Andrew Peacock

Andrew Peacock
Peacock in 1969
Leader of the Opposition
In office
9 May 1989 – 3 April 1990
Prime MinisterBob Hawke
DeputyFred Chaney
Preceded byJohn Howard
Succeeded byJohn Hewson
In office
11 March 1983 – 5 September 1985
Prime MinisterBob Hawke
DeputyJohn Howard
Preceded byBob Hawke
Succeeded byJohn Howard
21st Ambassador of Australia to
the United States
In office
2 February 1997 – 27 February 1999
Nominated byJohn Howard
Preceded byJohn McCarthy
Succeeded byMichael Thawley
Party leadership positions
Leader of the Liberal Party
In office
9 May 1989 – 3 April 1990
DeputyFred Chaney
Preceded byJohn Howard
Succeeded byJohn Hewson
In office
11 March 1983 – 5 September 1985
DeputyJohn Howard
Preceded byMalcolm Fraser
Succeeded byJohn Howard
Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party
In office
17 July 1987 – 9 May 1989
LeaderJohn Howard
Preceded byNeil Brown
Succeeded byFred Chaney
Cabinet posts
Minister for Industry and Commerce
In office
11 October 1982 – 11 March 1983
Prime MinisterMalcolm Fraser
Preceded byPhillip Lynch
Succeeded byJohn Button
Minister for Industrial Relations
In office
3 November 1980 – 16 April 1981
Prime MinisterMalcolm Fraser
Preceded byTony Street
Succeeded byIan Viner
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office
11 November 1975 – 3 November 1980
Prime MinisterMalcolm Fraser
Preceded byDon Willesee
Succeeded byTony Street
Minister for the Environment
In office
12 November 1975 – 22 December 1975
Prime MinisterMalcolm Fraser
Preceded byJoe Berinson
Succeeded byIvor Greenwood
Minister for External Territories
In office
25 January 1972 – 5 December 1972
Prime MinisterWilliam McMahon
Preceded byCharles Barnes
Succeeded byGough Whitlam
Minister for the Army
In office
12 November 1969 – 2 February 1972
Prime MinisterJohn Gorton
William McMahon
Preceded byPhillip Lynch
Succeeded byBob Katter, Sr.
Member of the Australian Parliament for Kooyong
In office
2 April 1966 – 17 September 1994
Preceded byRobert Menzies
Succeeded byPetro Georgiou
Personal details
Born
Andrew Sharp Peacock

(1939-02-13)13 February 1939
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died16 April 2021(2021-04-16) (aged 82)
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Political partyLiberal
Spouses
(m. 1963; div. 1978)
Margaret Ingram
(m. 1983; div. 1995)
(m. 2002)
RelationsJohn Rossiter (father-in-law)
Children3
EducationScotch College
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne

Andrew Sharp Peacock AC GCL (13 February 1939 – 16 April 2021) was an Australian politician and diplomat. He served as a cabinet minister and went on to become leader of the Liberal Party on two occasions (1983–1985 and 1989–1990), leading the party to defeat at the 1984 and 1990 elections.

Peacock was born in Melbourne and attended Elsternwick Primary School and Scotch College before studying law at the University of Melbourne. A former president of the Young Liberals, he was elected to Parliament at the age of 27, filling the blue-ribbon seat of Kooyong, vacated by Sir Robert Menzies. Peacock was appointed to cabinet in 1969 by John Gorton and later served under William McMahon and Malcolm Fraser. He held a variety of portfolios, most notably serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1975 to 1980. He unsuccessfully challenged Fraser for the Liberal leadership in 1982, but was then elected as Fraser's successor following the party's defeat at the 1983 election.

At the 1984 election, the Peacock-led Coalition slightly reduced the Labor Party's majority. He resigned the Liberal leadership the following year after failing to have his deputy John Howard removed; he was duly replaced by Howard. He remained a member of the shadow cabinet, and in 1987 unsuccessfully challenged Howard for the leadership; he was instead elected deputy leader. Peacock returned as leader in 1989. However, his second term lasted less than a year, as he resigned after another electoral defeat in 1990; he had won the popular vote but failed to win enough seats. Peacock left politics in 1994 and was later appointed Ambassador to the United States, serving from 1997 to 1999.