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.[1]

Hopgood was moderator of the Synod of South Australia of the Uniting Church in Australia from 1997 to 1999.[2]

Early life

Hopgood was born in 1938 at Prospect, an inner northern suburb of Adelaide. His father worked at Berger Paints. His maternal grandfather worked at Islington Railway Workshops. His paternal grandfather was a retired typesetter. Hopgood grew up in Prospect and was a member of the Prospect North Methodist Church Sunday school.[3] He went to Prospect Primary School and Adelaide Boys' High School.[4]

Hopgood started learning to play jazz trumpet at age 18. He played in jazz bands at church and university.[5] He went to Adelaide Teachers' College on Kintore Avenue, Adelaide and taught 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.[6] He won a scholarship to study for a PhD from Flinders University after he had been a teacher.[7] He was still studying for his PhD when he was elected to state parliament, so converted the final year to part-time.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b "Hon Dr Don Hopgood AO". Former members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  2. ^ "About Hopgood Theatre". Country Arts SA. Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  3. ^ Murchie 2013, pp. 2–3
  4. ^ Murchie 2013, pp. 26, 29
  5. ^ Murchie 2013, p38
  6. ^ Murchie 2013, pp 52–53, 61, 63, 67
  7. ^ Murchie 2013, pp 70, 84
  8. ^ Murchie 2013, p 98

Further reading

  • Murchie, Alison (14 April – 19 September 2013), Full transcript of an interview with Don Hopgood (PDF) (transcript), Transcribed by Deborah Gard, retrieved 21 April 2019
  • Linn, Rob, "Hopgood, Don" (PDF), J.D. SOMERVILLE ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION, STATE LIBRARY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA: INTERVIEW NO. OH 715/6, SOHC/OH 715/6, 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


  • v
  • t
  • e