Angus Bethune (politician)
A pragmatic Tasmanian leader who steered his state through a period of modernization and economic transition in the late 1960s.
1908–2004 (age 96)·Australian politician·Birthday: September 10·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Angus Bethune's political career was rooted in the rural heart of Tasmania. A farmer and former RAAF officer, he brought a no-nonsense, conservative sensibility to the state's parliament. As leader of the Liberal Party, he became Premier in 1969, inheriting an economy still heavily reliant on traditional industries. His premiership was defined by steady, incremental progress rather than radical change. He oversaw significant infrastructure development, including advances in hydro-electric power, and navigated the early stages of environmental debates that would later define Tasmanian politics. Defeated in 1972 after a single term, his tenure represented a bridge between the old Tasmania and the new, a period of consolidation before the more divisive battles over wilderness and development that followed.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Angus was born in 1908, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Angus Was Born
The biggest hits of 1908
Angus's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1908Born
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Started school
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Became a teenager
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1924Could drive
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1926Could vote
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1929Turned 21
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1938Turned 30
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1948Turned 40
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 50
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 60
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 70
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 80
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
2004Died at 96
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
Key Achievements
- Served as the 33rd Premier of Tasmania, leading a Liberal government from 1969 to 1972.
- Presided over the commissioning of the second stage of the Great Lake hydro-electric power scheme, boosting the state's energy capacity.
- Was knighted in 1973 for his services to politics and the community.
Did You Know?
He was a prisoner of war during World War II after being captured during the fall of Singapore in 1942.
Before entering politics, he was a successful sheep farmer near Bothwell, Tasmania.
He was the last Tasmanian Premier to have served in World War II.
“The budget must balance; the state cannot spend what it doesn't have.”
