Edwin Brooks

Edwin Brooks (born 1 December 1929) is a British-born, Australia-resident academic who has been a Member of Parliament (MP) in England and a local politician both in England and in Australia.

Edwin has a wife, Wendy, Britain's youngest appointed magistrate, whom he met in Liverpool. They have been happily married for 55 years. They have four sons and a daughter: Aldric, Martin, Timothy, Benjamin and Victoria. Victoria was the 2004 Federal Labour Candidate for the Seat of Riverina and her political campaign was launched by Kevin Rudd.

Brooks was born in South Wales and went to Barry Grammar School. His National Service was spent in Singapore, after which he went to St John's College, Cambridge. After an undergraduate degree he also took his PhD there. He became a Lecturer in Geography at Liverpool University in 1954.

In 1958 Brooks was elected to Birkenhead County Borough Council as a Labour Party member. At the 1964 general election he was Labour candidate for the Bebington constituency on the Wirral Peninsula in Cheshire, losing to future Chancellor of the Exchequer and Foreign Secretary Geoffrey Howe.

However, Brooks turned the tables in the 1966 general election when he beat Howe. In Parliament he broke the Labour whip to support an amendment to the 1967 budget to relieve charities of Purchase Tax on goods they bought to further their objects; early the next year he supported amendments to soften the Commonwealth Immigrants Bill. He opposed the government's attempt to negotiate a settlement with Rhodesia. He also wanted all hereditary peers removed from the House of Lords, and called for a negotiated settlement to the Vietnam war.

He held his seat only until 1970 when he was defeated, and went back to his old job at Liverpool University. Two years later he was promoted to Senior Lecturer and he was Dean of College Studies from 1975 to 1977.

In 1977 he was appointed Dean of Business and Liberal Studies at Riverina College of Advanced Education, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, and emigrated to Australia with his family. From 1982 to 1988 he was Dean of Commerce of the merged Riverina-Murray Institute of Higher Education, part of the Charles Sturt University. On retirement he was appointed Dean Emeritus. One of the University buildings has been named after him.

He co-founded Wagga Ratepayers Association, and is active in civic life in the town. He was President of Wagga Wagga Chamber of Commerce from 1988 to 1990.

Edwin is still relied upon by many members of the community to comment on issues of national and local importance.

Edwin and Wendy have eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. They are still physically fit as well as being avid intellectuals and enjoy a wide range of social engagements.