About Wayne Matthew
Born 1958. Wayne Matthew is an Australian politician and lobbyist.
Wayne Anthony Matthew (born 14 January 1958) is a former Australian politician. He was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Bright for the Liberal Party from 1989 to 2006.
Matthew was elected at the 1989 election, defeating Labor's Derek Robertson. Matthew was promoted to the opposition frontbench in 1990 and became a cabinet minister at the 1993 election when the Liberals won government. Two weeks after John Olsen successfully challenged Dean Brown for the premiership in 1996, Matthew was dropped from cabinet having refused to support Olsen becoming premier. Despite this, Matthew was re-appointed to cabinet following the 1997 election, until his party lost government under premier Rob Kerin at the 2002 election.
Matthew held many and varied cabinet and shadow portfolios from 1990 to 2005. In government, Matthew served at various times as a member of the Executive Council, Minister for Police, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for State Government Services, Minister for Administrative Services, Minister for Information Services, Minister for Year 2000 Compliance, Minister Assisting the Deputy Premier, and Minister for Minerals and Energy.
On 14 March 2005, Matthew announced that he would retire from Parliament at the 2006 election and in May 2005 subsequently stepped down from the shadow cabinet. Matthew was succeeded in Bright by Labor's Chloë Fox.
Matthew has worked as a Lobbyist since his retirement from Parliament.
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Important facts
People in Wayne Matthew's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Wayne Matthew's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Wayne Matthew?
Australian politician
When was Wayne Matthew born?
Wayne Matthew was born on 14 January 1958 in Henley Beach.
What is Wayne Matthew's occupation?
Wayne Matthew is a politician and lobbyist.
What nationality is Wayne Matthew?
Wayne Matthew is Australian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Wayne Matthew. https://biography.guide/wayne-matthew/
MLA: "Wayne Matthew." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/wayne-matthew/.
Chicago: "Wayne Matthew." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/wayne-matthew/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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