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President, 17 February 1987 to 5 June 1987; 14 September 1987 to 31 January 1994
Australian Labor Party
The son of schoolteachers, Kerry Sibraa (b.1937) was born in Sydney and spent his childhood in Condobolin, Ungarie, Shortland and Newcastle. He completed his secondary education on the family’s return to Sydney, before marrying Yvonne Margaret Melvin with whom he had a daughter and a son.1 Sibraa became involved in unions while working for the Manly Municipal Council after leaving school and joined the ALP in 1960. Two years later he began a career as an official in the NSW Labor Party and by 1973 was ALP Assistant General Secretary for NSW.
After unsuccessfully contesting the lower house seat of Wentworth at the 1966 federal election, Sibraa entered the Senate in 1975. Defeated at the next election, he was soon selected to fill a casual vacancy in the Senate (1978). Elected President in 1987, Sibraa gained a reputation for being impartial, firm and approachable despite the initial fears of some Coalition senators that he may be too party-political for the role.2
As President, Sibraa made several rulings on complex matters, including the question of balancing respect for the judicial process against the Senate’s right to freely debate any matter of public interest. In 1989, he decided that a senator could speak about the Sydney Hilton bombing case provided she did not question the merit of evidence likely to be used by the prosecution.3 Despite objections, Sibraa also ruled that suspension motions to extend debate on a matter may only be moved once, saying that otherwise they could be used to frustrate the work of the Senate.4
During his presidency, Sibraa oversaw a major revision of the standing orders, the televising of parliamentary proceedings, the adoption of procedures for the regular referral of Bills to committees, and the adoption of a privilege resolution codifying the rights of witnesses at committee hearings. He survived a challenge to his presidency in 1992, prompted by concerns about his involvement in the ‘Marshall Islands affair’, which had caused the ministerial resignation of Senator Graham Richardson. That same year, Sibraa and Yvonne divorced and in 1993 he married Julie Louise Hatcher.
After resigning as President and then as a senator in 1994, Sibraa was appointed Australia’s High Commissioner to Zimbabwe, with accreditation to Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique and Angola (1994-98). While serving on the Senate and joint standing committees on foreign affairs and defence, Sibraa developed a great interest in international relations, particularly the anti-apartheid and independence movements, and this was recognised by his appointment as High Commissioner. Sibraa also served as Mozambique’s Honorary Consul-General to Australia (2003-10).
Bryan Wyndham Westwood
Born in Lima, Peru, portraitist and printmaker Bryan Westwood (1930 -2000) began painting professionally during his mid-30s after a varied career in economics, advertising and film. He is known for his photorealistic style with emphasis on composition, symmetry and line. Beyond portraiture, Westwood painted landscapes, interiors, still-life and figurative works. Based in the greater Sydney region for most of his career, he also spent extended periods working in Italy, France, and the USA. In 1990, Westwood was appointed as the official artist for the 75th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing. He travelled with the veterans, and the resulting artworks were exhibited at the Australian War Memorial. Awarded the Archibald Prize for his mannerly portrayals of artist, art critic and writer, Elwyn (Jack) Lynn in 1989, and Prime Minister Paul Keating in 1992, he painted notable figures across such diverse fields as the arts, sport, business, and government. Westwood’s works are held in public and private collections throughout Australia and internationally.
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Kerry Walter Sibraa
by Bryan Wyndham Westwood
1991
Oil on canvas
120.6 x 90.3 cm
Historic Memorials Collection, Parliament House Art Collections
References
1. Information sourced from JM Jolley, ‘Sibraa, Kerry Walter (1937– )’, The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate, Department of the Senate, Parliament of Australia, published first in hardcopy 2017; Parliamentary Library, Sibraa, the Hon. Kerry Walter’, Parliamentary Handbook Online. Websites accessed 27 April 2021.
2. F Chaney, ‘President: Election’, Senate, Debates, 17 February 1987, p. 53; G Evans, ‘President: Election’, Senate, Debates,1 February 1994, p. 2; R Hill, ‘President: Election’, ibid., p. 4; C Kernot, ‘President: Election’, ibid., p. 6.
3. K Sibraa, ‘Adjournment: Disclosure of Confidential Information-Aboriginal Development Commission-Australian Institute of Health-Mr Tim Anderson’, Senate, Debates, 30 May 1989, p. 3065.
4. K Sibraa, ‘Proceedings on political broadcast and political disclosures legislation’, Senate, Debates, 9 December 1991, pp. 4384–86.
5. ‘Westwood, Bryan Wyndham’, A McCulloch, S McCulloch and E McCulloch Childs, eds, The New McCulloch’s Encyclopedia of Australian Art, Aus Art Editions in association with The Miegunyah Press, 2006, p. 1017; ‘Bryan Westwood 1930–2000’, National Portrait Gallery; ‘Bryan Westwood’, Robin Gibson Gallery; E Taylor, ‘Ancestors, guardians, guides: Bryan Westwood’s Anzac portraits’, Wartime: official magazine of the Australian War Memorial, 1988, no. 8, pp. 25–27. Websites accessed 25 June 2021.