Robert Webster (politician)
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{For|other politicians of this name|Robert Webster (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable
| name = Robert Webster
| image =
| constituency_MP = Goulburn
| parliament =
| majority =
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 =
| term_start1 = 1984
| term_end1 = 1995
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| term_start2 =
| term_end2 =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1951|9|16}}
| birth_place = Sydney
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Australian
| spouse = {{Plainlist|
- {{marriage|Elizabeth née Love|1974|1998|end=div}}
- {{marriage|Caro née Black|1999}}
}}
| party = National Party &
Liberal Party
| relations = Son of Leila Elizabeth & Eccleston Bales Webster
| children = 2 sons
2 daughters
| residence =
| education = Wyvern House
Newington College
| occupation =
| profession = Director of korn ferry international
| religion =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=AUS|AM|size=100%}}
}}
The Honourable Robert James Webster {{Post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} (born 16 September 1951) is an Australian company director and grazier and a former New South Wales parliamentarian.
Early life
Webster was born in Sydney and attended Newington College (1963–1969), commencing as a preparatory school student in Wyvern House.Newington College Register of Past Students 1863–1998 (Syd, 1999) pp 211 From 1970 until his election to State parliament he was a grazier at Salisbury Downs, a property near Bigga.
Parliamentary career
Webster represented Goulburn for the National Party in the NSW Legislative Assembly from March 1984 until May 1991 when he was elected as a member of the Legislative Council where he served until retiring from politics in 1995.As a former MLC and Minister of the Crown he was granted retention of the title of Honourable for life:{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article231960409 |title=Retentions |newspaper=Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales |issue=74 |date=16 June 1995 |accessdate=15 October 2019 |page=3252 |via=Trove}} During his parliamentary career he served as Minister for Administrative Services and Assistant Minister for Transport, Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister for Administrative Services, Minister for Planning, Minister for Energy, Minister for State Development and Minister for Tourism, and finally as Minister for Planning and Minister for Housing. While in Parliament, Webster was a member of the National Party but since 1996 has been a member of the Liberal Party.
Business career
He is a former Executive Director of the International Banks and Securities Association of Australia and is now a Director of Korn Ferry International and Chair of the Board at Endeavour Energy.{{Cite web |date=2021 |title=Modern Slavery Statement |url=https://www.endeavourenergy.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/15819/2021-Modern-Slavery-Statement.pdf |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=Endeavour Energy}}
Community service
Between 1997 and 2004 he served a Chairman of the National Science & Technology Centre, Questacon.{{cite NSW Parliament |title =The Hon. Robert James Webster, MP (1951– ) |id=2071 |former=Yes |accessdate=11 May 2019}} He is currently chairman of ANZ Stadium's Advisory Board.[http://www.afr.com/brand/rear-window/robert-websters-anz-stadium-letter-has-baird-ministers-in-tizz-20160412-go4o4l Robert Webster's ANZ Stadium letter has Baird ministers in tizz] Retrieved 19 September 2017. He is a former member of Newington College Council.[https://www.newington.nsw.edu.au/about-newington/governance/college-council/ Newington College Council] Retrieved 19 September 2017.
Honours and recognition
Webster was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2024 King's Birthday Honours for "significant service to the people and Parliament of New South Wales, and to business".{{Cite web |title=The Honourable Robert James Webster |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/3026403 |access-date=2024-06-10 |website=Australian Honours Search Facility}}
References
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{{succession box | title=Member for Goulburn | before=Ron Brewer | after=Seat abolished | years=1984 – 1991}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Webster, Robert}}
Category:Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Category:Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council
Category:Members of the Order of Australia
Category:National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of New South Wales
Category:People educated at Newington College
Category:Members of Newington College Council
Category:Politicians from Sydney
Category:Ministers for customer service and digital government
Category:Ministers for energy (New South Wales)
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