Colin Mason
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Colin Victor James Mason (born 28 October 1926) is a New Zealand-born Australian journalist, author and former politician.
Mason worked for 14 years as the first foreign correspondent of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation[1] and became deeply involved in Asian affairs. In 1968, he wrote Dragon Army, a popular history of Asian communism.[2]
He joined the Australia Party and rose to become its national convener (1976). He joined the Australian Democrats and was elected to the Senate at the 1977 election as a senator for New South Wales. He and Don Chipp (Victoria) were the first two Australian Democrats elected to the Senate, although Janine Haines (South Australia) had earlier been appointed to a casual vacancy.
He was re-elected at the 1983 double-dissolution election for a three-year term, and again at the 1984 election for a three-year term ending on 30 June, 1988[3]. He retired in 1987 when another double-dissolution election was called.
He later wrote A Short History of Asia (2000) concerning imperialism and the modern history of many individual countries in Asia.
[edit] Notes
- ^ ABC Radio National
- ^ Hewat T and Wilson D Don Chipp Visa, Victoria (1978), p. 102.
- ^ Record of NSW count, 1984, Psephos
