Rex Patterson, Australian politician, Died at 89

  Politician

Rex Alan Patterson was born on January 8, 1927, and died on April 13, 2016.
He was an Australian politician and minister.
Rex was elected as an Australian Labor Party member for the House of Representatives seat of Dawson, Queensland at a by-election in 1966.
Following the selection of the Whitlam government, at the December 1972 election, Rex was appointed Minister for Northern Development, responsible for the Department of Northern Development, charged with “overall policy and co-ordination in the development of all of the Australia north of the 26th parallel”.
During that time, Rex was concerned with the Australian sugar and beef industries as well as the specialised development and utilisation of land, water and minerals in northern Australia.
He was sworn in as Minister on October 19, 1973, for the Northern Territory by Queen Elizabeth II, the only occasion when an Australian minister has been sworn in by the Monarch of Australia directly (rather than by the Governor-General of Australia).
In 1974, on Christmas Day, the day after Cyclone Tracy, he flew into Darwin with Major-General Alan Stretton and they took responsibility for rebuilding Darwin.
His responsibilities was combined and retitled as Minister for Northern Australia, in June 1975.
After Rex Connor’s resignation from the ministry, on 14 October 1975, he became Minister for Agriculture.
Rex lost this position when the government was dismissed on 11 November.
Rex lost his seat in the subsequent election.
Rex Patterson passed away at 89 yrs old.