Don Hopgood

Australian politician

  • Don Dunstan
  • Des Corcoran
Preceded byHugh HudsonSucceeded byHarold AllisonMinister Assisting the PremierIn office
20 September 1973 – 23 June 1975Minister of Development and MinesIn office
20 September 1973 – 23 June 1975Member of the South Australian Parliament
for BaudinIn office
17 September 1977 – 11 December 1993Preceded byDistrict createdSucceeded byDistrict abolished Personal detailsBorn
Donald Jack Hopgood

(1938-09-05) 5 September 1938 (age 85)
Prospect, South AustraliaPolitical partyLaborSpouse
Helen Raelene Medlin
​
​
(m. 1964; died 2007)​
ChildrenthreeParent(s)Jack and Gwen (nee Bessell) HopgoodAlma materFlinders UniversityModerator of the Synod of South AustraliaChurchUniting Church in AustraliaElected1997Term ended1999PredecessorRev Margaret PolkinghorneSuccessorRev Don Catford [1]

Donald Jack Hopgood AO (born 5 September 1938) is a former South Australian politician who was the 5th Deputy Premier of South Australia from 1985 to 1992. Hopgood represented the House of Assembly seats of Mawson from 1970 to 1977 and Baudin from 1977 to 1993 for the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party, and was promoted to the Labor frontbench in 1973.

Early life and education

Donald Jack Hopgood was born on born 5 September 1938 at Prospect, an inner northern suburb of Adelaide. His father worked at Berger Paints. His maternal grandfather worked at Islington Railway Workshops, while his paternal grandfather was a retired typesetter.[2]

Hopgood grew up in Prospect and was a member of the Prospect North Methodist Church Sunday school.[2] He went to Prospect Primary School and Adelaide Boys' High School.[3]

He then trained to be a teacher at Adelaide Teachers' College on Kintore Avenue, Adelaide.[4] Hopgood started learning to play jazz trumpet at age 18, and played in jazz bands at church and university.[5]

Career

Teaching

Hopgood taught from 1960[6] at Le Fevre Boys' Technical High School for three years, then moved to Whyalla Technical High School for a year (while still studying), then Westminster School for almost five years. He started teaching science, including physics, but after graduating in arts started teaching modern history as well. He did an honours degree in arts while teaching at Westminster.[7]

He won a three-year scholarship to study for a PhD from Flinders University,[8] so left teaching to do his PhD[6] in 1968. He was still studying for his PhD when he was elected to state parliament, so converted the final year to part-time.[9] His thesis was on history, which was within the School of Social Science at Flinders, titled "A Psephological Examination of the South Australian Labor Party from World War I to the Depression".[10]

Politics

Hopgood represented the House of Assembly seats of Mawson from 1970 to 1977 and Baudin from 1977 to 1993 for the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party, and was promoted to the Labor frontbench in 1973.[1]

Other activities

Hopgood was a lay preacher during his early years as a teacher.[6]

He was moderator of the Synod of South Australia of the Uniting Church in Australia from 1997 to 1999.[11]

Personal life

Hopgood got engaged in Whyalla in 1963 and married in 1964. His wife moved to Adelaide with him and also taught at Westminster School.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b "Hon Dr Don Hopgood AO". Former members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b Murchie 2013, pp. 2–3
  3. ^ Murchie 2013, pp. 26, 29
  4. ^ Murchie 2013, p.51
  5. ^ Murchie 2013, p38
  6. ^ a b c d Hopgood, Don. "Full transcript of an interview with DON HOPGOOD" (PDF) (Interview). J.D. Somerville Oral History Collection, State Library of South Australia: Interview No. OH 715/6. Interviewed by Linn, Rob. p. 1,5-6. SOHC/OH 715/6. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  7. ^ Murchie 2013, pp 52–53, 61, 63, 67
  8. ^ Murchie 2013, pp 70, 84
  9. ^ Murchie 2013, p 98
  10. ^ Murchie 2013, p.55
  11. ^ "About Hopgood Theatre". Country Arts SA. Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.

Source

  • Hopgood, Don (14 April – 19 September 2013). "Full transcript of an interview with Don Hopgood" (PDF). J.D. Somerville Oral History Collection, State Library of South Australia: Interview No. OH 1025 (transcript). Interviewed by Murchie, Alison. Transcribed by Deborah Gard. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
Political offices
Preceded by
Jack Wright
 Deputy Premier of South Australia
1985 – 1992 		Succeeded by
South Australian House of Assembly
New district Member for Mawson
1970–1977 		Succeeded by
New district Member for Baudin
1977–1993 		District abolished


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