The Hon Sir Charles Court AK KCMG OBE On 5th October 2006 over 700 Liberal Party members and Western 's business leaders joined Court family members to celebrate Sir Charles Court's 95th Birthday.

Throughout the evening guests heard speeches The tramway company brought the competition praising the contribution to by to an abrupt end to avoid having more and Sir Charles, from his election to Parliament, to more sacks of sorted tickets brought to his leadership as Premier. their office.

In particular, speeches by the Prime Minister, It then appeared the Courts had no competition , and by Channel? boss, after the first Kerry Stokes, highlighted the round! huge legacy to our State and Charles Court to Australia. "Guests heard concludes the The evening was speeches praising story, concluded by a truly The moral of the memorable address by the contribution to story is if you're Sir Charles, pointing going to win you've out to current and Western Australia got to be so far out prospective Members by Sir Charles. " in front that you burn of Parliament lessons off the opposition. learned and where the Party should be It's that spirit which has heading in the future. pervaded the life and work of Charles Court.

The MC for the evening's events was Federal When I first went to university at age 1? in 1961 Education Minister Julie Bishop. Charles Court was a hero of young people. In the University Liberal Club, which I had In Charles Court The Early Years, an immediately joined on going to university, we Autobiography, there is a revealing story about started a rnaqazme called II Enterprise" , and Charles Court. It's the story of the tram tickets Felicity Freeth as she then was, daughter of - the time Charles Court and his brothers the Federal Minister Gordon Freeth, designed won a competition collecting thousands and a simple cover of a freely drawn black swan thousands of tramway tickets which were used ascending skyward. There was a cheer went up by the tramway company to determine the when State Council was told that it symbolised value of the advertising which appeared on the the spirit of the Western Australian government back of the tickets. of and Charles Court. The Court brothers lost the first round, but Charles Court made us feel that Western by dint of collecting more and more sacks of Australia was coming out of its long darkness tickets for each succeeding round they won into a new era of growth and development, an every other one . era in which we Western Australians could hold hospitals and other public services and facilities our heads high in the nation and no longer be which brought Western Australia to the forefront seen as the backward sons and daughters of a of the modern world. Cinderella State. It is easy to forget where we came from as a In those years the battle had barely begun, but State, to think of Charles Court as the former the fight for Western Australia had been joined Premier, and to overlook the battles that had to and Charles Court led that fight through his be won along the way for Western Australia to small Department for Industrial Development. succeed as it has done, to forget how much we have to thank Charles Court for what he did in Before he was a Premier, Charles Court was a his ceaseless and tireless work to bring about great Minister and a loyal Deputy Leader in a the proud State of Western Australia that we government headed by David (later Sir David) have today. Brand, a man far different from Charles Court, a man who gave free rein to his Deputy to It was his qovernrnent which, again in battle pursue the essential goals of development and with Canberra, ensured the State receives its who at the same time was himself a great leader fair share of the royalty revenues from the giant and a man of quiet passion for the State and North-West Shelf project. Western Australia will its people. get nothing from Gorgon - a scandal that will eventually lead to maier problems for Canberra. The first great battle was to win the arqument with Canberra to allow exports of iron ore from In the short period of the Tonkin Labor Australia. It was no easy matter - the memories Government (1971-1974) it was by no means of war were fresh in mind and the fear was that certain that the Liberal-Country Party the old appellation of "Pig Iron Bob" which had could win in so short a time. It was Charles been applied to Sir Robert Menzies (who had Court's leadership which allowed the rare feat been accused of providing the metal which of an Opposition winning from an incumbent the Japanese fired back at us as bullets) would government after but one term. stand in the way. It is a fact of history that some powerful But Charles Court and the Brand Government figures in the Liberal won that battle, and a new era became possible Party did not want when the great development companies began Charles Court to win in to invest in the north of the State. 1974, and would have been happy for Tonkin How true was the story of the tram tickets in the to have continued context of the long battles over the mining of rather than have this bauxite in the Darling Ranges. Alcoa attended brash and brazen to the environment so well they have become Court man stirring a model of environmental protection and won up the Liberal Party several international awards for their efforts. and moving ever In the darker years towards the end of the forward. Winning Brand Government the frequent assertion the 1974 election was that Charles Court was only interested in required not only development. Even Liberals fell for the line that a victory over the Labor so cunningly espoused that we were Labor opponents, development rich but socially bankrupt. Yet but actually taking Charles Court always emphasised that sound the conduct of finance and development has as its ultimate the election out purpose the very social development that so of the hand s of many wanted - the new and better schools, misguided Liberals. L;;:;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;_;.;=:;=!!!!!~ By the time Charles Court had finished his term Charles Court was a tough fighter in politics. He as Premier the Labor Party had finally come to once remarked of a political enemy, "You can 't embrace his commitment to the growth and shake hands with a cobra." At the same time development of the State, and no longer do we he was always respectful of his opponents and, hear of Labor governments which are anti­ like John Howard today, Charles Court did not development, as feeble as may be their efforts, go in for abuse of any kind . I always remember on some occasions, to bring forth growth. the careful respect he paid the Fremantle City Council as the second ranking city in the In its due time the history of Charles Court State, even though it was always controlled by will be told and historical perspectives will be entrenched Labor advocates. consi dered. The judgment of history cannot be made until the events are indeed historical. But I The impression he believe it can be said that Charles gave in all his years Court was a rare statesman was of a man on of Western Australia who the move, making will rank with or ahead of "Charles Court breathtaking the great men of the 19th decisions on the century who are so well was a tough run.My great remembered. fighter in politics. II surprise when I entered his That ranking will come Cabinet in 19S0 from the recognition that was the slow and the transformation of Western meticulous manner Australia from an economic backwater to an in which he reached any important decision, the economic powerhouse in the latter half of the careful weighing of the opinions of others and 20th century was brought about largely by the options and consequences, and the word­ the drive, ambition, dedication, hard work and by-word consideration of any announcement. persistence of Charles Court. Some Cabinet colleagues stood in awe of Charles Court; others were critical behind his back without having the courage to argue their case around the Cabinet table .I never found him unprepared to listen to a reasoned arqurnent. When Cabinet made a decis ion, that was it - everyone knew where they stood. If a Minister got into trouble Charles Court wou ld always back him or her in the public arena, even if some early morning suggestions rniqht be made privately.

A Minister in the Court government had better have read the paper early in the day.If Sir Charles and Lady Court arrive something affecting his or her portfolio featured, to a standing ovation a pretty early call could be expected from the

20 boss. A nervous Minister might be lulled by initial pleasantries and a discussion of other matters, but suddenly the stark problem would be confronted.

Charles Court was known for his sayings and homilies. "lf you're not five minutes early, you're late" became the mantra which guided the Court Ministers in all their work, and it was not unknown in the Parliamentary Party room. lilt's a lay down misere " often described an Sir Charles conducts the City of Band expectation of what our opponents would do in response to a particular proposed decision, usually as a warning that we should not do the announced retirement and its coming into it. "Reinforce strength" came to us all from effect, so that Ray would be ready for the tough the rules of combat, the others of which were election year ahead. not explained. The Cabinet Christmas Party On the day of the retirement I was at my followed a set pattern - a splendid dinner at Ministerial Office in the Old Treasury Building. I the Parmelia (which the Ministers paid for) rang his office and found out when he would go with music on the piano by a favourite pianist. to the Governor to tender his resignation, and I IIFor He's A Jolly Good Fellow" is always sung joined him in the short walk from what was then presto. With the only exception being, I suggest the Superannuation Building to the pedestrian himself, he always said II A statesman is a gate of Government House. Unusually he was dead politician. " carrying no briefcase, no bulging day-sheets, What cannot be overlooked is the legendary and no paper-cluttered diary. We crossed Western Australia - a simple habit of speech the road and I left him as he walked in to the which carried so much with it. Governor as Premier for the last time , a simple piece of paper with his resignation on it. Charles Court announced his retirement from the Premiership in December 1981 , to take This great yet humble man , almost homely effect at the end of January 1982. He publicly in his personal relationships, retired that day, told his successor, the Hon Ray O'Connor, to undefeated, his life's work firmly established in take a holiday in the caretaker period between the psyche of the State, his success visible in the town around him that day, which his efforts had turned into a great city.

Bill Hassell AM JP State Liberal Leader 1984 -86

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