David Thomson

Who was David Thomson?

Brigadier David Scott Thomson MC was an Australian soldier and politician.

He was born in Sale, Victoria in 1924. He enlisted in the Australian Army in 1942, and graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, being commissioned as an officer in 1943. He saw active service in World War II in the South-West Pacific, took part in the landing at Balikpapan, New Guinea, and served in Japan 1946-48. He was on active service again in Korea in 1951, where he was awarded the Military Cross. He served in Malaysia and Sarawak during the Malayan Emergency 1965-66. From 1967-70 he was Director of Infantry and Regimental Colonel of the Royal Australian Regiment.

From 1972-75 he operated a tourism business. He was the National Country Party member for the House of Representatives seat of Leichhardt, Queensland, from the 1975 election until his defeat by John Gayler at the 1983 election. He was Minister for Science and the Environment from December 1979 until November 1980 and then Minister for Science and Technology until the Fraser government's defeat at the 1983 election.