JOHNSON, Leslie Royston (Les)

Leslie Royston (Les) Johnson AM (22 November 1924- 26 May 2015) was an Australian politician and Minister.

Les was one of the five children of William Johnson and his wife, formerly Maude English, who were migrants from London. They lived at Enfield. William had been wounded In WW1 and left with shrapnel in his brain. He died when Les was six. Life was hard for Maude and the family, during the Depression, grew and sold vegetables but she taught her children the importance of community spirit.

Les attended school at Enfield and Croydon Park but left at 14 to help the family. He became an apprentice fitter and turner, attended technical college at night, joined the Labor Party at 15 and was soon a shop steward with the Amalgamated Engineering Union. He enjoyed debating at the local gospel hall and Sydney Domain and wrote poetry. He worked as an organiser with the Federated Clerks’ Union then left to work for the Red Cross recruiting blood donors and setting up clubs for teenagers in inner Sydney suburbs.

After his mother bought land at Gymea, Les and two brothers built her a house. After his marriage in 1948 at St.Barnabas’ Church in Gymea, to Gladys (Peg) Jones, he built his own home there after the bank refused him a loan. They had three children, Grant, Sally and Jenny. Les became active in local groups such as the Gymea Progress Association. He set up the Council for Social Services in Sutherland, was President of the Aboriginal Childrens’ Advancement Society and ran a general store with a partner.

He formed an ALP branch in Gymea, the first of 28 branches in the Hughes electorate and beat 10 other candidates for Labor preselection in 1955. Les Johnson became the first member for the House of Representatives seat of Hughes and the youngest Labor member in the House. He held the seat until he was defeated by Don Dobie at the 1966 election but, after redistribution, won it back in 1969 and held it without difficulty until 1983.

During his time in Parliament, Les Johnson was Minister for Works (9 October 1973- 30 November 1973), Minister for Housing and Construction (30 November 1973- 6 June 1975), Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (6 June 1975- 11 November 1975), Minister for Housing (19 December 1972- 30 November 1974). Following the dismissal of the Whitlam government in 1975, he was appointed Opposition Whip. When Labor returned in March 1983, he was appointed Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of Committees. He was Father of the House when he retired I December 1983 to take up the position as Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand. After three years, his term was cut short when his daughter, Sally became seriously ill.

After the death of his wife, Peg, in 2002, Les married Marion Sharkey, in 2003, and they lived in Shoal Bay, Port Stephens. Les Johnson was made a Member of the Order of Australia in June 1990 and awarded the Centenary Medal Queen’s Birthday 2004 for service to Australian society through parliament.

Les Johnson died on 26 May 2015, aged 90, and was buried at Woronora Cemetery.

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