O’Connor MHR pays tribute to former Kalgoorlie Federal member Graeme Campbell in Australian Parliament

The contribution of former Federal member for Kalgoorlie Graeme Campbell to the Goldfields and WA has been recognised in the Australian Parliament. Liberal Federal member for O’Connor Rick Wilson said he made a statement in the House of Representatives about Mr Campbell this week. Mr Campbell died on August 16 aged 86. He was the Federal member for Kalgoorlie from October 18, 1980 until October 3, 1998. The seat of Kalgoorlie was abolished in 2010 and is now part of the electorates of Durack and O’Connor. Mr Wilson said Mr Campbell was a champion of the workers of the mining and pastoral region, and his loss would resonate across the Goldfields. “Graeme’s family emigrated from England, and he grew up in South Australia,” Mr Wilson said. “He went on to establish Kybo Station, a remote pastoral property on the sparse Nullarbor Plain, with his brother Rod. “There he met his French wife, Michele, and started a family, eventually moving to Kalgoorlie to work in the mining industry.” Mr Wilson said Mr Campbell joined the Australian Labor Party in 1980 and was elected as the Federal member for Kalgoorlie, which was then Australia’s largest electorate. “His pro-mining views saw him cross the floor in 1988, challenging then-treasurer Paul Keating’s plan to remove company tax exemptions for gold miners,” Mr Wilson said. “He gained a reputation as a political maverick, winning a term as an independent and serving his Goldfields community long beyond his tenure in Parliament. “Graeme joined the Liberal party in later life and was a regular visitor to my Kalgoorlie office, joining my staff for coffee so often that he had his own biscuit stash. “Graeme was one of a kind, and I will forever treasure his friendship and his sage words of advice and encouragement. “My heartfelt condolences go to Michele, Ainsley, Leyland and family. “Vale, Graeme Campbell.”