Peter Ross Sinclair

Home , Bob Carr, John Fahey (politician), John Hatton (politician), Nick Greiner

Peter Ross Sinclair

(8 August 1990 – 29 February 1996)

Rodney Smith

Peter Sinclair served as Governor during arguably the most turbulent and uncertain period of post-war NSW politics, marked by the minority Coa- lition Governments of Nick Greiner and John Fahey (1991-95). Sinclair’s strong sense of duty to the demands of his office, honed by his years in the Navy, helped to guide him through this period, although his fastid- iousness drew criticism from some Ministers. That same sense of duty led him into conflict with the new Labor Premier Bob Carr in 1995. At its heart lay deep disagreement over the proper place of the Governor in con- temporary NSW society and politics.

Life and career before becoming Governor Peter Sinclair has noted that “the last thing in the world I thought I’d be was Governor” and thus “I never consciously set out to do anything that would prepare me for the role”. Nevertheless, his experiences before 1990 were important in developing the style that he brought to the office of Governor. Born on 16 November 1934 in Manly to Gordon and Dorothy Sinclair, he attended North Sydney Boys’ High School before joining the Royal Australian Navy in January 1948. Sinclair continued his education as a cadet at the Royal Australian Naval College and later the Royal College of Defence Studies in London. After gaining experience on several Royal Navy ships, he served on the Royal Australian Navy vessels Veng- eance, Australia, Arunta, Tobruk, Swan, Sydney, Vendetta and Vam- pire. On 9 May 1957, he married Shirley McLellan. They were to have two daughters and a son. Sinclair’s first period as Commanding Officer came on the Daring Class destroyer HMAS Duchess between 1970 and 1972. He was Commanding Officer of the Charles F Adams Class guided missile destroyer HMAS Hobart in 1974, when it was called upon to take part in the relief effort after the devastation of Darwin by Cyclone Tracy.1

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THE GOVERNORS OF NEW SOUTH WALES to be concerned about Carr’s reforms. In an effort to remedy that lack of knowledge, he continued to give talks on constitutional issues to a wide range of groups throughout his retirement years.

Notes

1 Interview with Peter Sinclair, 9.2.2009; Jones, P, “1972-1983: Towards Self- Reliance”, in Stevens, D (ed), The Royal Australian Navy, The Australian Cen- tenary History of Defence, vol III, OUP, Melbourne, 2001, p 234. 2 Sinclair interview; Horner, D, Making the Australian Defence Force, The Aust- ralian Centenary History of Defence, vol III, OUP, Melbourne, 2001, p 287. 3 Sinclair interview; Jones, P, “1983-1991: A Period of Change and Uncertainty”, in Stevens, vol III, p 260; Horner, p 108. 4 Sinclair interview; Pfennigwerth, I, “A Life Off the Ocean Wave: Ex-Navy People in the Australian Community”, in Stevens, D, and Reeve, J (eds), The Navy and the Nation: The Influence of the Navy on Modern Australia, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 2005, especially p 354. 5 Sinclair interview. 6 Sinclair, P, Nyngan Flood Disaster April – May 1990. Recovery Report to the New South Wales Premier by the Premier’s Special Co-ordinator Rear Admiral Peter Sinclair, AO, RANEM, New South Wales Government, Sydney, 1990; Sinclair interview. 7 Interview with Nick Greiner, 31.10.2008. 8 Sydney Morning Herald, 7.6.1990, p 1; Greiner interview. 9 Sydney Morning Herald, 9.8.1990, p 6. 10 Interview with John Fahey, 22.10.2008. 11 Sinclair interview. 12 Sinclair interview. On Martin’s use of the three Cs, see Chapter 34. 13 Sydney Morning Herald, 9.8.1990, p 6; 22.1.1996, p 1; Peter Sinclair, Address by His Excellency Rear Admiral Peter Sinclair, AC, Governor of New South Wales at the Farewell State Dinner on Tuesday, 23.1.1996 (text), p 1. 14 Sydney Morning Herald, 21.3.1991, p 22; 23.3.1991, p 11; 12.5.1993, p 10; Sinclair, Address at the Farewell State Dinner (text), p 2; Sinclair interview; Ralph Derbidge, Address to the Combined Probus Clubs of Eastwood at the Chatswood Golf Club, 26.10.1998 (Derbidge served as Sinclair’s Private Secre- tary). 15 Sinclair, Address at the Farewell State Dinner (text), p 2; Sinclair interview. 16 Sydney Morning Herald, 8.9.1994, p 2; Fahey interview. 17 Sinclair interview. 18 Sinclair interview. 19 Sinclair interview. 20 Fahey interview. 21 Sydney Morning Herald, 8.6.1994, p 6; Sinclair interview. 22 West, A, and Morris, R, Bob Carr: A Self-Made Man, Harper Collins, Sydney, 2003, p 292; Sydney Morning Herald, 17.1.1996, p 4; interview with Bob Carr, 17.10.2008; Sinclair interview. 23 Sinclair, Address at the Farewell State Dinner (text), p 5; Sinclair interview. 24 Sinclair interview. 25 Sinclair interview; Greiner interview; Carr interview; Sinclair, Address at the Farewell State Dinner (text).

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26 Quotations from Sydney Morning Herald, 14.6.1991, p 1; Greiner interview. See also Sydney Morning Herald, 28.5.1991, p 2; 4.6.1991, p 2; 5.6.1991, p 3; 6.6.1991, p 1; Sinclair interview. 27 Memorandum of Understanding Between the Honourable Nicholas Frank Greiner, MP, Premier for and on behalf of the Liberal/National Party Govern- ment (the Government) and Mr John Hatton, MP, Ms Clover Moore, MP, and Dr Peter Macdonald, MP (The Independent Members), no date. For discussion of the Memorandum and its outcomes, see Smith, R, “Parliament”, in Painter, M, and Laffin, M (eds), Reform and Reversal: Lessons from the Coalition Govern- ment of New South Wales 1988-1995, Macmillan, Melbourne, 1995; Clune, D, and Griffith, G, Decision and Deliberation: The Parliament of New South Wales 1856-2003, The Federation Press, Sydney, 2006, pp 540-50; Smith, R, Against the Machines: Minor Parties and Independents in New South Wales 1910-2006, The Federation Press, Sydney, 2006, pp 155-9. 28 Smith, “Parliament”, pp 23-4; Sinclair interview. 29 Sinclair interview; Fahey interview. 30 For more detailed accounts of these events, see Independent Commission Against Corruption, Report on Investigation into the Metherell Appointment and Resignation, Independent Commission Against Corruption, Sydney, June 1992; Gleeson, M, Allan, T, and Wilkins, M, Act of Corruption? Nick Greiner’s Years in Power and His Unorthodox Demise, ABC Books, Sydney, 1992; Chase, S, You Didn’t Get it From Me; A Reporter’s Account of Political Life in New South Wales from 1988-2001, ABC Books, , Sydney, 2006, pp 131-52. 31 Clune and Griffith, p 562; Greiner interview; Sinclair interview. 32 Memorandum of Understanding, p 3. Labor Premier Neville Wran had called an early election in 1984, as had Nick Greiner in 1991. 33 Sinclair interview; Sydney Morning Herald, 18.10.1991, pp 1, 5. 34 Sinclair interview; Dodkin, M, Bob Carr: The Reluctant Leader, UNSW Press, Sydney, 2003, p 72. Sinclair’s concern continued when Carr became Premier. See Peter Sinclair, Notes on Government House Matters, written on board SS Canberra, February 1996 (unpublished). 35 West and Morris, pp 239-40; Carr interview; Fahey interview. 36 Greiner interview; Fahey interview; Carr interview; Carr, B, Thoughtlines; Reflections of a Public Man, Penguin, Melbourne, 2002, pp 163, 256-9; Sinclair interview; Chase, p 195. 37 Sydney Morning Herald, 5.4.1995, p 1; 4.8.1995, pp 1, 4; New South Wales Parliamentary Debates, 23.5.1995, pp 50-1; Carr interview; see also Dodkin, p 131; West and Morris, p 290. 38 Sydney Morning Herald, 5.8.1995, p 2; 4.1.1996, p 4; 31.1.1996, p 12; Sinclair, Notes of Government House Matters; Sinclair, Address at the Farewell State Dinner (text), p 2; Sinclair interview. 39 Sydney Morning Herald, 17.1.1996, p 1; Sinclair, Notes on Government House Matters; Sinclair interview. 40 Sydney Morning Herald, 17.1.1996; Carr interview; Sinclair interview; Derbidge, Address to the Combined Probus Clubs of Eastwood. 41 Sinclair, Notes on Government House Matters; Sinclair interview. 42 Carr interview; West and Morris, p 292; Sinclair, Address at the Farewell State Dinner (text), p 3; Sinclair interview; Sydney Morning Herald, 17.1.1996, p 4; 30.1.1996, p 4. 43 Sydney Morning Herald, 25.1.1996, p 4; 29.1.1996, p 13. 44 Sydney Morning Herald, 30.1.1996, p 4; Sinclair, Notes on Government House Matters.

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45 Sinclair, Notes on Government House Matters; Carr interview; Sinclair interview; Sydney Morning Herald, 27.1.1996, pp 1, 10. 46 Daily Telegraph, 30.1.1996, p 6; Sydney Morning Herald, 29.1.1996, p 3; 31.1.1996, pp 1, 4; West and Morris, pp 294-5; Dodkin, p 138. 47 Dodkin, pp 94, 127; Fahey interview; Carr interview; Sinclair interview; Sinclair, Notes on Government House Matters. 48 Sinclair, Notes on Government House Matters; Sinclair interview; Carr interview. 49 Sinclair, Notes on Government House Matters; Sinclair interview; Carr interview; West and Morris, pp 293-4; Sydney Morning Herald, 17.1.1996, p 1. 50 Carr interview; Sinclair interview.

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