Tim Bruxner

James Caird Bruxner, better known as 'Tim' (which was an old family nickname), was born 18 May 1923 in Tenterfield, New South Wales, the youngest son of NSW Country Party leader Michael Frederick Bruxner, who had served as Deputy Premier of New South Wales between 1932 and 1941, and Winifred Hay "Midge" Caird. His brother, John Michael Bruxner, later became a Judge of the District Court of New South Wales. He spent his early years on the family property "Roseneath", until he left to attend Cranbrook School, Sydney, becoming School Captain in 1940. Leaving the Army on 10 July 1944, Bruxner joined the Royal Australian Air Force, 7th Operational Training Unit, as a Pilot Officer. On 18 April 1945, Bruxner married Margaret Ann McLeish, with whom he had a son. Upon being discharged on 15 October 1945, Bruxner became a grazier as the owner of 'Old Auburnvale' station near Inverell, where he was a breeder of Aberdeen Angus cattle. ==Political career==

When his father, Sir Michael Bruxner, retired from parliament on 5 February 1962, Bruxner gained preselection for his father's vacated seat of Tenterfield, allegedly against his parents' advice, and won it at the 1962 election for the Country Party with 50.75% of the vote. Serving in the backbenches in opposition, Bruxner was re-elected at the 1965 election with an increased margin of 57.1% of the vote. On 17 December 1975, in addition to his responsibilities for Decentralisation and Development, the new Premier, Tom Lewis, appointed him as the Minister for Tourism, which had been vacated by Cutler. A month later, on 22 January 1976, Lewis was deposed as Premier and Liberal Leader by several backbenchers and was succeeded by Education Minister Sir Eric Willis. Willis then appointed Bruxner as Minister for Transport and Minister for Highways in his new government on 23 January. As the new Minister for Transport and Highways, Bruxner was the fourth Minister of that portfolio in a year and started amid speculation that he had been given the job to take the mess of transport, which was largely seen as a 'bad news' portfolio, away from the Liberal Party and offload it to the Country Party. Nevertheless, Bruxner took it in his stride, adopting his father's maxim that "We can't please everyone. Let us... go like the devil straight ahead." and oversaw the announcement of the Premier's Sydney Transport masterplan. Inheriting a department that was in "dire financial straits", Bruxner found it difficult to make an impression before the Willis Government was defeated at the election on 14 May 1976. ==Later life==

In opposition, Bruxner was appointed by Opposition leader Willis as Shadow Minister for Decentralisation and Development and Primary Industries. He served in this capacity under the successive Leadership of Peter Coleman until 2 November 1978. When Coleman lost his seat at the 1978 election, he was succeeded by John Mason, who appointed him as Shadow Leader of the House. When the electoral redistribution results were published in March 1980, Tenterfield was abolished, with most going into the re-established electorate of Northern Tablelands. With this in mind, Bruxner considered his position on whether to stand again at the next election. Eventually he decided to retire as an MP and as Deputy Leader to allow younger members of the party to gain experience. Following the landslide loss at the September 1981 election, the National Country Party and the Liberals both held 14 seats. Party Leader Leon Punch then contested the vacant Leadership of the Opposition, a move which former deputy Bruxner opposed, but lost to the new leader of the Liberals, John Dowd. On his retirement, he was granted by Queen Elizabeth II, on the Governor's recommendation, retention of the title "The Honourable" for life. After leaving politics, Bruxner retired from public life and returned to his property near Inverell. He died in 2017. ==Notes==