Bill Grayden

Grayden stood as an independent in the Division of Swan at the 1946 federal election. At the 1947 Western Australian state election, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly as the Liberal member for Middle Swan. He was the youngest member of the parliament.[4]

At the 1949 federal election, Grayden transferred to the Australian House of Representatives, winning the seat of Swan for the Liberals. He held the seat until his defeat in 1954.

In 1956 he returned to the Legislative Assembly, winning the seat of South Perth.[4][3]

In 1956 he led an enquiry into the state of the Aboriginal people. The resulting report by the select committee was tabled in the Western Australian Parliament in December 1956, officially called the Report of the Select Committee appointed to Enquire into Native Welfare Conditions in the Laverton-Warburton Range Area, also known as the Grayden Report. It brought to public consciousness the dreadful plight of many of the nomadic Wongi peoples, and after newspaper publicity the affair developed into what became known as the Warburton Ranges controversy, leading to much public discussion, lobbying of both federal and state governments, and Indigenous activism. The latter contributed to a national movement campaigning for the rights of Indigenous Australians, including the formation of what is now known as Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders (FCAATSI).[5]

He served as a minister in a number of capacities: Labour and Industry 1974–1978; Consumer Affairs 1974–1978; Immigration and Tourism 1974–1975; and Education, Cultural Affairs and Recreation 1978–1982. Grayden left the Assembly in 1993.[4][3]

Along with George Pearce, Grayden is the earliest elected MP still alive,[6] and one of only two living "Forty-Niner" MPs.

At 98 years old, he recited the ode of remembrance at round 6 of the 2019 AFL season.[7]