Tony Eggleton AO CVO
With the death of Tony Eggleton AO CVO, the
Liberal Party has lost a champion who left a remarkable legacy.
Few in the Liberal
Party’s ranks have served so dutifully, so fully, and so meaningfully. He was
not just a guiding hand, but one of the great Liberals.
Tony’s talents were
well recognised and widely appreciated. Starting as a press secretary and
finishing as a chief of staff, he was a steadfast staffer and admired adviser
to Robert Menzies, Harold Holt, John Gorton, Billy Snedden and Malcolm Fraser.
Testimony to the
measure of the man, each leader confided in Tony, and Tony found ways to ignite
confidence in each of his leaders.
His loyalty to his leaders
and to the Liberal Party, coupled with a natural poise and political
perception, saw him appointed as the Federal Director in 1975.
Over the course of
15 years in that role, the discerning, diligent, and dignified Tony served
leaders Malcolm Fraser, Andrew Peacock and John Howard with aplomb. He was the
national campaign director at seven federal elections.
For the British-born
young reporter who ventured to Australia to pursue a career in journalism, it
was not surprising that in his political life Tony was meticulous at keeping
notes on events, including recording his own musings. They were drawn on by
author Tom Frame who wrote a biography of Tony entitled A Very Proper Man. With
the sad news of Tony’s death, this marvellous account of a man who didn’t just
live Liberal Party history, but helped shape it, is sure to be revisited.
Tony will of course
be remembered for his many other contributions to Australian public life, our
nation, and international affairs: a founding member of the National Press
Club; a Secretary General of CARE International; a member of the editorial
board for the esteemed Foreign Affairs magazine;
a man in his youth who helped run the show when Queen Elizabeth visited our
shores in 1970; and the man of experience who was the show runner for our
Centenary of Federation.
In the days and
weeks ahead, so many in the Liberal Party will properly honour the life of this
very proper man who was more than deserving of being named an Officer of the
Order of Australia.
On behalf of the
Federal Coalition, and the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party, I offer my
condolences to Tony’s family and many friends in both his personal and
political circles.
May he rest in
peace.