Cyril Thomas Edmunds (24 October 1925 – 2 February 2003) was an Australian politician. He was born in

Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport *Essendon Football Club, in the Australian Football League *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington United Kin ...

to plumber Cyril Edmunds and Gertrude Victoria Jeffreys. He attended local state schools and served in the

Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...

from 1943 to 1945, as a coxswain in the

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

Air Sea Rescue Service. On his return he became a lithographer, managing a printing factory. On 14 June 1952 he married Vivienne Amy Ballantine; they had three children. In 1952 he joined the Labor Party, and held several local offices. In 1967 he was elected to 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 ...

as the member for

Moonee Ponds Moonee Ponds is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Melbourne central business district, Central Business District, located within the City of Moonee Valley Local government ar ...

; he would serve until 1988, transferring to

Ascot Vale Ascot Vale is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Moonee Valley local government area. Ascot Vale recorded a population of 15,197 at the 2021 census ...

in 1976 and

Pascoe Vale Pascoe Vale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north of Melbourne's central business district, located within the City of Merri-bek local government area. Pascoe Vale recorded a population of 18,171 at the 2021 census. History Pa ...

in 1988. He was Opposition spokesman on housing and planning from 1972 to 1977 and on police and emergency services from 1977 to 1982, as well as Opposition whip from 1976 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1982. When Labor won government in 1982 he was elected

Speaker 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 ...

, serving until his retirement from politics in 1988. The following year he was appointed a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edmunds, Tom 1925 births 2003 deaths Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Victoria Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Speakers of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Members of the Order of Australia 20th-century Australian politicians Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II Royal Australian Air Force airmen Military personnel from Melbourne People from Essendon, Victoria Politicians from Melbourne