Noel Beaton

Noel Lawrence Beaton (28 December 1925 – 18 December 2004) was an Australian politician. Born in Mooroopna, Victoria, he was educated at state schools and was a volunteer firefighter in his home town, before serving in the military from 1945 to 1947, after which he became a sports journalist and broadcaster.

In 1960, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Labor member for Bendigo, narrowly winning a by-election for that seat that followed the death of Percy Clarey.

Melbourne newspaper The Age later reported that his 133-vote winning margin was probably because of the donkey vote, but his personal following grew steadily "until it reached about 1500 in 1966, a time when Labor's Australia-wide vote was at an all-time low."

During his time in Parliament he became a leading contributor on petrochemical policy, served as Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, wrote regional development into Labor policy and was a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War. For his achievements, he was widely considered a potential Minister in a Labor government.