Max Oldmeadow
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Max Oldmeadow
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100|OAM}}
| image = Max Oldmeadow.jpg
| constituency_MP = Division of Holt
| parliament = Australian
| majority =
| predecessor = Len Reid
| successor = William Yates
| term_start = 2 December 1972
| term_end = 13 December 1975
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1924|8|3}}
| birth_place = Dandenong, Victoria, Australia
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2013|3|21|1924|8|3}}
| death_place = Noble Park, Victoria, Australia
| spouse ={{marriage|Pam Saunders|1948}}
| party = Labor
| relations =
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Teacher
| profession =
| religion =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
Maxwell Wilkinson Oldmeadow {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}} (3 August 1924{{spaced ndash}}21 March 2013) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and sat in the House of Representatives from 1972 to 1975, representing the Victorian seat of Holt. He was a schoolteacher before entering parliament and a member of the Dandenong City Council from 1970 to 1973.
Early life
Oldmeadow was born on 3 August 1924 in Dandenong, Victoria.{{cite news|url=https://handbook.aph.gov.au/Parliamentarian/KM8|access-date=30 August 2024|title=Oldmeadow, Maxwell Wilkinson, OAM|work=Parliamentary Handbook|publisher=Parliament of Australia}} He was the son of Henry and Blanche Oldmeadow. His father was born in Tonga to Methodist missionaries, and later ran a hay and grain store in Dandenong.{{cite news|url=https://dandenong.starcommunity.com.au/uncategorized/2013-04-05/max-oldmeadow-living-life-to-the-max/|date=5 April 2013|access-date=30 August 2024|newspaper=Star Journal|first=Marg|last=Stork|title=Max Oldmeadow: Living life to the Max}}{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/encounter/creating-a-sacred-space/3344054|title=Creating a Sacred Space|work=Encounter|publisher=ABC Radio National|date=3 September 2006|access-date=30 August 2024}}
Oldmeadow attended primary school in Dandenong West and completed his secondary schooling at Dandenong High School and Wesley College, Melbourne. He later completed a Bachelor of Arts and diploma in education at the University of Melbourne and then qualified as a primary school teacher through Melbourne Teachers' College. At the time of his election to parliament he was vice-principal of Pakenham High School.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110623002|title=Interesting Seats: Holt, Victoria|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=30 November 1972 |via=Trove}}
Politics
Oldmeadow joined the ALP in 1968.{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/teacher-historian-and-author-served-in-whitlam-government-20130422-2iaws.html|title=Teacher, historian and author served in Whitlam government|first=Tony|last=Walker|date=23 April 2013|access-date=30 August 2024|newspaper=The Age}} He became president of the party's Dandenong branch and was a member of the Dandenong City Council from 1970 to 1973. He was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1972 federal election, defeating the incumbent Liberal MP Len Reid in the seat of Holt.
In parliament, Oldmeadow served on the House Standing Committee on Publications, the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence and the House Select Committee on Specific Learning Difficulties. He was re-elected at the 1974 election, but lost his seat to Liberal candidate William Yates in the landslide defeat of the Whitlam government at the 1975 election.
Later activities
Oldmeadow returned to teaching after leaving parliament, including as principal of Chandler High School from 1977 to 1982. He was the co-author of The Human Adventure, a school textbook selling over 200,000 copies which told "the story of human civilisation from the beginning of time to the Middle Ages".
Oldmeadow was on the council of Monash University from 1978 to 1984, representing the education faculty. He a member of the Victorian Teaching Service Conciliation and Arbitration Commission from 1982 to 1985 and was made a life member of the Australian College of Educators in 2003.
Personal life
Oldmeadow married Pam Saunders in 1948.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/214584779|title=Happy Bridal Group|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=22 December 1948 |via=Trove}} They had three sons. He was a lay preacher for over 50 years in the Methodist Church and its successor, the Uniting Church.
Oldmeadow died in Noble Park, Victoria, on 21 March 2013, aged 88.{{Cite news | url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/south-east/former-mp-and-cr-mourned-at-huge-church-service-in-dandenong/story-fngnvmhm-1226607728552 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130410013131/http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/south-east/former-mp-and-cr-mourned-at-huge-church-service-in-dandenong/story-fngnvmhm-1226607728552 | url-status=dead | archive-date=10 April 2013 | title=Greater Dandenong mourns former MP |work=Herald Sun| date=27 March 2013}}
References
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{{succession box | title=Member for Holt | before=Len Reid| after=William Yates| years=1972–1975}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Oldmeadow, Max}}
Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Holt
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives
Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia
Category:People from Dandenong, Victoria
Category:Australian schoolteachers
Category:Australian Methodists
Category:Australian MPs 1972–1974
Category:Australian MPs 1974–1975
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