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Race Mathews
Charles Race Thorson Mathews (27 March 1935 – 5 May 2025) was an Australian politician, academic, author and reformer. He was a member of Australia's Federal Parliament and the Victorian State Parliament for the Australian Labor Party (ALP).
Mathews was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School and Toorak Teachers' College, after which he taught in primary schools in Gippsland and Melbourne from 1953–1958. In 1961, he began as a clinical speech therapist in the Victorian Education Department after graduating from the Victorian Council of Speech Therapy. In later years he took out degrees from Melbourne University, Monash University and the University of Divinity.
Mathews joined the Labor Party in 1956 in Moe. In 1958, he moved to Croydon, where he became active in the party, organising federal and state campaigns and was secretary of the Scoresby State Electoral Council (SEC). In 1963, he was elected to Croydon Council and served there until 1966. In 1964, he stood unsuccessfully for the state seat of Box Hill. In 1960, Mathews was elected secretary of the Australian Fabian Society. He was secretary or president most of the time until 2006. During his leadership the Fabian Society became a major think tank for the Whitlam and the Hawke–Keating governments.
From 1967–1972, he served as Principal Private Secretary to Gough Whitlam Leader of the Opposition in the Australian Parliament, where he helped develop Labor's policies on Education and Medibank (later Medicare).
From 1972 to 1975, Mathews was the Federal Member for Casey, where he served as the chairman of the House of Representatives Select Committee on Specific Learning Difficulties (1974–1975), and the chairman of the Government Members' Committee on Urban and Regional Development (1973–1975). He was a member of the Administrative Committee of the Victorian ALP from 1970–1977 and 1977–1981.
From 1976–1979, Mathews was Principal Private Secretary for Clyde Holding and then Frank Wilkes as Leaders of the Opposition in the Parliament of Victoria.
From 1979 to 1992, Mathews served as the State Member for Oakleigh in the Victorian Legislative Assembly during the Cain Government. In this capacity, Mathews served as the chairman of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Co-operatives, the Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister for the Arts 1982–1987. He served as Minister for Community Services from 1987–1988.
As Minister for Police and Emergency Services, he introduced gun control, a major review of the police force and improved disaster management after the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires.
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Race Mathews
Charles Race Thorson Mathews (27 March 1935 – 5 May 2025) was an Australian politician, academic, author and reformer. He was a member of Australia's Federal Parliament and the Victorian State Parliament for the Australian Labor Party (ALP).
Mathews was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School and Toorak Teachers' College, after which he taught in primary schools in Gippsland and Melbourne from 1953–1958. In 1961, he began as a clinical speech therapist in the Victorian Education Department after graduating from the Victorian Council of Speech Therapy. In later years he took out degrees from Melbourne University, Monash University and the University of Divinity.
Mathews joined the Labor Party in 1956 in Moe. In 1958, he moved to Croydon, where he became active in the party, organising federal and state campaigns and was secretary of the Scoresby State Electoral Council (SEC). In 1963, he was elected to Croydon Council and served there until 1966. In 1964, he stood unsuccessfully for the state seat of Box Hill. In 1960, Mathews was elected secretary of the Australian Fabian Society. He was secretary or president most of the time until 2006. During his leadership the Fabian Society became a major think tank for the Whitlam and the Hawke–Keating governments.
From 1967–1972, he served as Principal Private Secretary to Gough Whitlam Leader of the Opposition in the Australian Parliament, where he helped develop Labor's policies on Education and Medibank (later Medicare).
From 1972 to 1975, Mathews was the Federal Member for Casey, where he served as the chairman of the House of Representatives Select Committee on Specific Learning Difficulties (1974–1975), and the chairman of the Government Members' Committee on Urban and Regional Development (1973–1975). He was a member of the Administrative Committee of the Victorian ALP from 1970–1977 and 1977–1981.
From 1976–1979, Mathews was Principal Private Secretary for Clyde Holding and then Frank Wilkes as Leaders of the Opposition in the Parliament of Victoria.
From 1979 to 1992, Mathews served as the State Member for Oakleigh in the Victorian Legislative Assembly during the Cain Government. In this capacity, Mathews served as the chairman of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Co-operatives, the Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister for the Arts 1982–1987. He served as Minister for Community Services from 1987–1988.
As Minister for Police and Emergency Services, he introduced gun control, a major review of the police force and improved disaster management after the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires.