David Arblaster

Arblaster was born in Sydney in 1929, the only child of Hugh and Ivy Arblaster, and was educated at Manly Village Public School and then later at Sydney Church of England Grammar School. Upon graduating, he studied accountancy but had a varied career, becoming a salesman for Larke Hoskins Ltd in Sydney, and then a grazier in outback New South Wales and Cunnamulla in South West Queensland. On 17 July 1954, Arblaster married Mary Ann Roberts, and had two daughters, Ann and Fiona. In 1968, Arblaster became a director of Noble Lowndes Australia, and later the managing director of Mitchell's Marina at Church Point.[2]

Arblaster joined the Liberal Party in 1956 and held various party positions, including as a member of the State executive and then a country and metropolitan vice-president. He was actively involved in encouraging youth involvement in the Liberal Party and he was the last appointed Liberal Youth Council chairman before the Young Liberals was reconstituted in 1964 as an independent wing of the Liberal Party. During this time, his vice-chairman was future Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard.[2]

Arblaster contested the 1967 Australian Senate election on the NSW Liberal ticket but was on third position and failed to gain a seat.[3]

Arblaster then stood for and was elected to the seat of Mosman at a July 1972 by-election caused by the mid-term retirement of former Liberal Leader and Minister of the Crown, Pat Morton. He went on to be re-elected with a significant majority a further five times.[4] During the Askin and Lewis Government he remained on the backbenches, but following the poor performance of Premier Lewis, despite a federal swing towards the Coalition after the 1975 Federal election, Arblaster, along with fellow backbenchers Neil Pickard (Hornsby) and Keith Doyle (Vaucluse), all of whom had supported Sir Eric Willis in previous ballots, moved against Premier Lewis. At the party room meeting on 20 January 1976, Pickard moved the motion that the leadership be declared vacant. This was carried 22 votes to 11 and Willis was made Leader and Premier unopposed.[5] Willis then appointed Arblaster to the cabinet as Minister for Culture, Sport and Recreation, and Minister for Tourism, being sworn in on 23 January 1976.[1]

When Coleman was formally replaced by John Mason, Arblaster then decided to contest the Deputy Leadership against John Dowd, Rozzoli, Jim Cameron and Bruce McDonald.[10] However, McDonald emerged as the new Deputy and Mason then appointed Arblaster as the Shadow Minister for Transport, a position he held from 2 November 1978 to 12 October 1981, lasting through the successive leaderships of Bruce McDonald and John Dowd.[9]

During a heated debate in the Legislative Assembly on 8 November 1979 over the Minister for Transport, Peter Cox's decision to reverse the decision to retain Alan Reiher as Commissioner of the Public Transport Commission, Arblaster accused the Government of being influenced by the NSW Labor Council in reaching the decision. After Cox denied this, Arblaster was given several warnings for interjecting before the Speaker, Laurie Kelly, expelled him from the House for 24 hours.[11] From 29 October 1981 to 15 March 1983, Dowd appointed Arblaster as Shadow Minister for Police Services and Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation, it was to be his last appointment. After Nick Greiner became leader, Arblaster returned to the backbenches until he retired on 5 March 1984.[9]

In retirement, Arblaster continued his interest in sailing and yachting as a Member of the Middle Harbour Yacht Club and later as patron of the New South Wales 16-foot skiff club. The Arblasters returned to their farm in Cunnamulla, Queensland and thereafter to Singleton, New South Wales. They then moved to Corlette in Port Stephens, and then to Mangerton in Wollongong. He died at his Wollongong residence on 10 August 2006.[2] On his death, during a condolence motion in the House, his former parliamentary colleague, Ian Armstrong, paid tribute to Arblaster:

"David Arblaster was a person who made this place richer for his presence. He added not only colour but intelligence and character...he brought vision to his constituency, to the Parliament, and to the people of New South Wales. He was a great credit to New South Wales, and his contribution will be marked for the future."

— Ian Armstrong, Parliament, 20 September 2006[2]