Andrew Peacock
According to information I have received from other Peacock researchers in New Zealand, it's my belief that Andrew Peacock, the Australian politician is the son of Dugald Peacock.
Dugald PEACOCK (RIN: 408), is the son of Thomas PEACOCK and Arabella MIDDLETON, Isabella's brother and sister-in-law.
The information below has been sent to me, it's not my research.
Andrew Peacock was born in Melbourne on 13 February 1939. He was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne and the University of Melbourne where he studied law. After leaving University he practised as a
barrister and solicitor and became a partner in the firm of Rigby and Fielding (Solicitors). He was also Chairman of the family engineering company, Peacock and Smith Pty Ltd (1962-69).
Prior to his entry into federal Parliament, Peacock was President of the Young Liberal Movement (1962-63), a member of the Federal Council of the Liberal Party (1962-66) and a member of the Federal Executive of the Party (1964-66). He was also Vice President of the Victorian Division of the Liberal Party (1963-65) and President (1965-66).
On the retirement of Sir R G Menzies from federal Parliament, Peacock succeeded him as Member for Kooyong in the House of Representatives. He was elected through a by-election held in April 1966. In November the same year he was appointed to the Reserve Citizen Military Force with the rank of Captain. Peacock's first Parliamentary positions were as a member of the House of Representatives Standing Committee
on Privileges and the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs (1967-69). In 1968 he was the Australian Delegate to the United Nations Conference on Human Rights in Teheran.
In the Gorton Government, Peacock was appointed Minister Assisting the Prime Minister (1969-71) and Minister for the Army (1969-72), and was Leader of the Australian Delegation to Tonga to celebrate that country's re-entry into the Community of Nations. He also visited South-East Asia in 1970 and 1971, meeting Australian servicemen in South Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore. In the McMahon Government, Peacock initially retained the Army portfolio and was Minister Assisting the Treasurer (1971-72). Later, as Minister for External Territories (1972), he led the Australian Delegation to the South Pacific Forum in Western Samoa.
During the Whitlam Labor Government, Peacock was a member of the Liberal Party Opposition Executive and spokesman on manufacturing industry (1972-74) and foreign affairs and external territories (1974-75). He was also a member of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence (1973-75).
Following the Double Dissolution of Parliament in November 1975, and the ensuing general election which confirmed the Fraser Government in office, Peacock held successive portfolios as Minister for the Environment (November-December 1975), Foreign Affairs (1975-80), Industrial Relations (1980-81) and Industry and Commerce (1982-83).
As Minister for Foreign Affairs, Peacock travelled extensively. In 1976, he visited Indonesia, attended the funeral of the Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak, attended the South Pacific Forum in Rotorua, led the Australian Delegation to the Law of the Sea Conference in New York, attended the 32nd session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok, attended UNCTAD IV in Nairobi and accompanied the Prime Minister to China and Japan. During 1977 he attended an Anti-apartheid Conference in Lagos, presided over a meeting in Singapore of Australian Heads of Mission in the region and made official visits to Papua New Guinea, USA, The Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand.
In 1978, Peacock made several trips to Europe, UK and the USA, including attending the UN Special Session on Disarmament in New York, and represented Australia at the Solomon Islands Independence celebrations. In 1979 he attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Lusaka, visited China, USA and Europe, attended the Ministerial Council Meeting of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Brussels and the funeral of South Korean President Park in Seoul, chaired a meeting of Australian Heads of Mission accredited to the European Community and was the official observer for Australia at the meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers in Bali.
During 1980 Peacock visited Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Europe, USA and the UK, attended a Council Meeting of ANZUS in Washington, the New Hebrides Independence celebrations in Vila and the funeral of Marshal Tito in Yugoslavia. He was also elected President of the International Ministerial Meeting on Humanitarian Relief and Assistance to the Kampuchean people, convened in Geneva by
the United Nations.
In April 1981 Peacock resigned as Minister for Industrial Relations after accusing the Prime Minister (Malcolm Fraser) of "constant disloyalty" and "erratic acts of behaviour". However he accepted the Industry and Commerce portfolio in November the following year, four months before the Fraser Government was defeated at the March 1983 general elections. Peacock then became Leader of the Liberal Party and of the Opposition, but stood down from both positions in September 1985 when challenged by John Howard. In May 1989, Peacock regained the party leadership when he, in turn, successfully challenged Howard, but stood down less than a year later in favour of John Hewson following the 1990 election.
In the final period of Peacock's political career, he held several positions in the Opposition Shadow Ministry (1983-94) and was again a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence (1985-87) and the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Privileges (1987-89 and 1993-94). He was also a member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Delegations to the Australian Constitutional Conventions (1983 and 1985), Chairman of the Pacific Democrat Union (1985-87), Chairman of the International Democrat Union (1989-92), a member of the Joint Select Committee on Certain Family Law Issues (1991-93), a member of an Inter-Parliamentary Union Delegation to Cambodia (1993) and Chairman of the Parliamentary Political Strategy Committee (1994). At the time he resigned from Parliament, Peacock was Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs (1993-94).
Since leaving politics, Andrew Peacock has been Australian Ambassador to Washington (1997-2000) and President of Boeing Australia Ltd (2002- ). He was made a Companion in the Order of Australia (AC) in 1997.
Sources:
1. Australian Parliamentary Handbook 1971, p 321; 1973, p 183; 1976,
pp 129-130; 1988, pp 174-176; 1993, pp 190-191; 1996, p 283
2. Who's Who in Australia 1977, p 859; 1980, p 667; 2003, 1592-1593
3. Commonwealth Gazette No 94A, 12 November 1969, p 6807B; No 8B, 2
February 1972, p 1; No S.230, 12 November 1975, p 1; No S.248, 3
November 1980, p 1; No S.71, 16 April 1981, p 1; No S.210, 11
November 1982, p 1
4. The Age, 16 April 1981, pp 1 and 4
5. The Canberra Times, 12 November 1982, pp 1-2
6. The Canberra Times, 10 May 1989, p 1 Source: http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/PersonDetail.asp?M=3&B=CP+234
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