Wal Fife

The Honourable Wal Fife
Member of the Australian Parliament for Farrer
In office 13 December 1975 – 1 December 1984
Preceded by	David Fairbairn
Succeeded by	Tim Fischer
Member of the Australian Parliament for Hume
In office 1 December 1984 – 8 February 1993
Preceded by	Stephen Lusher
Succeeded by	John Sharp
Personal details
Born	(1929-10-02) 2 October 1929 Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia
Spouse(s)	Marcia Hargreaves Stanley
Children	Two daughters; two sons including Allan Fife
Occupation	Businessman

Wallace Clyde Fife (born 2 October 1929) is a former Australian politician.

Fife was born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, and was educated at Gurwood Street public school, Wagga Wagga and Canberra Grammar School. In 1948 he started working in the federal secretariat of the Liberal Party of Australia and in 1949 he joined his family business, Fifes Produce Pty Ltd, in Wagga Wagga. He married Marcia Hargreaves Stanley in May 1952 and they had two daughters and two sons.

Fife was elected as the member for Wagga Wagga in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1957. He was Minister for Mines from June 1967 to January 1975, Minister for Conservation from March 1971 to June 1972, Minister for Power from June 1972 to January 1975 and Minister for Transport and Minister for Highways from January 1975 until his retirement from the New South Wales Parliament in October 1975.

Fife won the Australian House of Representatives seat of Farrer at the 1975 election. He was Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs from July 1977 to December 1979, Minister for Education from December 1979 to May 1982 and Minister for Aviation from May 1982 until the defeat of the Fraser government at the March 1983 election. Following an electoral distribution that moved Wagga Wagga into the Division of Hume, he stood for and won that seat at the 1984 election. His role in Opposition included a stint as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in the House of Representatives between May 1989 and April 1990 since the then Deputy Liberal leader Fred Chaney was still a Senator. He retired from parliament prior to the 1993 election.

He received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Charles Sturt University.

Notes

Political offices
Preceded by John Howard	Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs 1977–79	Succeeded by Victor Garland
Preceded by John Carrick	Minister for Education 1979–82	Succeeded by Peter Baume
Preceded by Charles Jones	Minister for Aviation 1982–83	Succeeded by Kim Beazley
Parliament of New South Wales
Preceded by Eddie Graham	Member for Wagga Wagga 1957–75	Succeeded by Joe Schipp
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by David Fairbairn	Member for Farrer 1975–84	Succeeded by Tim Fischer
Preceded by Stephen Lusher	Member for Hume 1984–93	Succeeded by John Sharp