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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-02-12 Daily Xml
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Condolence

Whyte, Hon. A.M.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:00): I move:

That the House of Assembly expresses its deep regret at the death of the Hon. Arthur Mornington Whyte AM, former member of the Legislative Council, and places on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious service, and that, as a mark of respect to his memory, the sitting of the house be suspended until the ringing of the bells.

Arthur Whyte was born in Adelaide in 1921 and was the youngest child of four. His family part owned and managed Yankaninna Station in the Flinders Ranges, 128 kilometres east of Copley. He went to school in Quorn where he shared the classroom with many Aboriginal students and later worked in the Gawler Ranges as a station overseer.

In 1940, Mr Whyte served for three years in the Second World War and was a part of the 2nd/48th Battalion. He fought in Palestine and Libya, and spent six months in the historic siege of Tobruk as well as the battle of El Alamein. Upon return to Australia in 1943, Mr Whyte lost his arm during a military training exercise and was discharged from the Army.

A stockman and a significant landowner, Mr Whyte stood in a by-election for the Liberal Country League in the Legislative Council seat to represent the Northern District of South Australia in 1966. Winning the seat, Mr Whyte served as a member of the Legislative Council from 29 October 1966 until 7 December 1985. During this time, he served as President for seven years from 28 February 1978 until 7 December 1985.

He contributed to hundreds of bills during his time in the Legislative Council and played a major role in the passing of legislation to construct the Olympic Dam uranium mine in 1982. He had a particular interest in, and was a strong campaigner for, Aboriginal rights, strongly advocating on behalf of the Maralinga people on the Pitjantjatjara land rights legislation and later, on the Maralinga lands bill.

Sir Thomas Playford, Steele Hall, Don Dunstan and also John Bannon served as premiers while Mr Whyte was in parliament. He has four children (Caroline, Annette, Martin and Nola), and I express my sincere personal condolences to Mr Whyte's family and to the house.

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:03): I also rise to speak on behalf of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition on the condolence motion for the Hon. Arthur Mornington Whyte AM. Arthur was the definition of an Australian hero. He was a hero to the country, a hero to his state and a hero to his beloved community of Kimba. Most importantly, he was a hero to his family. In 1921, Arthur was born the youngest of four children to parents William and Caroline Whyte.

Arthur was raised at the remote Yankaninna Station, 128 kilometres east of Copley, and in a personal memoir he recounted how the harsh land had made life very hard for his family. Despite the drought and the tough landscape, he spoke with great love and affection for his father, a renowned stockman, and his mother, who was often left alone for long periods of time to raise four children in isolation. It is clear that these early experiences living in the Flinders Ranges gave him a strength and tenacity that would serve him well once he entered the world of politics. After a period of financial hardships and drought, the family relocated to Wilcherry Station, 50 kilometres north of Kimba. Arthur recounted that the day after his father signed the lease for Yankaninna over to his business partner, it finally rained.

Over the intervening years, Arthur and his family would live on multiple properties throughout the northern parts of this state, centring on Quorn and Kimba. Despite the frequent relocations, busy farm chores and small community schools, Arthur was a natural scholar who excelled academically. He qualified 12th in the state in his year 7 exams, but the school was so small it closed once he finished.

Arthur had horses in his blood and, like his father, was a talented stockman from a young age. As a young man, he worked across the state in various roles, from breaking in horses and mustering to working on his family's land. He loved his dogs and attributed one, Mucksie, with saving his life after it fetched help following a nasty fall from his horse.

However, word soon came from Europe that Hitler was on the move and, in 1940, Arthur enlisted in the 2nd/48th Battalion. This decision saw Arthur serve during the infamous siege of Tobruk and the 2nd/48th Battalion went on to become the most highly decorated Australian unit in the Second World War. Arthur was fortunate to survive Tobruk unscathed. However, whilst preparing for a second service in Papua New Guinea, he lost his left arm in a training accident—not that the loss of an arm could ever stop Arthur. He returned to Kimba and the life of a one-armed stockman. He threw himself into family and community life and was an integral member of the Kimba community. He served on the Kimba council, was president of the Kimba RSL and was chairman of the Northern Districts Stockowners Association as well as countless other professional organisations.

Arthur was an accidental politician. He may never have put his hand up to serve for the Liberal Country League had it not been for the untimely death of the Hon. Dudley Octoman, who had died only 12 months into his term representing the northern districts in the Legislative Council.

Arthur took to the parliament with gusto. In his maiden speech, he outlined his desire to carry out his role for the betterment of his constituency and the progress of the state. He realised that his lack of formal qualifications put him at a disadvantage when compared to his colleagues, so he spent many hours researching and reading legislation and bills after hours, determined to represent the best needs of all South Australians. He was particularly interested in the land rights of Aboriginal South Australians and played an integral role in the Maralinga Land Rights Act and the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act.

In 1978, he became president of the Legislative Council. Again, it was a mix of fate and timing that saw Arthur claim the presidency following the sudden death of the Hon. F.J. Potter. In a newspaper article from the time, Arthur states that he was not intending to nominate at all but put his hand up 'on the spur of the moment'.

Arthur also played a vitally important role in ensuring that the Olympic Dam mine legislation passed the parliament in 1982. He was credited as successfully swaying Labor member Norm Foster to become an Independent and support this important legislation. Both men were Rats of Tobruk and, although they differed on their political philosophy, they both understood the importance of this mine to the future prosperity of our state.

Arthur served the people of South Australia in the parliament for 19 years and worked under five different premiers—Steele Hall, David Tonkin, Thomas Playford, John Bannon and Don Dunstan. Personally, I was lucky enough to meet Arthur only last year, with the member for Morialta, when we visited him at his retirement village in Dernancourt. Despite his long years, I remember him as an engaging and intelligent man who was kind enough to share some of his political wisdom. On behalf of my colleagues, I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family and friends, and I hope they find solace in the imprint that he has left on the history of South Australia. He left the state better than when he found it, which is a sign of a truly great politician.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Minister for Investment and Trade, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:09): Mr Speaker, I would like to join and commend the condolence motion for Arthur Whyte. Many of us knew Arthur extremely well. Many of us, of course, served with his daughter Caroline Schaefer until 2002 and would know Martin, his son, extremely well.

Arthur was, as we have heard, a veteran of the 2nd/48th of Tobruk. My grandfather was 2nd/10th and Norm Foster, whom we heard of, was 2nd/10th. They all knew each other and they came from a value system that would see them stand up for what they truly believed, no matter what the circumstances and, as we have heard, they did.

Arthur was a bit of a character, a true conservative, a man true to his values. He would often ring you up with a few words of advice. I remember on one occasion passing through Kimba. I was in a bit of a rush and I did not have time to catch up with him. I got a call two days later saying, 'I heard you were in town and you didn't come and see me.' I never made that mistake again. When you sat down with him you would be sitting with a font of wisdom. He was a very intelligent, policy-driven bloke, a good country man who solidly believed in his state and in his regional community. Kimba and the whole of Eyre Peninsula was better off for having him in their home patch, and he will be sorely missed. My condolences go to everyone in his family—his quite large family—at the loss.

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:10): I rise to support the Premier's motion to recognise Arthur Mornington Whyte and in particular his long and distinguished service to the parliament. I thank the Leader of the Opposition for indicating our support to the same. Both have ably presented his contribution to our parliament and to the service in war and peace time in active service. I think it is remarkable; if I can just complement that by saying that for someone who served with distinction in active war, then to be injured, with the loss of an arm, in a training exercise, and then to serve again is really beyond the call of duty, and it stands as a testament to the contribution he made at such an exceptional level.

I just wish to add two things to recognise Mr Whyte as the extraordinary man that he was. Some years ago, I was the president of the Liberal Party. I think Mr Whyte would hold the record for the amount of correspondence that he would send to me about his ideas of how the party should operate, reform and generally be active in areas that he considered significant. I would have to say that his most outstanding attribute in relation to that is that, if I did not immediately embrace or adopt his idea, he would have the repeat action profile to ensure that I was neither ignorant of it and nor would I forget his view on the matter. So, he was persistent, he was patient, and he was prolific, there is no doubt about that, in his communication. I thank him for that and, as others have recognised, the wisdom that he had in his years of public service were extraordinary.

Finally, I just wish to compliment and place on the record the extraordinary contribution that he made to sheepdogs and their breeding and training in South Australia. My father for one would say, 'If ever you want a sheepdog get one of Arthur Whyte's. It will be obedient, it will be effective, and it will certainly serve you well.' I would have to say that one of his legacies is the many descendants of sheepdogs that he bred and trained, which he did with distinction and for which I think he is highly regarded—in fact, renowned—around the regional and pastoral parts of South Australia. May he rest in peace. My condolences to Caroline, who, of course, many of us have served with, and his widow, Mary, and his other children.

Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (14:13): The first time I met Arthur Whyte was immediately following my preselection to contest the seat of Flinders. Of course, Arthur was one of the first to congratulate me, having contested the seat of Flinders himself in 1985. Upon his retirement from the Legislative Council he attempted to unseat the incumbent National Party member Peter Blacker. Arthur was unsuccessful in that. It was the first time I had met Arthur, but, of course, Arthur was well-known right around the state but particularly around Eyre Peninsula. My father knew Arthur well, and everybody had a story about Arthur and everybody had the greatest respect for him.

Arthur was the youngest son of William and Caroline Whyte, both descendants of pioneering Eyre Peninsula families, and he spent most of his very limited schooling at Wirrigenda. It was a one-teacher school three miles from the family property of Yeltana, north of Kimba. As has already been said, he finished 12th in the state when he completed his qualifying certificate at the age of 11. He was forced to stay at school for another year because of his age and thus completed his formal schooling when he was 12. In fact, it was mentioned in the obituary that he did not achieve as good a result in his second attempt at year 7 as he did the first time around. I guess he was getting focused on other things.

He learnt from every aspect of his life and cherished that knowledge and the people who taught him, whether they were bushmen, Aboriginals, lawyers or parliamentary counsel. After leaving school, Arthur spent a few years working as a stockman, a bush jockey and a horse breaker. One of his many remarkable feats was when, at the age of 15, he rode alone with one pack horse and his dog across country from Yeltana to Moonarie Station to begin working for the McTaggart family as a jackaroo. It was a distance of about 100 miles. It took him five days and, of course, there were no telephones. Nobody thought this was unusual.

In 1939 he enlisted in the army from Moonarie and served in the 2nd/48th Battalion throughout the Middle East. He was justifiably proud to be one of the last remaining Rats of Tobruk. As has been mentioned, in 1943 he lost an arm on active service. It is a measure of the man that it did not appear to make much difference to what he did. He immediately went back to the station and very soon also began breaking in horses for extra cash. He never complained about his arm and always found innovative ways of doing things.

At the gathering after his funeral numerous tales were related of people witnessing him shoe horses, throw a beast from horseback, crack a whip on horseback, and even roll a cigarette whilst driving. This is a man with one arm. In fact, one of the stories in one of the eulogies was, as many here would know, that throughout country South Australia it is common practice and even polite to wave at the oncoming motorist. It is particularly so on Eyre Peninsula where it is obligatory to wave with one hand. The local policeman in Kimba was going around the corner one day and Arthur was coming the other way around the corner. The policeman was somewhat disconcerted to find Arthur waving at him while driving around the corner.

Consequently, his family grew up thinking all of this was quite normal and his granddaughter Kate told me the story about when she was a little girl at school and one of the tasks as a primary school student was for her class to write about somebody they knew who was disabled. She could not think of anyone and the teacher said, 'Kate, you do know somebody who is disabled,' and she said, 'No, I don't.' So that was the perception they had of their grandfather who was this man.

In 1945 Arthur Mornington Whyte married Mary Seal and so began a partnership and love affair that last 69½ years and resulted in four children—Caroline, Annette, Martin and Nola. Mary nursed Arthur when he broke his remaining arm and again when he ruptured his spleen in 1964. She taught all of the children by correspondence, cooked for working men and shearers, and supported Arthur all over the state during his parliamentary career. Theirs had been a marriage of equals which endured through both the good and the bad times of their lives.

Arthur converted to Catholicism a couple of years after their marriage and his faith, like his life, was based on a simple logic rather than a set of rules. His description of his faith was similar to his description of his membership of the Liberal Party: 'I don't know if it is the best there is and I don't agree with everything it is, but it's the closest to what I believe in so I will stick with it.'

Throughout his life Arthur was an active and committed member of his and the wider community. He served the Kimba district council, the Stockowners Association, was a foundation member of the Kimba Lions Club, president of the Kimba RSL, president of the Kimba Racing Club (he loved his horses), he was a regional representative on the SAJC, and inaugural member of the Eyre Peninsula Showjumping Club, to name just some of his contributions.

He joined the Liberal Party soon after its inception in 1946 and served in many capacities, including branch president of the State Electoral Committee and State Council. Arthur was elected to the Legislative Council of the state parliament in 1966 and retired in 1985, having served as president of the council for seven years. He was widely acknowledged as a fair and well-informed president who was respected on all sides. He was particularly proud of the work he did with the Aboriginal people to secure their rights in the Maralinga lands and they in turn loved and respected him.

Since his death, his family have been overwhelmed by the respect held for him by so many people. Most have described him as a true gentleman. He mixed with and respected both princes and paupers and was respected in return. Arthur simply judged people for who they were, never what they were. He was always ready to help people who were down.

He also loved the Kimba pub. In the book of his life, his daughter Annette described his daily pilgrimage to have a beer or a stout or red wine with his mates, a couple of bets and home again for an afternoon nap. Arthur was a legendary horseman and dog trainer. He loved animals and people, he loved his family and friends unconditionally and, although he was not a large man in stature, he was a giant of a man to all who knew him.

Along with Mary, he was forced to move to Adelaide in 2011 due to ill health but all he wanted was to go home to Kimba to the place and people he loved. He was laid to rest at the Kimba Cemetery on 19 December 2014. He leaves behind Mary, his four children and their spouses, 13 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Arthur was a good man. He was a man of conviction and it was a life well lived. I believe that a man has passed but in many ways an era has also passed.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (14:20): I also rise today to support the motion and offer my sincere condolences to the Whyte family. When I think of the Hon. Arthur Whyte, I think of three things: (1) family, (2) South Australia, and (3) community. As we have heard today, it was with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of this wonderful man who was born in 1921 in the Flinders Ranges and worked as a station overseer before becoming a farmer on Eyre Peninsula.

As we have heard, he also served in the Second World War. He was one of the Rats of Tobruk. He went on to become a member of the South Australian Legislative Council from 1966 to 1985, including as President for almost eight years. He played a key role in the passage of much legislation, especially the Maralinga land rights legislation. He was a fantastic contributor to this place and certainly a powerful advocate for regional South Australia.

I believe that the best life you can lead is one spent in the service of others. I think for the Hon. Mr Whyte that was certainly the case. I have had a lot more to do with his son, Martin, and also Jeremy, his grandson, who went to school with me. One thing I will say about Jeremy is that he was extremely proud of his grandfather, and why would you not be proud of a grandfather like Arthur Whyte? He was a wonderful citizen. He was a family man, he always gave back to his community and he put his state first after those two things in that order. I pay tribute to him, I pay tribute to his life and I offer my sincere condolences to his friends and family. May Mr Whyte rest in peace.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (14:22): I rise today to pay my respects to Arthur Mornington Whyte. I did not know Arthur personally but I knew many members of his family and obviously the Hon. Caroline Schaefer who served in the other place. Apart from all the other contributions that Arthur made during his life, he was a charter member of the Kimba Lions Club, so he was always out there being involved or helping start something. As we have heard today, he served with the 2nd/48th Battalion with distinction as a Rat of Tobruk.

He also served here for nearly 20 years and he was the President for almost eight years. When I take people to show them the portraits of all the presidents, I ask them, 'What is different about this portrait?' No-one can work it out, and that is how well that portrait has been done, and most times I have to tell people that he was missing an arm.

As I said, he was President for almost eight years. In 1987 he was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia. I would like to read from one of the obituaries for Arthur that was in The Advertiser on 16 December last year:

WHYTE, Arthur Mornington. 12/03/1921-15/12/2014. Ex Second 48 Battalion, Former President of Legislative Council. Loved husband of Mary for 69½ years. Loved father of Caroline, Annette, Martin and Nola. Great friend and father-in-law of Roy, Garry, Deborah and Sam. Grandfather and mate of Tim, Angela, Natalie, Kate, Jessie, Jeremy, Lissy, Emily, Hamish, Bridie, Ellen, Matt, Joe and partners. Great grandfather of 13. You were our hero.

In my closing comments I would like to acknowledge a farmer, a soldier and a politician. Vale Arthur Mornington Whyte.

The SPEAKER (14:24): I am convinced that the town of Kimba has more political activists than any other place in South Australia. The great majority, of course, are Liberal, but it turns out they are not all Liberal. I knew Arthur Whyte. He was, as has been said, President of the other place. There was a day in the upper house when Frank Blevins was behaving badly and Arthur, as President, had cause to name him. A motion was moved that he be suspended from the service of the house, but then it was not carried and Frank remained in the house. Arthur, of course, felt he should resign and offered his resignation, but the upper house unanimously said, 'Well, don't be silly, Arthur'—an excellent precedent. Vale Arthur Whyte.

Motion carried by members standing in their places in silence.

Sitting suspended from 14:26 to 14:36.

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