A Tribute to the Hon. Bruce Donaldson 1938-2026

For more than two decades Bruce Donaldson was a loyal, shrewd and effective standard bearer for the Liberal Party in rural Western Australia, serving as MLC for the Agricultural Region for 16 years, as a shadow minister and as Whip in the Legislative Council from 2001 until 2009.

Bruce Donaldson was born in Armadale in 1938 to a farming family and was educated locally and at Hale School before graduating from Narrogin Agricultural College.  From 1956 he was a farmer and grazier at Koorda, involved in the WA Farmers’ Federation and a range of local community organisations. 

He served on the Shire Council of Koorda from 1980 to 1993, with six years as Deputy President.  This led to Executive membership of the Country Shire Councils Association 1984-93, including a term as President from 1988 to 1990.  He was President of the WA Municipal Association from 1990 to 1992, and an Executive Member of the Australian Local Government Association 1989-93, with a major contribution in the area of roads and transport.  At a statewide level he was a commissioner/member of the Grants Commission, the Bush Fires Board, the State Planning Commission, the WA Rural Water Committee, and the Goldmining Industry Council – to list only some of his community activities.

Bruce had joined the Koorda Branch of the Liberal Party and was its President 1984-88.  He was endorsed to contest a by-election for the Central Province of the Legislative Council in November 1984.  This resulted from the sudden death of Liberal MLC Gordon Atkinson, who had won this hitherto safe Country Party/National Party seat at the 1983 election.  In this 4-way contest with ALP, National and National Country Party opponents, Gordon Atkinson had received preferences from both rival NP and NCP candidates to defeat Labor.

However, by late 1984 the split in the National Party had been resolved, with the endorsement of a strong National candidate in Eric Charlton; and the Nationals were further advantaged when the ALP did not contest the by-election, when Labor voters were likely to favour National.  Bruce campaigned strongly across the seats of Avon, Merredin and Mount Marshall that comprised Central Province, and polled 40.3% of the primary vote – an increase of 14.2% from 1983.  After preferences he polled 47.1%, losing by a slim 1300 vote margin.  At the 1986 election Bruce chaired the Liberal campaign committee for Central Province, achieving another close result.

In 1992 with the 2-member Provinces having been replaced by Regions, both longstanding Liberal MLCs for the Agricultural Region stood down and Bruce Donaldson was selected to head the Liberal ticket, recognising his contributions to the rural community, local government and the Liberal Party.  He was elected at the 1993 election, with the late Murray Nixon in 2^nd position, in a Region comprising the Legislative Assembly seats of Greenough, Geraldton, Moore, Avon, Merredin, Wagin and Roe.

Bruce headed the Liberal team for the Agricultural Region for the next three elections (the 1996 election seeing a combined Liberal-National ticket).  At his final contest in 2005 the Liberal ticket polled 39.4% of the vote, winning three of the five seats in the Region for the first and only time.

From 2001 he served as Opposition Whip in the Legislative Council, and as Government Whip from 2008 until the expiry of his 4^th term in 2009.  Between 2001 and 2008 he was a shadow minister covering Agriculture, Fisheries and the Wheatbelt/Midwest, also serving on a succession of senior Committee positions. 

Bruce Donaldson made an exceptional contribution to rural and regional Western Australia in the decade before his election to Parliament and upheld the Liberal Party in what had earlier been strong National Party electorates.  He was a strong campaigner and a respected member of the Parliamentary Liberal team.

Bruce and Lynette had been married since 1963, and we express our condolences to her, to Jeff, Wayne and Jennifer, and to four grandchildren.