Tom Stephens
| Tom Stephens | |
|---|---|
|
In office 26 February 2005 – 9 March 2013 |
|
| Preceded by | New seat |
| Succeeded by | Brendon Grylls |
| Constituency | Electoral district of Pilbara |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
15 November 1951 Sydney, New South Wales Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Religion | Catholic |
Thomas Gregory Stephens (born 15 November 1951 in Sydney, New South Wales Australia) was an Australian parliamentarian.
Youngest son to John Joseph and Ellen Genevieve Stephens six children; five sons and one daughter. The family were living at the time on the Hawkesbury River at Brooklyn, New South Wales. Tom was educated by the Sisters of Mercy at their convent school in Parkes, NSW; then at Campbelltown NSW by the Good Samaratin Sisters before his secondary schooling at St Gregory's Marist Brothers Agricultural College in Campbelltown. After completing his secondary schooling, Tom entered St Colomba's Seminary in Springwood where he commenced studies for the Catholic Priesthood. After undertaking studies for a BA at the ANU, Tom continued on to Theology Studies at Manly's St Patrick's College but did not complete those studies for priesthood. Tom had been working closely with Aboriginal people in Redfern, assisting Father Ted Kennedy and Aboriginal leader Mrs ("Mum") Shirely Smith. This work led Tom to the Kimberley region of WA where he became closely involved with many indigenous communities across the region and was centrally involved in establishing the Kimberley Land Council in 1978. Tom became a West Australian state parliamentarian at age 31; he served as an Australian Labor Party member of the Parliament of Western Australia from 1982 to 2013; serving first in the Legislative Council from 1982 to 2004, and then in the Legislative Assembly from 2005 until his retirement on 9 March 2013. Tom served first as a minister, albeit briefly, in the Lawrence Labor Government from 1992 to 1993 and then in the Gallop government from 2001 to 2004.
Stephens was first elected to the Legislative Council at a 1982 by-election for the seat of North Province, sparked by the resignation of Liberal MLC Bill Withers. He was re-elected for North Province in 1983, and then in 1989 for the redistributed seat of the new Mining and Pastoral electoral region. He was re-elected in Mining and Pastoral in 1993, 1996 and 2001.
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