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{{Short description|Australian politician (1925–2006)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
| name = Don Chipp
| honorific-suffix = [[Officer of the Order of Australia|AO]]
| image = Don Chipp 1974 (cropped).jpg
|caption = Official portrait, 1974

|office = [[Australian Democrats|Leader of the Australian Democrats]]
|deputy = [[Colin Mason]] [[Janine Haines]]
|term_start = 9 May 1977
| term_end = 18 August 1986
|predecessor = ''Party established''
|successor = [[Janine Haines]]

| office2 = [[Minister for Health (Australia)|Minister for Health]]
| term_start2 = 11 November 1975
| term_end2 = 22 December 1975
| primeminister2 = [[Malcolm Fraser]]
| predecessor2 = [[Doug Everingham]]
| successor2 = [[Ralph Hunt (Australian politician)|Ralph Hunt]]

| office3 = [[Department of Repatriation and Compensation|Minister for Repatriation and Compensation]]
| term_start3 = 11 November 1975
| term_end3 = 22 December 1975
| primeminister3 = [[Malcolm Fraser]]
| predecessor3 = [[John Wheeldon]]
| successor3 = [[Kevin Newman (politician)|Kevin Newman]]

| office4 = [[Department of Social Security (Australia)|Minister for Social Security]]
| term_start4 = 11 November 1975
| term_end4 = 22 December 1975
| primeminister4 = [[Malcolm Fraser]]
| predecessor4 = [[John Wheeldon]]
| successor4 = [[Margaret Guilfoyle]]

| office5 = [[Department of Customs and Excise|Minister for Customs and Excise]]
| term_start5 = 12 November 1969
| term_end5 = 5 December 1972
| primeminister5 = [[John Gorton]] [[William McMahon]]
| predecessor5 = [[Malcolm Scott (politician)|Malcolm Scott]]
| successor5 = [[Gough Whitlam]]

| office6 = [[Minister for Tourism (Australia)|Minister-in-charge of Tourist Activities]]
| term_start6 = 14 December 1966
| term_end6 = 28 February 1968
| primeminister6 = [[Harold Holt]] [[John McEwen]] [[John Gorton]]
| predecessor6 = ''Office established''
| successor6 = [[Reg Wright]]

| office7 = [[Minister for Defence (Australia)|Minister for Defence]] [[Minister for Defence (Australia)#Ministers for the Navy|Minister for the Navy]]
| term_start7 = 14 December 1966
| term_end7 = 28 February 1968
| primeminister7 = [[Harold Holt]] [[John McEwen]] [[John Gorton]]
| predecessor7 = [[Fred Chaney Sr.|Fred Chaney]]
| successor7 = [[Bert Kelly]]

| office8 = [[Australian Senate|Senator]] for [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]
| term_start8 = 1 July 1978
| term_end8 = 18 August 1986
| successor8 = [[Janet Powell]]

| constituency_MP9 = [[Division of Hotham|Hotham]]
| parliament9 = Australian
| predecessor9 = ''Constituency created''
| successor9 = [[Roger Johnston]]
| term_start9 = 25 October 1969
| term_end9 = 10 November 1977

| constituency_MP10 = [[Division of Higinbotham|Higinbotham]]
| parliament10 = Australian
| predecessor10 = [[Frank Timson]]
| successor10 = ''Constituency abolished''
| term_start10 = 10 December 1960
| term_end10 = 25 October 1969

| birth_name = Donald Leslie Chipp
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1925|8|21}}
| birth_place = [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], Australia
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2006|8|28|1925|8|21}}
| death_place = [[Richmond, Victoria]], Australia
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Monica Lalor |1951|1979|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Idun Welz |1979|2006|reason={{abbr|wid.|widowed; his death}}}}
}}
| party = [[Australian Democrats|Democrat]] (after 1977)
| otherparty = [[Independent politician|Independent]] (1955–1958; 1977) [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] (1958–1977)
| relations =
| children =
| residence =
| education = [[Northcote High School]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Melbourne]]
| occupation = [[Management consulting|Consultancy company]] [[chairman]] (Donald L. Chipp & Co.) [[Chief executive officer]] ([[CPA Australia]])
| profession = Businessman Politician
| religion =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
|allegiance = [[Commonwealth of Australia]]
|branch = [[Royal Australian Air Force]]
|serviceyears = 1943–1945
|rank=
|unit=
|battles= [[World War II]]
}}
'''Donald Leslie Chipp''', [[Officer of the Order of Australia|AO]] (21 August 1925 – 28 August 2006) was an Australian politician who was the inaugural leader of the [[Australian Democrats]], leading the party from 1977 to 1986. He began his career as a member of the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]], winning election to the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] in 1960 and serving as a government minister for a cumulative total of six years. Chipp left the Liberals in 1977 and was soon persuaded to lead a new party, the Democrats who, he famously proclaimed in 1980, would "keep the bastards honest". He was elected to the [[Australian Senate|Senate]] on 10 December 1977 and led the party at four federal elections. From [[1983 Australian federal election|1983]] it held the sole balance of power in the Senate. He retired from Parliament in 1986, having served a total of 25 years.

==Early life==
Don Chipp was born in Melbourne and educated at [[Northcote Primary School]], [[Northcote High School]] and the [[University of Melbourne]], where he graduated in commerce. After playing [[Australian rules football]] for [[Heidelberg, Victoria|Heidelberg]], he played briefly in the [[Victorian Football League (1897–1989)|Victorian Football League]] with the [[Fitzroy Football Club]] (playing three games in 1947, for one goal). He also played for [[Prahran Football Club|Prahran]] in the [[Victorian Football Association|VFA]] and was a member of their 1951 premiership side. A champion sprinter, he was narrowly defeated in the 1953 [[Stawell Gift]] foot race.<ref name=thirdman/>{{rp|17}}

After serving in the [[Royal Australian Air Force]] in World War II, Chipp worked as registrar of the Commonwealth Institute of Accountants from 1950 to 1955. In 1955, he was appointed chief executive officer of the Olympic Civic Committee which was involved in organising the [[1956 Summer Olympics]] in Melbourne. Later, he worked as manager of the Victorian Promotion Committee, and he also ran his own management consultancy. From 1958 to 1961, he was a member of the [[Kew, Victoria|Kew]] City Council.

==Early parliamentary career==
[[File:DonChipp1966.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Chipp in 1966.]]
Chipp entered federal politics in 1960 as the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] member for [[Division of Higinbotham|Higinbotham]] in Melbourne's southern bayside suburbs. Higinbotham was abolished in 1969, and Chipp followed most of his constituents into the new seat of [[Division of Hotham|Hotham]]. He was given the Navy and Tourism portfolios by Prime Minister [[Harold Holt]] in 1967. After [[disappearance of Harold Holt|Holt's sudden disappearance]] in December 1967, Chipp retained those portfolios in the brief interim government of [[National Party of Australia|Country Party]] leader [[John McEwen]], but he was dropped from the ministry by the new Liberal Prime Minister, [[John Gorton]]. That was partly because Chipp had supported another candidate, [[Billy Snedden]], in the Liberal leadership ballot and partly because Chipp did not support a second [[Royal Commission]] into the 1964 [[Melbourne–Voyager collision|''Voyager'' disaster]], which Gorton felt reflected badly on the [[Royal Australian Navy]].<ref>[[Alan Reid (journalist)|Reid, Alan]], ''The Gorton Experiment'', pp 36–37</ref><ref>Commonwealth Parliamentary Hansards: Commonwealth Parliamentary debates 16 and 17 May 1967</ref>

After the [[1969 Australian federal election|1969 election]], Gorton appointed Chipp as Minister for Customs and Excise. In that portfolio, he gained national attention by largely abolishing the censorship of printed material, unbanning many novels, including [[Henry Miller]]'s ''[[Tropic of Cancer (novel)|Tropic of Cancer]]'', as well as allowing the sale of ''[[Playboy]]'' magazine. He also oversaw the introduction of the R certificate for films in 1970, which allowed previously banned films to be rerated and shown to adults. The actions made him widely popular but were disapproved of by more conservative Liberal Party colleagues who identified him as a "[[Liberalism in Australia|small-l liberal]]", along with Snedden and [[Andrew Peacock]].

Following the Liberal Party's defeat at the [[1972 Australian federal election|1972 election]] by the [[Australian Labor Party|Labor Party]]'s [[Gough Whitlam]], Chipp served as Shadow Minister for Social Security. He was a strong supporter of Snedden, who had become party leader following the 1972 defeat but lost the [[1974 Australian federal election|1974 election]] against Whitlam. When [[Malcolm Fraser]] displaced Snedden as leader in March 1975, Chipp retained his position, but it was no secret that the two men did not get on. When Fraser was appointed prime minister following the [[Gough Whitlam#Dismissal|dismissal]] of [[Gough Whitlam]] on 11 November 1975, he gave Chipp three portfolios in his caretaker ministry: [[Minister for Human Services (Australia)|Social Security]], [[Minister for Health and Ageing (Australia)|Health]], and [[Minister for Veterans' Affairs (Australia)|Repatriation and Compensation]]. However, when Fraser won the [[1975 Australian federal election|election the next month]], Chipp was not included in the ministry.

==Resignation from Liberal Party==
In his book ''The Third Man'', Chipp considered the effects of a "whispering campaign" to discredit him within the Liberal Party. That came to a head on 8 March 1977 when he spoke at a heavily attended ''Citizens for Democracy'' meeting at the [[Sydney Town Hall]] with other controversial speakers including [[Frank Hardy]], [[Patrick White]], [[Donald Horne]] and [[Faith Bandler]]. He writes "Liberals thought it was intolerable that any member of the party should appear with 'those people'". Chipp concluded: "It was then, I believe, that I concluded I could not stay in such a party any longer. I resented the tag of 'rebel' which was being applied to me by my own colleagues."<ref name=thirdman>Chipp D. and Larkin J. ''Don Chipp: The Third Man'', Rigby 1978, {{ISBN|0-7270-0827-7}}</ref>{{rp|177–178}} The rebellious image was heightened by the fact that Chipp omitted to attend a Parliament House reception for Queen [[Elizabeth II]]. He had decided to honour his prior speaking engagement, which had been widely publicised. The meeting, attended by 5,000, "almost went out of control when I stated that Sir John Kerr had no alternative than to act as he did on 11 November 1975. Donald Horne pleaded for order, saying "This man deserves a hearing; he is putting his political career on the line by speaking here."<ref name=thirdman/>{{rp|178}}

Chipp decided to resign from the Liberal Party on 24 March 1977 and concluded his speech that day with the following: <blockquote>I have become disenchanted with party politics as they are practised in this country and with the pressure groups which have an undue influence on the major political parties. The parties seem to polarise on almost every issue, sometimes seemingly just for the sake of it, and I wonder if the ordinary voter is not becoming sick and tired of the vested interests which unduly influence political parties and yearns for the emergence of a third political force, representing middle-of-the-road policies which would owe allegiance to no outside pressure group. Perhaps it may be the right time to test that proposition.<ref name=thirdman/>{{rp|178}} </blockquote>

==Leadership of Democrats==
[[File:HainesChipp.jpg|upright|thumb|[[Janine Haines]] and Chipp in 1977]]
Even before the resignation, he received an invitation to join the amalgamated Centre-Line Party, which predated the [[Australian Democrats]].<ref>The invitation came from [[John Siddons]], [[Robin Millhouse]] and other executives of the [[Australia Party]] and the [[New LM|New Liberal Movement]], as described in ''The Third Man'', p 179</ref> He resolutely turned down a series of such leadership offers until, on 9 May 1977, he was accorded an overwhelming standing ovation by a 3,000-strong audience at the [[Melbourne Town Hall]]. The meeting was attended by former prime minister John Gorton and chaired by South Australian Governor Sir [[Mark Oliphant]]. Speakers included [[Robin Millhouse]], [[Louis Charles Birch|Charles Birch]] and [[John Siddons]].<ref>Hewat, Tim; Wilson, David (1978). "Don Chipp". Widescope International Publishers, Melbourne. Page 81</ref> Chipp concluded, "... I was committed ... and it was a good feeling”.

At the [[1977 Australian federal election|December 1977 election]], Chipp was elected to the [[Australian Senate]] as a Democrats candidate, with one colleague ([[Colin Mason]] of New South Wales). As Democrats leader, Chipp was involved in various high-profile environmental and social-justice causes, including playing an important role in stopping the [[Franklin Dam]] project.<ref name="Au Senate">{{Cite Au Senate |Sen id=chipp-donald-leslie |name=CHIPP, Donald Leslie (1925–2006) |first=Lyndon |last=Megarrity |access-date=30 November 2022}}</ref>

At the [[1980 Australian federal election|1980 election]], the Democrats gained three more senators, giving them a total of five. They held a potential [[balance of power (parliament)|balance of power]], which they retained for most of the time until 1 July 2005, after a total lack of success at the [[2004 Australian federal election|2004 election]]. Their theoretical ability to reject or amend government legislation was seldom applied, as it was dependent on rare support from other non-government senators. It was, however, a useful avenue for publicity and effective Senate committee dealings outside the chamber.<ref name="Au Senate" />

==Later life==
Chipp resigned from the Senate on 18 August 1986,<ref name="Au Senate" /> being succeeded as leader by [[Janine Haines]] and replaced as a senator by [[Janet Powell]].

From 1988 to 1990, Chipp conducted a regular [[talkback radio|talkback]] program on Melbourne radio station [[3AK]].

He ran unsuccessfully for election as the [[Lord Mayor]] of Melbourne in 2001. In his later years, he suffered from [[Parkinson's disease]], but he still made a number of public appearances, most notably on the ABC chat show ''[[Enough Rope]]'' with Andrew Denton. He also gave an opening address to the Democrats' national conference in Melbourne in May 2006.

Chipp died of [[pneumonia]] in August 2006 at [[Epworth Hospital]] in Melbourne. A [[state funeral]] service was held on 2 September 2006 for him. [[Flag of Australia|Australian flags]] were flown at [[half-staff|half-mast]] all day in Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory in his honour.

==Personal life==
[[File:Thirdman.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Don Chipp; The Third Man, by Don Chipp and John Larkin]]
Chipp was married twice.

On 27 October 1951, he married Monica Lalor. With her support, Chipp stood and won a seat on the Kew City Council which he held from 1955 to 1961, and was encouraged- at that time – to become an active member of the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]]. They had four children.

Chipp and Lalor divorced in 1979, and Chipp married Idun Welz later that same year. They had two children.

His eldest son, Greg Chipp, established [[Drug Law Reform Australia]], a political party focused on the [[decriminalisation]] of illegal drugs, and contested the [[2013 Australian federal election|2013]] and [[2016 Australian federal election|2016 federal elections]]. Don Chipp's youngest daughter, Laura Chipp, contested the [[2017 Northcote state by-election|2017 by-election]] in the Victorian electorate of [[Electoral district of Northcote|Northcote]], representing the [[Australian Sex Party|Reason Party]] (formerly known as the Australian Sex Party).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*Australian Parliament: [http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=%28Id:handbook/allmps/3V4%29;rec=0; Parliamentary biography CHIPP, the Hon. Donald Leslie, AO]
*Australian Parliament: [http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/summary/summary.w3p;adv=;group=;orderBy=;page=;query=Dataset%3Ahansardr,hansards%20((SpeakerId%3A3V4))%20Date%3A01%2F07%2F1977%20%3E%3E%2031%2F12%2F1986;querytype=;resCount=Default Speeches of Senator the Hon. Don Chipp]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20111111094806/https://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s1076240.htm Interview] with [[Andrew Denton]] on the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]]'s ''[[Enough Rope]]''
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110521020620/http://www.abc.net.au/talkingheads/txt/s1357605.htm Interview] with [[Peter Thompson (broadcaster)|Peter Thompson]] on the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]]'s ''Talking Heads''
 
{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef| before=[[Fred Chaney Sr.|Fred Chaney]]}}
{{s-ttl| title= [[Minister for Defence (Australia)|Minister for the Navy]] | years=1966–1968}}
{{s-aft| after=[[Bert Kelly]]}}
{{s-new}}
{{s-ttl| title=Minister in charge of Tourist Activities| years=1966–1968}}
{{s-aft| after=[[Reg Wright]]}}
{{s-bef| before=[[Malcolm Scott (politician)|Malcolm Scott]]}}
{{s-ttl| title=[[Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)|Minister for Customs and Excise]]| years=1969–1972}}
{{s-aft| after=[[Gough Whitlam]]}}
{{s-bef| rows=2|before=[[John Wheeldon]]}}
{{s-ttl| title=[[Minister for Human Services (Australia)|Minister for Social Security]] | years=1975 }}
{{s-aft| after=[[Margaret Guilfoyle]]}}
{{s-ttl| title=[[Minister for Veterans' Affairs (Australia)|Minister for Repatriation and Compensation]] | years=1975 }}
{{s-aft| after=[[Kevin Newman (politician)|Kevin Newman]]}}
{{s-bef| before=[[Doug Everingham]]}}
{{s-ttl| title=[[Minister for Health and Aged Care|Minister for Health]] | years=1975 }}
{{s-aft| after=[[Ralph Hunt (Australian politician)|Ralph Hunt]]}}
{{s-par|au}}
{{s-bef| before=[[Frank Timson]]}}
{{s-ttl| title=Member for [[Division of Higinbotham|Higinbotham]]|
years=1960–1969}}
{{s-non| reason=Division abolished}}
{{s-new| division }}
{{s-ttl| title=Member for [[Division of Hotham|Hotham]]|
years=1969–1977}}
{{s-aft| after=[[Roger Johnston]]}}
{{s-bef| before=No party precursor}}
{{s-ttl| title=Senator for [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]|
years=1978–1986}}
{{s-aft| after=[[Janet Powell]]}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-new|party}}
{{s-ttl| title=Leader of the [[Australian Democrats]]| years=1977–1986}}
{{s-aft| after=[[Janine Haines]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chipp, Don}}
[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:People educated at Northcote High School]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Melbourne]]
[[Category:Fitzroy Football Club players]]
[[Category:Prahran Football Club players]]
[[Category:Australian sportsperson-politicians]]
[[Category:Politicians from Melbourne]]
[[Category:Australian Democrats members of the Parliament of Australia]]
[[Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia]]
[[Category:Independent members of the Parliament of Australia]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Higinbotham]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Hotham]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Leaders of the Australian House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Victoria]]
[[Category:Members of the Cabinet of Australia]]
[[Category:Australian monarchists]]
[[Category:Delegates to the Australian Constitutional Convention 1998]]
[[Category:Leaders of the Australian Democrats]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of Australia]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian memoirists]]
[[Category:Ministers for health of Australia]]
[[Category:Ministers for defence of Australia]]
[[Category:Tourism ministers of Australia]]
[[Category:Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Australian political party founders]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 1958–1961]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 1961–1963]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 1963–1966]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 1966–1969]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 1969–1972]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 1972–1974]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 1974–1975]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 1975–1977]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen]]
[[Category:People with Parkinson's disease]]

Don Chipp - Revision history

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