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close to and proud of her son Ian, who was prominent in Northern Territory politics, and often stayed with him
and his family in Darwin. Her friends in Tennant Creek were numerous and she regularly joined some of them in
games of bridge, which she played with great passion. In December 1993, probably aware that her end was close,
she moved into a hostel and nursing home in Perth, where Ian now lived. She died there on 19 January 1994. Her
ashes were transferred in 1995 to Tennant Creek, where a memorial service took place in the Catholic Church of
Christ the King, an historic building for which she had much affection.
Hilda Tuxworth was both formidable and widely respected. Her closest friends called her ‘Biddy’ but she
expected most people to call her ‘Mrs Tuxworth’, something they usually willingly did. She achieved much for
her beloved Tennant Creek and was very determined in pursuit of what she considered worthwhile objectives.
Although far from well during the final decade of her life, she maintained her energy and enthusiasm. She had no
hesitation in seeking help from people who could be useful to her but did so with such charm and grace that they
were nearly always happy to assist. She was at the time of her death a very well known Northern Territory identity.
Among her admirers were people from a great range of ages and backgrounds in various parts of Australia.
Barkly Regional, 29 June 1988; Centralian Advocate, 19 February 1981; Northern Territory News, 22 January 1994; M Platt, Guide to
the Tuxworth–Fullwood Archives, 1989; Northern Territory Women’s Register 1948–1988, rev ed, 1991; H Tuxworth, conversations and
correspondence with the author, 1981–1993; H Tuxworth, Tennant Creek, 1978; H Tuxworth, Helen Springs Station, 1992; I Tuxworth, letter
to the author, 25 February 1994; H J Wilson, ‘The Heritage of Tennant Creek’, Report to the National Trust of Australia (Northern Territory),
1995.
DAVID CARMENT, Vol 1.TUXWORTH, IAN LINDSAY (1942– ), miner, field assistant, businessman and politician, was born in
Wollongong, New South Wales, on 18 January 1942, the son of Lindsay John Tuxworth, miner, and his wife
Hilda Elsie, nee Phegan. He moved to Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, with his family in 1951 and was
educated at the Tennant Creek Area School and Rostrevor College in Adelaide. Returning to Tennant Creek as
a young man, he had various occupations, including miner and field assistant. Between 1962 and 1972, he was
proprietor of a Tennant Creek based drink manufacturing and distribution business, Crystal Aerated Waters.
On 12 November 1966, he married Ruth, daughter of B Pease and his wife. They had one son and two daughters.
In 1972, he built the Eldorado Motel in Tennant Creek, which he owned and operated until 1978.
Intensely interested in politics, he joined the Country Party. On 23 October 1971, he unsuccessfully contested
the Barkly Legislative Council electorate as a candidate for that party. He was, however, elected to the inaugural
Tennant Creek Town Management Board on 4 November 1972 and elected its first Chairman on 22 November,
a position he held until he entered the Northern Territory parliament two years later. The Board was an interim step
towards full municipal government and Tuxworth was prominent in discussion about when and in what form local
government could come to Tennant Creek.
On 19 October 1974, he was elected to the new Northern Territory Legislative Assembly to represent Barkly
for the Country Liberal Party (CLP). He subsequently served as Executive Member for Resource Development,
Community Services and Health. He held those portfolios until the achievement of full self-government on
1 July 1978 when he became Minister for Mines and Energy, a position he held until 1982 and again between 1984
and 1986. With his mining background, he enjoyed this portfolio, established good rapport with mining companies
and worked hard to attract new investment in Territory mining. He was also Minister for Health from 1978 until
1982, for Primary Production between 1982 and 1986 and for Conservation and Community Development from
1982 until 1984. Articulate and hard working, he was often regarded as a ‘strong’ minister on the right wing of
his party. His ministerial career in all portfolios was for the most part one of achievement though also marked by
several well-publicised disagreements with senior bureaucrats. Even his opponents conceded that he was a shrewd
political tactician.
Following the resignation of Paul Everingham as Chief Minister, on 17 October 1984 a meeting of CLP
parliamentarians elected Tuxworth as their new leader. Later that afternoon he was sworn in as Chief Minister,
Minister for Mines and Energy, Minister for Primary Production and Minister for Industrial Development and
Tourism. On 21 December 1984, he announced a new cabinet in which he was Chief Minister and Treasurer.
Tuxworth’s term as Chief Minister over the next two and a half years was marked by increasingly poor relations
on a range of matters between his government and the Commonwealth authorities in Canberra. Largely conflict
arose over funding, the Commonwealth Labor government being rather less generous in its grants to the Territory
than Territorian politicians wished. But there were other matters that resulted in conflict. The most notable of these
were differences over Aboriginal land rights, particularly the Commonwealth decision to return Uluru National
Park to its traditional Aboriginal owners in October 1985, and the Territory’s quest for statehood.
Many Tuxworth government policies were, of course, not contentious and some, such as the construction
of a gas pipeline from central Australia to Darwin and the generous funding of community groups, attracted
widespread popular support. Other policies, though, were sometimes very controversial indeed. These included
government financial support for the casinos in Darwin and Alice Springs, legislation that allowed the Chief
Minister to dismiss senior public servants and the decision to create a university college in Darwin. Tuxworth’s
cabinet was increasingly factionalised as on certain issues some ministers, most notably Tom Harris, Steve Hatton
and Jim Robertson, did not provide the Chief Minister with wholehearted support. The CLP party machine became
increasingly assertive. By 1985, some of the party’s senior office bearers were in open disagreement with Tuxworth.
Paul Everingham, the Territory’s Member of the House of Representatives, frequently criticised the Tuxworth
government’s performances and attempted to influence its decisions. Sections of the media by 1985, especially the