Tom Drake-Brockman

The Honourable Sir Tom Drake-Brockman DFC
Minister for Air
In office 12 November 1969 – 5 December 1972
Preceded by	Dudley Erwin
Succeeded by	Lance Barnard
Deputy President of the Senate
In office 15 March 1965 – 11 November 1969
Preceded by	Colin McKellar
Succeeded by	Tom Bull
In office 17 February 1976 – 30 June 1978
Preceded by	James Webster
Succeeded by	Douglas Scott
Senator for Western Australia
In office 12 August 1958 – 21 November 1958
Preceded by	Harrie Seward
Succeeded by	George Branson
In office 1 July 1959 – 30 June 1978
Succeeded by	Allan Rocher
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Minister for Administrative Services
In office 11 November 1975 – 22 December 1975
Preceded by	Les Johnson (Aboriginal Affairs) Fred Daly (Admin. Services)
Succeeded by	Ian Viner (Aboriginal Affairs) Reg Withers (Admin. Services)
Personal details
Born	(1919-05-15)15 May 1919 Toodyay, Western Australia
Died	28 August 1992(1992-08-28) (aged 73) Perth, Western Australia
Political party	Australian Country Party and National Alliance
Spouse	Mary
Occupation	Air gunner, farmer, politician
Civilian awards	Knight Bachelor
Military service
Allegiance	Australia
Branch/service	Royal Australian Air Force
Years of service	1941–1945
Rank	Flight Lieutenant
Unit	No. 460 Squadron RAAF
Battles/wars	Second World War
Military awards	Distinguished Flying Cross

Sir Thomas Charles Drake-Brockman, DFC (15 May 1919 – 28 August 1992) was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Western Australia from 1959 to 1978 and also briefly in 1958. He was a member of the National Country Party (Country Party prior to 1974). He served as Minister for Air from 1969 to 1972.

Early life and war service

Drake-Brockman was born in Toodyay, Western Australia, the son of Robert James and Rose Ita Drake-Brockman. He was educated at Guildford Grammar School. On 23 May 1942 he married Edith Sykes, with whom he had five children. During the Second World War, he joined the Royal Australian Air Force's No. 460 Squadron RAAF in 1941 as sergeant air-gunner and served in the Middle East, Malta and the United Kingdom. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross in September 1944. After the war he was a farmer and grazier and became vice president of the Australian Wool and Meat Producers Federation. On 9 August 1972, Drake-Brockman married his second wife, Mary McGinnity.

Parliamentary service

Drake-Brockman was appointed to a casual vacancy as a Country Party senator on 12 August 1958. His appointment expired at the 1958 election, when he was elected to the Senate, with effect from 1 July 1959. He was appointed Minister for Air in John Gorton's second ministry, as a result of Dudley Erwin's falling out of Gorton's favour. He remained minister until the defeat of the William McMahon government at the 1972 election. He was Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Minister for Administrative Services in Malcolm Fraser's caretaker government after the dismissal of the Whitlam government, but was not reappointed to Fraser's ministry after the 1975 election. He did not stand for re-election at the 1977 election and his term came to an end on 30 June 1978. To date, he is the last member of what is now the National Party to be elected to the Senate from Western Australia.

Drake-Brockman was made a Knight Bachelor in June 1979. He was survived by his wife, Mary, and four daughters and a son from his first marriage.