Arthur Gietzelt

{{short description|Australian politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}

{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Arthur Gietzelt

| honorific-suffix = AO

| image = Arthur Gietzelt 1974 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Gietzelt in 1974

| title = Minister for Veterans' Affairs

| primeminister = Bob Hawke

| term_start = 11 March 1983

| term_end = 24 July 1987

| predecessor = Tony Messner

| successor = Ben Humphreys

| title1 = Senator for New South Wales

| term_start1 = 1 July 1971

| term_end1 = 27 February 1989

| successor1 = John Faulkner

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1920|12|28}}

| birth_place = San Francisco, California, United States

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2014|1|5|1920|12|28}}

| death_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

| nationality = Australian

| spouse = Dawn Gietzelt

| party = Australian Labor Party

| relations = Ray Gietzelt (brother)

| children =

| residence =

| alma_mater =

| occupation =

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| religion =

| signature =

| website =

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| allegiance = {{flag|Australia}}

| branch = Australian Army

| serviceyears = 1941–1946

| rank = Sergeant

| unit = Royal Australian Engineers

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}}

Arthur Thomas Gietzelt, AO (28 December 1920 – 5 January 2014) was an Australian politician and minister.

Arthur Gietzelt was born in San Francisco[http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22handbook%2Fallmps%2FRG4%22 Biography for GIETZELT, the Hon. Arthur Thomas, AO], ParlInfo. of Australian-born parents, and educated at Hurstville High School in south-western Sydney. He served in the armed forces in New Guinea during World War II from 1941 to 1946{{cite book

| title =Who's who in Australia

| publisher =Crown Content

| year =2008

| location =North Melbourne

| pages =2303

| isbn = 978-1-74095-160-9 }}[http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=A&veteranId=244835 GIETZELT, ARTHUR THOMAS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107004153/http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=A&veteranId=244835 |date=7 January 2014 }}, WW2 Nominal Roll, 2002. along with his younger brother Ray Gietzelt.[https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20121023061 NSW Parliament, The Hon Lynda Voltz, Tribute to Ray Gietzelt, 23 October 2012] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107060436/https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20121023061 |date=7 January 2014 }}

Later, Gietzelt served 15 years (1956–1971) in local government as a councillor of Sutherland Shire Council; for nine of those years he was shire president or mayor. As part of the council, he opposed the creation of a second Sydney airport at Towra Point.{{Cite web | url=http://www.smh.com.au/comment/obituaries/arthur-gietzelts-left-leanings-held-fast-in-political-life-20140202-31uw1.html |title = Arthur Gietzelt's left leanings held fast in political life|date = 2 February 2014}} He was elected as a Senator for New South Wales at the 1970 Senate election.{{Cite Au Senate|Sen id=gietzelt-arthur-thomas|name=GIETZELT, Arthur Thomas (1920–2014)|first=Gwynneth|last=Singleton|year=2017|access-date=2022-12-31}}

In 1976 Gietzelt joined Jim Cairns, Barry Egan and Bridget Gilling as a member of the Tribunal on Homosexuals and Discrimination. He was appointed Minister for Veterans' Affairs in March 1983 in the first Hawke Ministry and held that position until July 1987. He was a joint Father of the Senate from 1987 until his departure from parliament. He resigned from the Senate in February 1989.{{cite web

| title =Members of the Senate since 1901

| publisher =Parliament of Australia

| work=Parliamentary Handbook

| url =http://www.aph.gov.au/library/handbook/historical/senate/cotton.kingsmill.htm

| accessdate = 19 January 2008 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070901115525/http://www.aph.gov.au/library/handbook/historical/senate/cotton.kingsmill.htm |archivedate = 1 September 2007}}

Gietzelt was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1992 for "service to the Australian Parliament and to local government".{{Cite It's an Honour|ausawardid=884414|recipient=The Honourable Arthur Thomas Gietzelt|award=Officer of the Order of Australia|date=1992-01-26|postnominal=AO|access-date=2022-12-31}}

Gietzelt died on 5 January 2014, aged 93.{{cite news|title=Shire stalwart Arthur Gietzelt dies at 93|url=http://www.theleader.com.au/story/2007055/shire-stalwart-arthur-gietzelt-dies-at-93/?cs=12|accessdate=6 January 2014|newspaper=St George & Sutherland Shire Leader|date=6 January 2014}}

His younger brother was Ray Gietzelt, a famous Australian trade unionist who led the Federated Miscellaneous Workers' Union of Australia (FMWU; later known as United Voice) from 1955 to 1984.