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Sam Benson

1909 – 1995

Australian politician

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About Sam Benson

Lived 1909 – 1995 (aged 86). Sam Benson was an Australian politician and sailor.

Samuel James Benson, CBE (12 July 1909 – 26 July 1995) was an Australian politician. Born in Adelaide, he was educated in that city at St Peter's College. He became a wool-classer, then a seaman and Port Phillip pilot, earning the rank of ship's master in 1938.

Benson joined the Royal Australian Navy during World War II, and commanded the .

Having served as Mayor and Councillor on Williamstown City Council, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in 1962 as the Labor member for Batman, filling the vacancy formed by the death of Alan Bird. The expulsion arose from Benson's support of continued Australian participation in the Vietnam War, and, more specifically, his refusal to resign from an organisation called the Defend Australia Committee, after it had been proscribed by the Federal Executive. This organisation comprised a number of Liberal Party, Democratic Labor Party and right-wing activists, and was supported by B. A. Santamaria. Thereafter he served in parliament as an independent. He was re-elected as an independent in 1966, the first person to achieve this feat in the House of Representatives since Lewis Nott in 1949.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Positions held
Member of the Australian House of Representatives
Awards
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Also known as
Samuel James Benson

People in Sam Benson's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Sam Benson's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Sam Benson?

Australian politician (1909-1995)

When was Sam Benson born?

Sam Benson was born on 12 July 1909 in Cheltenham.

When did Sam Benson die?

Sam Benson died on 26 July 1995 in Australia, Melbourne.

What was Sam Benson's occupation?

Sam Benson was a politician and sailor.

What nationality was Sam Benson?

Sam Benson was Australian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Sam Benson

· Wikidata: Q7407181

· DBpedia: Sam Benson

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sam Benson. https://biography.guide/sam-benson/

MLA: "Sam Benson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sam-benson/.

Chicago: "Sam Benson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sam-benson/.

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