Grant Tambling

Tambling was born and raised in Darwin in the Northern Territory. He attended Darwin High School and Adelaide Boys' High School, returning to Darwin before moving to Sydney for work.[1]

After a stint in local government on the Darwin City Council, Tambling was elected to the first Northern Territory Legislative Assembly as the Country Liberal Party member for Fannie Bay. Tambling served as Executive Member for Community Development in that first parliament. Executive members were the equivalent of ministers in later years, though that title was not used until self-government was granted in 1978.[2]

In 1975, he became deputy leader of the CLP and hence Deputy Majority Leader (deputy premier) under Majority Leader Goff Letts. Despite that, Tambling was defeated at the 1977 election by Labor Party candidate Pam O'Neil, and began a career in business. He served as the member for the Northern Territory electorate in the House of Representatives from 1980 to 1983, but was again defeated by an ALP rival, John Reeves.[2]

After four years out of parliament, Tambling was once again elected—this time to the Senate—at the 1987 federal election. He replaced Bernie Kilgariff, who he had earlier replaced as Deputy Majority leader. He is the only Territorian to have served in both houses of federal parliament. He spent fourteen years as a Senator, six of them as a parliamentary secretary, before being disendorsed by the CLP at the 2001 election for voting in favour of anti-Internet gaming legislation.[3] Tambling subsequently retired from politics and worked for two years in private consultancy.

Tambling was appointed as the Administrator of Norfolk Island, for a term lasting from 1 November 2003 to September 2007.

He is married with two children.[2]