Neville Wran

Neville Kenneth Wran, AC, CNZM, QC (born 11 October 1926) was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) from 1986 to 1991.

Early years

Wran was born in the Sydney suburb of Paddington and educated at Nicholson Street Public School, Balmain, Fort St Boys' High and the University of Sydney, and from which he gained a Bachelor of Laws in 1948. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1951, called to the in 1957, and became in 1968.

Political career

He began his political career in 1970 when he became a member of the upper house of the Parliament of New South Wales, the Legislative Council. Three years afterwards, he moved to the lower house, the Legislative Assembly, in the seat of Bass Hill, He then challenged Pat Hills for the state leadership of the ALP (which Hills had held since 1968). With support from right-wing powerbroker John Ducker and his left-wing running mate Jack Ferguson, Wran won the leadership contest by just one vote.

In May 1976, six months after Gough Whitlam's federal ALP government's dismissal, Wran became NSW premier with a one-seat majority, defeating the Liberal Party's Sir Eric Willis. In 1978, campaigning with the slogan 'Wran's our...
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