1903 births 1974 deaths Australian horticulturists United Australia Party members of the Parliament of Victoria Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Vice-presidents of the Board of Land and Works Australian rules footballers from Melbourne Hawthorn Football Club players Australian sportsperson-politicians Australian Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Australian Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George 20th-century Australian botanists People from North Melbourne People from Boronia, Victoria People educated at Scotch College, Melbourne Ministers for agriculture (Victoria) Ministers for forests (Victoria) Ministers of immigration (Victoria) 20th-century Australian sportsmen