Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak of the life of Mr Arthur Edward Allenby Viney OAM, known as Alan, who was the member for Wakehurst in the New South Wales parliament from 1971 to 1978. He was born on 29 July 1919 and died on 13 June 2008. Alan served as the member for Wakehurst in the New South Wales parliament for seven years and seven months. During that time he served as the shadow minister for transport and the shadow minister for corrective services. The seat of Wakehurst forms part of my seat of Mackellar. He had a distinguished service record, commencing in 1935. He served as a senior cadet gunner in the 5th Brigade of the Royal Australian Army from then until 1938. From 1938 until 1940 he was in the 36th Battalion of the Australian Military Forces and from 1940 to 1943 he served firstly with the 2nd/17th Infantry Battalion of the AIF and then in the 20th and the 2nd/3rd Anti-Tank Regiment. From 1943 to 1945 he served with Army public relations. He served in Palestine, Tobruk and New Guinea.

Alan married his wife, Joan, on 27 May 1944 and they had three children—Barbara, James and Greg. After World War Two they built their home in Frenchs Forest in my electorate, where they lived until they moved into the war veterans village at Narrabeen, which is also in my electorate. Alan and Joan were very active members of our local community from the time they moved there. Alan was a founding member of the Beacon Hill bushfire brigade, which celebrated its 60th anniversary on the day that he died. Alan also founded the Warringah women’s refuge in 1974, and it is the second oldest refuge in Australia. He worked with the Frenchs Forest Agricultural and Horticultural Society in their annual show and helped to build their showground. He was a member of the Brookvale show society when local shows were a unique part of the Warringah Shire, as it then was.

After the war Alan worked in advertising for KG Murray as a journalist, where he was known as ‘Scoop’ Viney, and then with Colin Fitzpatrick, selling advertising. He moved to George Patterson in 1958 and remained there until 1971, becoming an associate director before winning the seat of Wakehurst. After leaving parliament, he established a business and marketing consultancy service with activities primarily relating to resources trading with China. On Australia Day 2007, he was awarded an OAM for his service to the fire service and community organisations, as well as for his service to parliament. His wife, Joan, is still in Peter Cosgrove House in the war veterans village. Alan, as usual, was busy editing Yabba, their magazine. I would like him to be remembered by all and know that he will be greatly missed by Joan, his children—Barbara Logan and James and Greg Viney—and their families.