Barry Bishop

Who is Barry Bishop?

Barry Wilfred Bishop is a former Australian politician. He was the National Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council from October 1992 until November 2006, representing North Western Province.

Bishop was born and raised in the Swan Hill region, though he spent some time in Bendigo as a teenager. He spent the majority of his working life working as a primary producer, but became increasingly involved in the management of the industry as he grew older. This ultimately saw him serve terms as a member of key industry groups the Grain Elevators Board of Victoria and the Australian Wheat Board. Bishop also worked in a variety of other roles, serving stints as Chairman of the Stored Grain Research Laboratory in Canberra, and as Director of the Bread Research Institute, and being involved with several Department of Agriculture Committees. In 1992, he was rewarded for his efforts in the area when the Australian Grains Institute awarded him the Miles Bourke Award for services to agriculture.

In addition to his work at state and national level, Bishop was also involved with farming issues in his own region for many years. He joined the National Party at a young age, and has been a delegate of the party's Ultima branch since 1962. He has also served in a variety of positions with the regional branch of the Victorian Farmers Federation.