Charles Barnes

Charles Edward "Ceb" Barnes (13 November 1901 – 24 October 1998) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Country Party and served in the House of Representatives from 1958 to 1972. He was a long-serving government minister as Minister for Territories (1963–1968) and External Territories (1968–1972), holding office under five prime ministers.

Early life and education Charles Edward Barnes was born in Einasleigh, Queensland, to wealthy grazier and racehorse breeder J. H. S. Barnes and his wife Sarah, and raised at farms near Hughenden and Warwick, Queensland.

Educated in Sydney, Barnes left school at 17 to work for the Union Trustee Company.

Early career Barnes formed a gold mining syndicate in 1939, re-opening two old mines, the Louisa and British Lion, on the abandoned Palmer Goldfield of North Queensland. Results were disappointing, and wartime fuel rationing closed the operation in 1941. Barnes enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on 9 November 1942, serving in Australia and New Guinea and reaching the rank of Flying Officer before his discharge on 13 September 1944. Following World War II, Barnes purchased Canning Downs station from his father and developed it into a successful thoroughbred horse breeding operation. Barnes also became heavily involved in the local community, serving as a committee member of the Queensland Turf Club and president of the Warwick Show and Rodeo Society.

Politics With the imminent retirement at the 1958 election of former Prime Minister Arthur Fadden as the member for McPherson, the Country Party sought Barnes as Fadden's replacement for the safe Country seat. Apparently hesitant at first, Barnes had to be cajoled to stand and left his campaign launch early, leaving Fadden to make his own way home.

By 1964 Barnes was considered the most likely successor to Country Party leader John McEwen, whose retirement from politics was thought to be imminent.

Commonly known as "Ceb" due to his initials, Barnes was described as "a rather big, solemn man with a heavy brown moustache and keen brown eyes" and represented the image of the quintessential Australian country gentleman.