Raymond Garrett

Sir Raymond William Garrett, AFC, AE (19 October 1900 – 12 October 1994) was an Australian pilot, military officer, photographer, and politician. A member of the Liberal Party, Garrett served on the Victorian Legislative Council for eighteen years, and was knighted in 1973.

Sir Raymond Garrett
President of the Victorian Legislative Council
In office
20 February 1968  19 March 1976
Preceded bySir Ronald Mack
Succeeded byWilliam Fry
Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Templestowe
In office
20 May 1970  19 March 1976
Serving with Vasey Houghton
Preceded byNew constituency
Succeeded byRalph Howard
Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Southern
In office
21 June 1958  20 May 1970
Serving with Gilbert Chandler
Preceded byRoy Rawson
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Personal details
Born(1900-10-19)19 October 1900
Kew, Victoria
Died12 October 1994(1994-10-12) (aged 93)
Box Hill, Victoria
Political partyLiberal Party
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne
Civilian awardsKnight Bachelor
Military service
AllegianceAustralia
Branch/serviceRoyal Australian Air Force
Years of service1927–1937
1939–1945
RankGroup Captain
Battles/warsSecond World War
Military awardsAir Force Cross
Air Efficiency Award

Early life and career

Garrett was born in Kew, in Melbourne, Victoria. He was educated at Workingman's College (now RMIT University) and the University of Melbourne. At the age of 26, Garrett graduated from flying school at the Royal Australian Air Force base at Point Cook; he became a commercial pilot in 1927, and joined the Citizen Air Force. Garrett later became the first civilian instructor in the CAF. Garrett was as keen on gliding as he was on flying aeroplanes. In 1928, he set a British Empire record for gliding duration. In 1929, he founded the Gliding Club of Victoria.

In 1933, he began working in the Northern Territory for the Larkin Aircraft Company. Flying as the chief pilot for the company, Garrett ran the first Territory-wide mail route, and provided the air links between Darwin and other townships in the territory. In the mid-1930s, Garrett left the Northern Territory and returned to Melbourne, where he tried being a professional photographer. Garrett's interest in photography began in the 1920s, when he was one of the country's first aerial photographers. In 1934, Garrett married Vera Halliday Lugton, with whom he had four children.

When World War II broke out, Garrett was called up into the Royal Australian Air Force. Initially based at RAAF Base Laverton, he moved to Mascot to take up a post as commanding officer of the RAAF training school. He retired from the Air Force in 1945, having achieved the rank of group captain.

After the war, Garrett took his earlier love of photography and set up a successful business in Doncaster, manufacturing photographic chemicals. He later became Chairman of Ilford (Australia) Pty Ltd. Several of his descendants shared his passion, and became professional photographers.

Politics

It was around this time that Garrett also began to dabble in politics, sitting on the council of the Shire of Doncaster and Templestowe for six years. In 1956, Garrett contested—and won—the seat of Southern Province for the Liberals. He served the electorate with distinction, and was elected President of the Victorian Legislative Council in 1968. Southern Province had, by that time, become over-large and difficult to represent, and, after some redistricting, Garrett joined fellow Liberal Vasey Houghton in representing Templestowe Province. He held a seat in Templestowe until his retirement from politics in 1976.

References

  • "Parliamentary biography". Archived from the original on 20 August 2006. Retrieved 11 March 2005.
  • "Sir Raymond Garrett, 93, former President of Victorian Legislative Council and wartime pilot instructor", The Age, 25 October 1994.
  • Condolence motions, HANSARD records of the Victorian State Parliament, 14 October 1994 (available online)

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