Howard Beale (politician)

The Honourable Sir Howard Beale KBE
Member of the Australian Parliament for Parramatta
In office 28 September 1946 – 10 February 1958
Preceded by	Frederick Stewart
Succeeded by	Garfield Barwick
Personal details
Born	(1898-12-10)10 December 1898 Tamworth, New South Wales
Died	Sydney
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia
Spouse(s)	Margery Ellen Wood
Children	Julian Beale
Occupation	Barrister

Sir Oliver Howard Beale KBE (10 December 1898 – 17 October 1983) was an Australian politician and Ambassador to the United States. He was the father of Liberal Party of Australia politician Julian Beale. Beales's elder granddaughter, Debbie Beale, was married to Labor party politician Bill Shorten.

Beale was born in Tamworth, New South Wales and educated at Sydney Boys High School and at the University of Sydney. He became a barrister in 1925 and established his own practice. In 1927 he married Margery Ellen Wood. In 1942 served as a sub-lieutenant on anti-submarine duties with the Royal Australian Naval Reserve.

Beale was elected as the Liberal Party of Australia member for Parramatta in 1946 and became a member of the House Standing Committee on Public Works in 1947. With the election of the Robert Menzies government he became Minister for Information and Minister for Transport in the Menzies Ministry until 17 March 1950, when he became Minister for Supply, a position he retained until his retirement from parliament in February 1958. He was immediately appointed Ambassador to the United States and held that position until 1964.

Following his retirement, Beale was Regents' Visiting Professor in the University of California in 1966 and Regents' Visiting Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1967 and 1969. He was president of the Arts Council of Australia from 1965 until 1968. He was survived by his wife and his son, Julian.

Honours

Beale was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire on June 10 1961.

British nuclear tests in Australia

As Minister of Supply, Beale assisted in the facilitation of British nuclear weapons testing in Australia which took place at the Montebello Islands, Emu Field and Maralinga.

Of the proposed Maralinga testing program, he told the media in 1955 that "Every precaution will be taken to ensure there is no danger to human beings or stock." This statement later proved to be untrue, with aboriginal people and military servicemen becoming contaminated and fallout from tests being detected as far afield as Adelaide. Fallout from testing at the Montebello Islands in Australia's northwest was detected in Queensland, in Australia's northeast.

A Royal Commission into British nuclear tests in Australia took place following Beale's death in 1984-1985.

Nuclear power

Beale said of nuclear power in 1956 that his Government believed that "completely effective precautions have already been developed to avoid hazards to the population from the use of nuclear power reactors." He endorsed the study of radiation's effect following the Maralinga nuclear weapons tests. Anticipating an expansion in nuclear power generation and other uses of atomic energy he stated that he believed that it was "necessary that we should expand our knowledge of the problems of radiation as fully and as quickly as possible."

References

Political offices
Preceded by Eddie Ward	Minister for Transport 1949–1950	Succeeded by George McLeay
Preceded by Richard Casey	Minister for Supply 1950–1958	Succeeded by Athol Townley
Preceded by Eric Harrison	Minister for Defence Production 1956–1958
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Frederick Stewart	Member for Parramatta 1946–1958	Succeeded by Garfield Barwick
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Sir Percy Spender	Australian Ambassador to the United States 1958–1964	Succeeded by Sir Keith Waller