Tomkins, Kenneth Burgoyne (Ken)
Personal
Birth Date:
14 September 1917 (Sydney, New South Wales)
Death Date:
20 July 1990 (Toowoomba, Queensland)
Parents:
Burgoyne Tomkins and Eileen Evans (nee Monro)
Family:
Lillian Jean Robinson on 17 June 1943, 4 daughters
Education:
Goondiwindi State School; The Kings School, Parramatta, New South Wales
Religion:
Church of England
Career
Grazier
Local Government Service:
Chairman, Bungil Shire Council, 1967 to 1975; Councillor, Bungil Shire Council, 1949 to 1967
Party Positions:
- Member, Government Party Committees: Local Government and Marine Activities; Primary Industries; Lands and Forestry. 1969 - 1972
- Member, Government Party Committees: Mines and Main Roads; lands and Forestry; Transport. 1972 - 1974
- Chairman, Injune Branch, Country Party, 1945 to 1955. 1945 - 1955
Parliamentary Representation
| House | Party | Electorate | From | To | Elected/Departure Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly | CN | Roma | 24 Jun 1967 | 22 Oct 1983 | Did not contest |
Parliamentary Service
| Description | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Minister for Water Resources and Aboriginal and Island Affairs | 23 Dec 1980 | 6 Dec 1982 |
| Minister for Transport | 16 Dec 1977 | 23 Dec 1980 |
| Member, Select Committee on Punishment of Crimes of Violence | 1974 | |
| Minister for Lands, Forestry, National Parks and Wildlife Services | 23 Dec 1974 | 16 Dec 1977 |
| Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Japan and South-East Asia | 1973 |
Additional Information
Notes:
Interests include racing, football, cricket and tennis. In 1940 Mr Tomkins bought 'Westgrove' cattle station at Injune and in 1954 moved to 'Stuarts Creek' north of Roma where he continued a successful Hereford breeding program with members of his family. Member: United Graziers Executive Council, 1951 to 1967; and Queensland Meat Authority, 1965 to 1967. President, Maranoa Graziers Association, 1954 to 1964. There were calls from the National Party to sack Mr Tomkins after he caused international embarrassment with remarks that Aboriginals were not ready for freehold land rights because they would not know what it was. This and other comments were made in an interview for Radio New Zealand. Mr Tomkins and Mr Sullivan were both asked to resign from Cabinet but refused. The then Premier, Mr Bjelke-Petersen, attempted to sack both men. National Party backbenchers considered a plan to thwart the sackings, calling for a secret ballot. After he retired from politics, Mr Tomkins and his wife moved to Biddeston, outside Toowoomba, where they were associated with a thoroughbred stud. During his later years he owned successful racehorses including Mississippi Prince, Prince Ruling and Sovereignty
Sources:
Image sourced from the collection of the Queensland Parliamentary Library and Research Service; Courier-Mail, 21 June 1990; Courier-Mail, 'Nats rebel over sackings', 30 November 1982
[Last Modified: Tuesday, 25 July 2017]