Peter Cochran

Who is Peter Cochran?

Peter Lachlan Cochran is a former Australian politician. He was the National Party member for Monaro in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1988 to 1998.

Cochran was born in Albury in New South Wales. He enlisted in the Army in 1965 and was sent to Vietnam in 1969, returning in 1970. He left the main force in 1972, and was a reservist from 1977–79. Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace, he farmed near Adaminaby after leaving the armed forces and became involved in the National Party.

In 1987 he stood unsuccessfully as the National candidate for the federal seat of Eden-Monaro, but came third after Labor MP Jim Snow and Liberal candidate David Evans, obtaining 16.4% of the vote. Nevertheless, this was a large increase from the 1984 result of 3.9%. In 1988, Cochran was selected as the Nationals' candidate for the state seat of Monaro, previously a marginal Labor seat. Cochran defeated sitting member John Akister and also warded off an attempt by the Liberal Party to win the seat. In parliament he acted as liaison between the parliamentary party and the Young Nationals.