Cleaver Bunton
|
Cleaver Bunton AO, OBE |
|
|---|---|
| Senator for New South Wales | |
|
In office 27 February 1975 – 11 November 1975 |
|
| Preceded by | Lionel Murphy |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
5 May 1902 Albury, New South Wales |
| Died | 20 January 1999 (aged 96) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse(s) | Eileen O'Malley |
| Occupation | Local councillor |
Cleaver Ernest Bunton AO OBE (5 May 1902 – 20 January 1999) was a long-serving Mayor of Albury, New South Wales, Australia, who came to national prominence in 1975 when he was controversially appointed to the Senate by New South Wales Liberal Party Premier, Tom Lewis, to fill a position vacated by a Labor Party member.
Born in Albury, Bunton left school at 13 and initially worked as a clerk in a solicitor's office before becoming an accountant. He also was involved in Albury sporting and community affairs, playing Australian rules football with the Albury Football Club, becoming captain-coach and club secretary at 17. His younger brother Haydn Bunton went on to become a notable Australian rules footballer.
Bunton married Eileen O'Malley in 1930. In 1930, he was elected president of the Ovens and Murray Football League (a position he held until 1969). He also held administrative roles in the Victorian Country Football League, the West Albury Tennis Club and a range of other community groups and organisations.
In recognition of his role in Albury, Bunton was encouraged to run for a position on the Albury Municipal Council, and was elected in 1925 at the age of 22, the youngest person ever elected to a council to that time. After initially retiring in 1931, he returned to the council in 1937, elected Mayor of Albury in 1945 and served as from 1946 until August 1976 (with brief breaks in 1961 and 1972–73). Bunton was also a regional radio commentator, commenting on sport and reading the news bulletins.
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