Ernie Bridge
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The Honourable Ernie Bridge AM |
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|---|---|
| Member of the Western Australian Parliament for Kimberley |
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In office 23 February 1980 – 10 February 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Alan Ridge |
| Succeeded by | Carol Martin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ernest Francis Bridge 15 December 1936 Halls Creek, Western Australia, Australia |
| Died | 31 March 2013 (aged 76) Perth, Western Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party (1980–1996) |
| Other political affiliations |
Independent (1996–2001) |
| Spouse(s) | Mavis Ida Bridge (née Granger) (1960–2009; her death) |
| Children | 4 |
Ernest Francis "Ernie" Bridge, AM (15 December 1936 – 31 March 2013) was an Australian parliamentarian and country music singer. He was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1980 to 2001, representing the electorate of Kimberley, first as an Australian Labor Party representative (1980–1996) and then as a Labor Independent MP (1996–2001). He was the first indigenous Australian to be a Cabinet minister in any Australian government. He was married to Mavis Bridge from 1960 until her death in March 2009 and had two daughters and two sons.
Bridge was born in Halls Creek. He was a pastoralist and businessman prior to entering politics, and was also a founding member of the Aboriginal Lands Trust in 1972. He served on the Halls Creek council from 1962 to 1979. He contested the marginal seat of Kimberley for the Labor Party at the 1980 state election and won, defeating incumbent Liberal Alan Ridge becoming the first Aboriginal member of the WA parliament. He was a backbencher for his first two terms, being re-elected at the 1983 election and 1986 election.
(See: List of Indigenous Australian politicians)
Ernie Bridge, a descendant of First Fleet convict Matthew James Everingham, was promoted to the ministry by Premier Brian Burke after the return of the Labor government at the 1986 election, with his appointment as Honorary Minister assisting the Ministers for Water Resources, The North-West and Aboriginal Affairs. This made him the first indigenous politician anywhere in Australia to serve in a ministerial portfolio. He was promoted in July of that year to Minister for Water Resources, the North-West and Aboriginal Affairs. He was shifted to the portfolio of Minister for Small Business in 1988 after the accession of Peter Dowding as Premier, but regained his old portfolios in 1989 with his appointment as Minister for Agriculture, Water Resources and the North West, a role which he held until the defeat of the Labor government at the 1993 state election.
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