- Public invited to pay tribute to Bill Grayden AM
- Mr Grayden was a WWII veteran and WA's longest serving member of Parliament
- Mr Grayden was 105 years old when he passed away last week
- Further details will be announced as arrangements are worked through with his family
Decorated World War II veteran Bill Grayden AM, who was also Western Australia's longest-serving member of Parliament, will be honoured with a State Funeral.
The Western Australian public will be invited to reflect on Mr Grayden's extraordinary life, which will pay tribute to his contribution both as a war veteran and member of the State and Federal Parliaments.
Mr Grayden sadly passed away on Tuesday 28 April aged 105 after a short illness, surrounded by his family and leaving an extraordinary legacy of both wartime and community service.
As a member of the 2/16th Battalion, he fought first in the Middle East and was part of the force which defeated pro-German Vichy French troops in Syria. His battalion was then sent to bolster the Allied forces in Singapore which fell before they arrived.
They were diverted temporarily to Australia and assigned to one of the most brutal theatres of WWII, the Kokoda trail, then Borneo, where he was stationed when the war ended. Prior to returning to Western Australia, he helped with the repatriation of Japanese troops.
Mr Grayden was also a member of Parliament across six decades, serving in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly and the Australian House of Representatives.
In 1947, just two years after the war ended, 27-year-old Mr Grayden entered State Parliament as the Liberal MP for Middle Swan and was the youngest member of the Parliament at that time. He was known for crossing the floor - his support for the appointment of an Ombudsman in WA and the banning of cigarette advertising were two such occasions.
In 1949, he resigned to contest the Federal election and won the seat of Swan. He became a member of Robert Menzies' 1949 Government and the time of his death, was the last living member of this cohort. He campaigned strongly for lifting the ban on the export of manganese which was instrumental in the establishment of these mines in the Pilbara.
He then re-entered State politics in 1956 as the MP for South Perth and opposed his own Government regarding the relocation of Barracks Arch.
During his time in both Parliaments, he held a number of Cabinet roles and left politics in 1993, being appointed a member of the Order of Australia in 1994. Mr Grayden was also the longest serving member of the Parliamentary Liberal Party.
Further details will be announced as arrangements are worked through with his family.
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"It is an honour to mark the extraordinary life of decorated World War II veteran - and Western Australia's longest serving member of Parliament - Bill Grayden AM.
"A State Funeral is a fitting tribute to his legacy of both wartime and community service and will be an opportunity for Western Australians to pay their respects to a man loved and respected by so many.
"Mr Grayden's personal achievements matched his impressive career. He was also the father of 10, grandfather of 36 and great-grandfather of 50."
As stated by Veterans Minister Paul Papalia:
"It is fitting that we honour Bill Grayden with a State Funeral, recognising not only his distinguished military service but his decades of contribution to Western Australia.
"His lifelong advocacy for veterans reflects a deep and enduring commitment to those who have served.
"This will be an opportunity for the community to come together and pay tribute to a man who gave so much to his State and his nation."
