Cookbook authors, ‘dukes’ and card game gatecrashers: Australia’s quirkiest politicians
- Written by Robert Hortle, Deputy Director, Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania
Australia has a fine tradition of unconventional politicians at all levels of government. Multiple examples[1] probably spring to mind immediately.
But in researching this piece, I went down a wacky rabbit hole. It turns out there are lesser-known characters in the annals of history that deserve some time in the spotlight.
From particularly well-dressed pioneers to founders of micronations, here are some of Australia’s most eccentric politicians.
But who counts as ‘eccentric’?
What do we really mean by “eccentric”? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the term describes someone who is “strange or unusual, sometimes in a humorous way”.
For our purposes here, a deep commitment to long-term oddity is vital – a one-off bizarro act isn’t enough.
You’ll notice there are very few women politicians described as eccentric. This is partly because historically the vast majority of state and federal MPs have been men, and partly because we (the public) are more accepting of eccentric men in political office, while women are held to a different standard.
It’s also a very fine line between being eccentric and being problematic or offensive. Many MPs have fallen foul of that line and so won’t be included here.
With all that in mind, I looked beyond the usual cast of onion-eaters[2], hat-wearers[3], Jurassic Park fans[4], and dog-threateners[5] to find some of our lesser-known rum'uns[6].
Alfred Deakin
Many will know Deakin as one of the architects of Australian federation, the country’s second prime minister, and a strong advocate of racist policies[7].
What’s less well-known is that over a period of 13 years – including while he was prime minister – Deakin regularly published articles and letters anonymously in various newspapers[8].
Often written under the byline “From our special correspondent”, Deakin’s missives have been described as[9] “vivid in style, intelligent in comment, relatively free from bias and mildly critical of himself on occasions”.
Deakin was also deeply interested in Muscular Christianity[10] and spiritualism – he attended seances[11] as a young man – and wrote poetry and plays throughout his life.
John the Duke of Avram
Born as John Charlton Rudge, “His Grace, the most Noble Duke of Avram” was a Liberal MP in Tasmanian parliament between 1989 and 1992 and later a deputy mayor in the state’s south.
In the early 1980s, the Duke had founded the Grand Duchy of Avram, a micronation with its own Royal Bank, to bring his PhD thesis on central banks to life[12].
The Duchy never claimed any physical territory – and the Duke later said the micronation doesn’t exist[14] – but the bank briefly opened a branch in Tasmania that issued coins and notes.
The federal government took the bank to court[15] several times, but lost.
Kezia Purick
Purick was a Northern Territory MP from 2008 to 2024, first as part of the Country Liberal Party and later as an independent.
Down the years she made headlines for spending taxpayers’ money on booze[16], the corrupt use of public resources to stymie the creation of a new political party[17], resuscitating a chicken[18] and catching a python[19].
Purick reserved some of her particularly colourful language for the late former federal minister Kevin Andrews. When he made headlines after saying that de facto couples should get married to protect their relationships and children[20], she called him a “pooncy, pasty-faced person[21]” and implied[22] she’d take to him with a device used for castrating young bulls if he turned up in her electorate.
Don Dunstan
Known for his progressive politics, dapper style and bisexuality, Dunstan was a revolutionary figure in South Australian politics. As premier in the late 1960s and 70s[23], he led a government that reformed Aboriginal land rights, decriminalised male homosexuality and put in place environmental protections.
And he did all this while turning out immaculately in safari suits, floral shirts, and – on a day that has gone down in Australian political folklore – tiny, bright pink shorts[24].
While he was premier, Dunstan also took up surfing and wrote a cookbook. After retiring from politics he hosted a TV show, opened a restaurant, campaigned for democracy in Fiji and much more.
Archie Galbraith Cameron
Cameron was a federal MP for 22 years[25] and speaker of the House of Representatives from 1950 to 1956.
Variously described as abrasive, charming, and ruthless, Cameron is famous for his anti-gambling views. Legend has it that in May 1950, he climbed the roof of Old Parliament House and leapt through the press gallery window to shut down a card game[27].
And, in a famous showdown with the long-serving Parliament House barber, Cameron insisted a poster of Phar Lap be removed from the barber shop.
Cameron was also a stickler when it came to the parliamentary dress code – at least for others. The man himself was known to receive visitors to his office wearing shorts and a singlet, bare feet propped on his desk[28].
Barry Jones
Classified by the National Trust as an “Australian Living Treasure”, Barry Jones was a federal MP between 1977 and 1998.
Before entering federal politics, Jones made a name for himself as a quiz champion. In the 1960s, he was a regular on the TV show Pick a Box, where he was famous for arguing with the host about the correct answer[29].
As minister for science, Jones oversaw the founding of Questacon and later authored the influential book Sleepers, Wake!, which interrogated the role of technology and work in a post-industrial society.
An unapologetic intellectual, Jones has been a passionate advocate for the arts, a critic of the “dumbing down” of Australian politics, a campaigner against the death penalty, and much more.
Jacqui Lambie
Lambie was first elected as a senator in 2013 after running for the Palmer United Party. Following a brief stint as an independent, she established the Jacqui Lambie Network.
Tasmania’s favourite battler has a strong record of off-piste comments, from describing her ideal man[30] (“well-hung”, if you were wondering) to some particularly memorable[31] breakfast TV exchanges.
Lambie was booted from parliament in 2017 during the section 44 debacle[32] in which a string of MPs with dual citizenship were forced to resign. In response, Lambie opined that[33] “I think that’s really cutting down our gene pool – and let’s face it, the gene pool is f****d”.
And who could forget the famous dagwood dog incident[34], which resulted in a photo that could be described as Tasmania’s political Mona Lisa.
References
- ^ Multiple examples (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ onion-eaters (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ hat-wearers (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ Jurassic Park fans (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ dog-threateners (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ rum'uns (www.macquariedictionary.com.au)
- ^ racist policies (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ articles and letters anonymously in various newspapers (www.aph.gov.au)
- ^ been described as (adb.anu.edu.au)
- ^ Muscular Christianity (www.britannica.com)
- ^ he attended seances (www.moadoph.gov.au)
- ^ bring his PhD thesis on central banks to life (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ Grand Duchy of Avram (www.grandduchy.org)
- ^ doesn’t exist (www.examiner.com.au)
- ^ took the bank to court (www.examiner.com.au)
- ^ spending taxpayers’ money on booze (ntindependent.com.au)
- ^ public resources to stymie the creation of a new political party (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ resuscitating a chicken (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ catching a python (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ protect their relationships and children (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ pooncy, pasty-faced person (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ implied (www.facebook.com)
- ^ premier in the late 1960s and 70s (adb.anu.edu.au)
- ^ tiny, bright pink shorts (www.sbs.com.au)
- ^ a federal MP for 22 years (adb.anu.edu.au)
- ^ Wikimedia Commons (commons.wikimedia.org)
- ^ shut down a card game (www.moadoph.gov.au)
- ^ wearing shorts and a singlet, bare feet propped on his desk (adb.anu.edu.au)
- ^ arguing with the host about the correct answer (www.youtube.com)
- ^ ideal man (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ particularly memorable (www.youtube.com)
- ^ section 44 debacle (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ opined that (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ dagwood dog incident (www.news.com.au)
Authors: Robert Hortle, Deputy Director, Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania
