Les Norman

Who was Les Norman?

Leslie George "Les" Norman was an Australian politician. Norman represented Glen Iris in the Victorian Legislative Assembly for four years, and led the Liberal Country Party from 1951–1952. Norman was a staunch Methodist and an equally staunch conservative. He held strong small-government views, and had little patience for the "socialism" of the Australian Labor Party.

Born in Melbourne, Norman attended primary school in Malvern and went on to University High School. Upon graduation at the age of 15, he joined an accounting firm as a clerk. He took night classes in accountancy during his employment there, and at the age of 22, left the firm to set up his own practice, Norman and Cartledge.

At the outbreak of World War II, Norman enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force and was posted in Malaya with the Australian 8th Division. He was captured in Singapore in 1942, and forced to sit out the rest of the war in Changi Prison. The prison at the time also housed Wilfrid Kent Hughes, Tom Mitchell, and William Leggatt, and the four would often discuss politics together. Norman entered the war as a Private, and left as a Lieutenant.