Sidney James Plowman (13 December 1934 – 3 May 2007) was an Australian politician. 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 ...

member of the

Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the states and territories of Australia, state lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the state upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament H ...

, Plowman was

Speaker of the Assembly Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...

on two occasions, from 1979 to 1982 and from 1996 to 1999.

Early life

Plowman was born in Melbourne to Dr Sidney Plowman of Frankston and his wife Marjorie. He was educated at

Geelong Grammar School Geelong Grammar School is a private Anglican co-educational boarding and day school. The school's main campus is located in Corio on the northern outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, overlooking Corio Bay and Limeburners Bay. Establ ...

, after which he was an executive trainee at a civil engineering company in Melbourne. After his

national service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...

, he moved to

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...

, where he worked on a coffee plantation and in a timber milling company. He served in the

Papua New Guinea Volunteer Rifles The New Guinea Volunteer Rifles (NGVR) was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was initially raised as a unit of the Militia from white Australian and European expatriates in New Guinea upon the outbreak of the Second World War in ...

, a battalion of Australia's Citizens Military Forces, from 1957 to 1959.Condolences - Hon Sidney James Plowman
Parliament of Victoria ''Hansard'', 5 June 2007. Upon his return to Australia, he worked as a jackaroo in Queensland and New South Wales. He was appointed as overseer of the "Nareen" property in Western Victoria, then owned by future Prime Minister

Malcolm Fraser John Malcolm Fraser (; 21 May 1930 – 20 March 2015) was an Australian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Australia from 1975 to 1983. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia, and is the fourth List of ...

. He managed his own family's property at

Benalla Benalla is a small city in the Hume (region), Hume region of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The town sits on the Broken River (Victoria), Broken River, about north east of the state capital Melbourne. As of the , the population wa ...

, before moving to Glenburn in 1964.Plowman, Sidney James ('Jim')
''re-member'' (Parliament of Victoria).

Political career

In 1959, Plowman had joined the Benalla branch of the

. He entered politics as a councillor on the Yea Shire Council in 1970, also marrying Prudence Manifold that year. Three years later, he was elected to state parliament as member of the Legislative Assembly for Evelyn. In 1979, he was elected Speaker of the Assembly, aged 44, he was the youngest Speaker up to that time. Plowman lost his seat at the 1982 state election, and returned to farming for a time until regaining Evelyn in

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...

. When the Liberals won government under

Jeff Kennett Jeffrey Gibb Kennett (born 2 March 1948) is an Australian former politician who served as the 43rd Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999, Leader of the Victorian Liberal Party from 1982 to 1989 and from 1991 to 1999, and the Member for ...

in 1992, Plowman became Minister for Energy and Minerals (a portfolio he had held in Kennett's shadow cabinet) and Minister Assisting the Treasurer on State Owned Enterprises. He lost the ministry in a 1996 reshuffle, but was elected Speaker for a second time in May 1996, and served as such until his retirement in 1999.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Plowman, Jim 1934 births 2007 deaths Speakers of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria Victoria (state) local councillors Australian Army soldiers Australian pastoralists People educated at Geelong Grammar School 20th-century Australian politicians Politicians from Melbourne Military personnel from Victoria (state) Ministers for energy and resources (Victoria)