Baden Teague

Who is Baden Teague?

Baden Chapman Teague served as a Liberal Senator for South Australia from 1977 until his retirement in 1996.

Born in Adelaide, Teague was educated at the University of Adelaide and Cambridge University, where he gained a Ph.D.. He was employed as a university lecturer until he entered the Senate in 1977. Teague narrowly won the final South Australian Senate position from the then newly formed Australian Democrats after preferences from the Australia Party flowed to Teague ahead of the Democrats. Observers with a sense of irony would have noted that many Australian Democrats, including lead Democrat Senate candidate Ian Gilfillan, were former Australia Party members and the Democrats had initially expected Australia Party preferences.

During his Senate term, Teague was considered one of the more progressive Liberal Party parliamentarians and whose actions included introducing a private members bill to change the system of government in Australia from a Constitutional Monarchy to a Republic.

Following his retirement from politics, Teague served as the South Australian Chairman of the Australian Republican Movement, and was elected as a delegate to the Australian Republic Convention.