View source for Ian Tuxworth

{{Short description|Australian politician (1942–2020)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|office             = Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
|order              = 2nd
|honorific-prefix   = 
|honorific-suffix   = 
|image              = Ian Tuxworth cropped portrait.jpg
|alt                = Profile photo of Ian Tuxworth
|caption            = Tuxworth in 1978
|deputy             = [[Nick Dondas]]
|predecessor        = [[Paul Everingham]]
|successor          = [[Stephen Hatton]]
|party              = [[NT Nationals]]
|birth_name=Ian Lindsay Tuxworth
|birth_date         = 18 June 1942
|birth_place        = [[Wollongong]], [[New South Wales]] 
|death_date         = {{death date and age|2020|01|21|1942|6|18|df=y}}
|death_place        = [[Perth]], [[Western Australia]]
|nationality        = Australian
|otherparty         = [[Country Liberal Party]]
|spouse             = 
|relations          = 
|children           = 
|residence          = 
|alma_mater         = 
|occupation         = 
|profession         = 
|cabinet            = [[Tuxworth Ministry]]
|committees         = 
|imagesize          = 
|term_start         = 17 October 1984
|term_end           = 10 May 1986
|restingplace       = 
}}

'''Ian Lindsay Tuxworth''' (18 June 1942 – 21 January 2020) was an Australian politician, who was [[Chief Minister of the Northern Territory]] of [[Australia]] from 17 October 1984 until his resignation on 10 May 1986.<ref name=pp>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/rn/summer/2006/premiers/20070115.htm |title=Premiers Past |date=2007-01-17 |publisher=ABC Radio National |access-date=2010-01-23}}</ref>

==Early life==
Tuxworth was born on 18 June 1942 in [[Wollongong]], [[New South Wales]], to Lindsay and historian [[Hilda Tuxworth|Hilda Elsie Tuxworth]], and moved with his family to [[Tennant Creek]] in 1951.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136922493 |title=New NT Chief Minister denies wowser image – The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 – 1995) – 18 Oct 1984 |newspaper=Canberra Times |date=18 October 1984 |access-date=2016-08-27 |via=Trove}}</ref> He was educated at Tennant Creek Primary School, and [[Rostrevor College]] in [[Adelaide]].

Before entering politics, Tuxworth, known affectionately as "Slim", started a soft drink factory in Tennant Creek, called Crystal Waters, with his father and brother Robert (Bob), which was later sold to [[Coca-Cola Amatil]]. Tuxworth also played baseball and was a member of the 1975 North Australian Kiewaldt team.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fortennantcreekers.com/photos/baseball1970s.html |title=Tennant Creek Baseball - 1970s |access-date=2015-03-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209102533/http://fortennantcreekers.com/photos/baseball1970s.html |archive-date=9 February 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==Member of the Legislative Assembly==
{{NT parlbox header}}
{{NT parlbox|term=1st|start={{NT election link|1974}}|end=1977|party=Country Liberal Party|electorate=[[Electoral division of Barkly|Barkly]]}}
{{NT parlbox|term=2nd|start={{NT election link|1977}}|end=1980|party=Country Liberal Party|electorate=[[Electoral division of Barkly|Barkly]]}}
{{NT parlbox|term=3rd|start={{NT election link|1980}}|end=1983|party=Country Liberal Party|electorate=[[Electoral division of Barkly|Barkly]]}}
{{NT parlbox|term=4th|start={{NT election link|1983}}|end=1986|party=Country Liberal Party|electorate=[[Electoral division of Barkly|Barkly]]}}
{{NT parlbox allegiance|start=1986|end=1987|party=Northern Territory Nationals}}
{{NT parlbox|term=5th|start={{NT election link|1987}}|end=1987|party=Northern Territory Nationals|electorate=[[Electoral division of Barkly|Barkly]]}}
{{NT parlbox|term=5th|start=[[1987 Barkly by-election|1987]]|end=1990|party=Northern Territory Nationals|electorate=[[Electoral division of Barkly|Barkly]]}}
|}

Tuxworth was elected as the [[Country Liberal Party]] (CLP) member for the [[electoral division of Barkly]] (which included [[Tennant Creek]]), in the [[Northern Territory Legislative Assembly]] at its [[1974 Northern Territory general election|inaugural election in 1974]]. As the representative for Barkly, Tuxworth was instrumental in facilitating the government support for the construction of the Mary Ann Dam, north of the town of Tennant Creek.<ref name="gosling">{{cite web |last1=Gosling |first1=Luke |title=Statements by Members: Tuxworth, Hon. Ian |url=https://www.openaustralia.org.au/debates/?id=2020-02-06.51.1&s=speaker%3A10877 |publisher=Open Australia |access-date=8 December 2020}}</ref>

Following the resignation of [[Paul Everingham]], Tuxworth was elected Chief Minister on 17 October 1984. In 1985, he opposed the federal government's transfer of the ownership of [[Uluru]] to its [[traditional owners]], the [[Aṉangu]] people and boycotted the hand-over ceremony. However, 30 years later, he acknowledged the hand-back had been a success.<ref name="uluru">{{cite news |last1=Dunlevie |first1=James |last2=Ellen |first2=Rosa |title=Opponent of Uluru handback changes tune 30 years on |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-26/opponent-of-uluru-hand-back-changes-tune-30-years-on/6886090 |work=ABC News |date=26 October 2015 |language=en-AU}}</ref> He resigned as Chief Minister and from the CLP on 10 May 1986 to form the [[NT Nationals]] party<ref name=pp/>

At the [[1987 Northern Territory general election|1987 election]] Tuxworth was elected as the NT Nationals member for Barkly by 19 votes. His victory was annulled by the Court of Disputed Returns after a successful challenge from losing independent candidate [[Maggie Hickey]]. On 5 September 1987, he won a by-election, again defeating Hickey, who was then representing the [[Australian Labor Party (Northern Territory Branch)|Labor Party]] (ALP).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/elections/nt/2008/guide/bark.htm|title=Barkly|work=2008 Northern Territory Election|publisher=ABC News|author=Antony Green|date=14 August 2008|access-date=2010-01-23}}</ref> After a redistribution turned Barkly into a nominally Labor-held seat, Tuxworth stood unsuccessfully for the seat of [[Electoral division of Goyder|Goyder]] at the [[1990 Northern Territory general election|1990 election]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.alicespringsnews.com.au/1214.html |title=What Future for Braitling After the Next Election? |first=Alex |last=Nelson |newspaper=Alice Springs News |date=6 April 2005 |access-date=2010-01-23}}</ref>

Tuxworth became the first CLP leader not to lead the party to an election. Until Terry Mills' ousting by his CLP party room colleagues, Tuxworth was the only Chief Minister who never faced an election.

==After politics==
Following his defeat, Tuxworth moved to [[Perth]], [[Western Australia]], where he died on 21 January 2020, aged 77. He was survived by his wife Ruth, children Sonia, Guy and Gemma, and eight grandchildren.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ian Tuxworth, the Northern Territory's second chief minister, dies aged 77 |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-22/former-nt-chief-minister-ian-tuxworth-dies/11887496 |last1=Vivian |first1=Steve |last2=Heaney |first2=Chelsea |access-date=22 January 2020 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=22 January 2020}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

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{{s-non|reason=New assembly}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for [[Electoral division of Barkly|Barkly]]|years=1974–1990}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Maggie Hickey]]}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box | before=[[Paul Everingham]] | title=[[Chief Minister of the Northern Territory]] | years=1984–1986 | after=[[Stephen Hatton]]}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{succession box | before=[[Paul Everingham]] | title=Leader of the [[Country Liberal Party]] | years=1984–1986 | after=[[Stephen Hatton]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Chief Ministers of the Northern Territory}}
{{Leaders of the Country Liberal Party}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tuxworth, Ian}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:People educated at Rostrevor College]]
[[Category:Chief ministers of the Northern Territory]]
[[Category:Country Liberal Party members of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Members of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Treasurers of the Northern Territory]]
[[Category:Northern Territory Nationals members of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly]]