Remembering Lance Barnard - one of Launceston's finest politicians

Deputy Prime Minister Lance Barnard was Whitlam's rock, upon which he built his political career.

Yet Barnard had his own rock, upon which his own personality and politics were built - his father Claude.

Claude Barnard was a child of Tasmania's Labor movement.

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Born at Mole Creek and educated at Invermay State School, he became a steam engine driver, head of Launceston's Trades Hall Council, MHR for Bass and eventually a minister in the second Chifley government with "Doc" Evatt and Arthur Calwell.

More than that, he was a man of integrity and industry.

A teetotaller who'd lost a son in WWII and had a drive to achieve social justice.

A working man who loved his family dearly, educated by experience and motivated by compassion rather than ideology.

With such a role model, Lance had a path to follow.

Born in Launceston in 1919, Lance left school at 14.

His father had reluctantly stood for the 1931 Federal election and lost.

As a result, their home in Hampden Street, Launceston was now mortgaged, and although in the middle of the Depression, Lance felt a duty to help provide for the family.

He began stacking timber, then gained work in a joinery, while returning to night school at Launceston Tech.

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In 1940 he enlisted, becoming an acting artillery sergeant.

After being wounded at El Alamein he was first transferred to a training unit, before returning to Tasmania in 1945.

Lance became a maths teacher and was posted to Queenstown, where he became close to Eric Reece.

Meanwhile his father Claude, after losing Bass in the 1949 election of the Menzies government, had won the corresponding state seat of Bass the following year.

Returning to Launceston in 1952, with the advantage of name recognition, Lance began campaigning to regain the Federal seat his father had lost.

Two years of intense grass-roots work paid off, and in 1954 he won, beginning a stellar career in which his unfailing courtesy and respect for factional and party opponents brought friends and support.

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When Calwell resigned as Labor leader after the 1966 loss and Whitlam became leader, Lance Barnard became his Deputy.

Thus, with the 1972 "It's Time" win, Barnard became Deputy PM.

Together, Whitlam and Barnard served the first weeks as the famous government of two - the smallest Ministry since the Duke of Wellington in 1834!

Sadly things could only go down from there.

In 1974 Barnard lost the Deputy PM position to Jim Cairns.

It was the beginning of the end for the Whitlam government.

A few months later Barnard resigned from parliament to take up the position of Ambassador to Sweden.

The subsequent by-election shock saw Kevin Newman (Liberal) easily elected.

The Ambassadorship ended in 1978 and Lance came home to Launceston.

He died in 1997. One of Launceston's finest.

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