Tim Bruxner

James Caird "Tim" Bruxner (18 May 1923 – 22 August 2017) was an Australian politician who was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 3 March 1962 to 28 August 1981 and the Deputy Leader of the Country Party and its successors in New South Wales from 1975 to 1981.

Bruxner held positions as a Minister of the Crown for Housing, Cooperative Societies, Decentralisation and Development and Tourism in the cabinets of Sir Robert Askin and Tom Lewis. Under Sir Eric Willis, Bruxner was promoted as Minister for Transport and Minister for Highways. Upon losing government in 1976, Bruxner continued as Deputy Leader and Shadow Minister until his retirement from politics in 1981.

Early life and background James Caird Bruxner, better known as 'Tim' (which was an old family nickname), was born 18 May 1923 in Tenterfield, New South Wales, the youngest son of NSW Country Party leader Michael Frederick Bruxner, who had served as Deputy Premier of New South Wales between 1932 and 1941, and Winifred Hay "Midge" Caird. His brother, John Michael Bruxner, later became a Judge of the District Court of New South Wales. He spent his early years on the family property "Roseneath", until he left to attend Cranbrook School, Sydney, becoming School Captain in 1940. Leaving the Army on 10 July 1944, Bruxner joined the Royal Australian Air Force, 7th Operational Training Unit, as a Pilot Officer. On 18 April 1945, Bruxner married Margaret Ann McLeish, with whom he had a son. Upon being discharged on 15 October 1945, Bruxner became a grazier as the owner of 'Old Auburnvale' station near Inverell, where he was a breeder of Aberdeen Angus cattle. and won it at the 1962 election for the Country Party with 50.75% of the vote. Serving in the backbenches in opposition, Bruxner was re-elected at the 1965 election with an increased margin of 57.1% of the vote. On 17 December 1975, in addition to his responsibilities for Decentralisation and Development, the new Premier, Tom Lewis, appointed him as the Minister for Tourism, which had been vacated by Cutler.

When the electoral redistribution results were published in March 1980, Tenterfield was abolished, with most going into the re-established electorate of Northern Tablelands. With this in mind, Bruxner considered his position on whether to stand again at the next election. Eventually he decided to retire as an MP and as Deputy Leader to allow younger members of the party to gain experience. Following the landslide loss at the September 1981 election, the National Country Party and the Liberals both held 14 seats. Party Leader Leon Punch then contested the vacant Leadership of the Opposition, a move which former deputy Bruxner opposed, but lost to the new leader of the Liberals, John Dowd. On his retirement, he was granted by Queen Elizabeth II, on the Governor's recommendation, retention of the title "The Honourable" for life. After leaving politics, Bruxner retired from public life and returned to his property near Inverell. He died in 2017.