Robert Hill (Australian politician)

Early life and education

Robert Murray Hill was born on 25 September 1946 in Adelaide, South Australia, the son of Murray Hill, a politician who served as a minister in Steele Hall's government and was a member of the Liberal Reform Party. His father also worked in real estate, which provided him with financial independence and a politically liberal upbringing. Hill was educated at Scotch College, Adelaide, and later at the University of Adelaide, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws.

In September 1966, Hill's birthdate was selected in the national service ballot. He received a deferral while studying law, and after graduation he reported to the authorities but was exempted from service on health grounds. From 1968 he studied at the London School of Economics, where he obtained a Master of Laws, before returning to Adelaide in 1970 to practise law. National service in Australia ended in December 1972.

Political career

Early career

Upon returning to South Australia, Hill practised as a barrister and solicitor. Early in his legal career, he assisted in drafting the first bill introduced into the South Australian Parliament to decriminalise homosexuality between consenting adult men. He also held several positions within the Liberal Party, serving as chair of the South Australian Liberal Party Campaign Committee from 1975 to 1977, vice-president of the South Australian Liberal Party from 1977 to 1979, and chair of the Liberal Party Constitution Committee from 1977 to 1981.

Senator for South Australia (1980–1989)

Hill was elected to the Senate for South Australia following the 1980 Australian federal election and took his seat on 1 July 1981, succeeding Condor Laucke. During his time in the Senate, he served on several committees, including the Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs from 25 August 1981 to 5 June 1987, the Standing Committee on the Parliamentary Library from 25 August 1981 to 4 February 1983, Estimates Group E from 26 August 1981 to 10 September 1982, the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence from 23 September 1981 to 5 June 1987, the Select Committee on South West Tasmania from 24 September 1981 to 20 April 1983, the Standing Committee on the Scrutiny of Bills from 19 November 1981 to 4 February 1983, and Estimates Group A from 9 September 1982 to 21 August 1986.

Hill was re-elected during the 1983 Australian federal election. He served as a delegate to the South Pacific Conference in the Northern Mariana Islands from September to October 1983 and to the 30th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference in the Isle of Man from September to October 1984. He was a member of the Joint Statutory Committee on the National Crime Authority from 11 October 1984 to 26 October 1984. Hill held party positions as President of the Liberal Party in South Australia from 1985 to 1987 and as a member of the Liberal Party Federal Executive from 1985 to 1987. He was also a member of the National Library of Australia Council from 22 February 1985 to 21 November 1989 and served as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly in the United States from September to December 1986. Additionally, he served on Senate Estimates committees, including Estimates Group E from 24 March 1987 to 3 April 1987 and Estimates Group C from 31 March 1987 to 29 April 1987.

Following the release of the election results, Hill was one of four senators to be re-elected in the 1987 Australian federal election and given a three-year term. He served on several Senate and joint committees, including the Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs from 24 September 1987 to 7 May 1990, the Standing Committee on the Parliamentary Library from 24 September 1987 to 6 September 1989, the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade from 9 October 1987 to 19 February 1990, the Joint Statutory Committee on the National Crime Authority from 9 October 1987 to 19 February 1990, Estimates Group D from 29 September 1988 to 6 September 1989, the Joint Standing Committee on the Australian Capital Territory from 31 May 1989 to 6 September 1989, and Estimates Group B from 6 September 1989 to 7 May 1990. He held shadow ministerial roles as Shadow Minister for Justice, the Australian Capital Territory and the Status of Women from 16 September 1988 to 14 June 1989, and as Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs from 14 June 1989 to 7 April 1993, serving in the Peacock shadow ministry from 14 June 1989 to 11 March 1996.

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (1990–1996)

Following the 1990 Australian federal election, Hill served as a member of the Liberal Party Federal Executive from 1990 to 1993 and as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 11 April 1990 to 11 March 1996. He held positions on several Senate committees, including the Standing Committee on Appropriations and Staffing from 8 May 1990 to 27 January 2006, the Standing Committee on Procedure from 8 May 1990 to 20 January 2006, Estimates Group B from 24 August 1990 to 3 December 1992, and as a substitute member of Estimates Group E from 20 August 1992 to 8 February 1993. Hill held shadow ministerial roles as Shadow Minister for Defence and Public Administration from 7 April 1993 to 17 January 1994, Shadow Minister for Public Administration from 17 January 1994 to 26 May 1994, and Shadow Minister for Education, Science and Technology from 26 May 1994 to 11 March 1996. In April 1993, he served as an official observer to the Eritrean independence referendum.

In 1994, Hill was unsuccessful in seeking Liberal preselection for the House of Representatives seat of Boothby; the preselected candidate was Andrew Southcott, who subsequently won the seat. The attempt drew criticism from Liberal backbencher Rod Atkinson, who cited internal party leaks, campaigning in preselections, and shadow ministers speaking outside their portfolios as undermining trust within the party. Opposition Leader Alexander Downer, associated with the conservative wing, did not actively support Hill, a moderate, but denied any cabinet leaks had occurred and defended ministers speaking to journalists about their portfolios.

Minister for the Environment (1996–2001)

Hill was re-elected during the 1996 Australian federal election and served as Leader of the Government in the Senate from 11 March to 20 January 2006. In the first Howard ministry sworn in on 11 March, he was appointed Minister for the Environment, representing the environment, sport and territories portfolio in cabinet. Between 1996 and 1997, Hill led Australia's climate negotiations at Geneva and Kyoto, reporting to cabinet that the country faced rising emissions and international criticism; he defended Australia's position against legally binding targets while promoting domestic measures and task forces to manage greenhouse gas reductions. At the 1997 Kyoto climate conference, Hill led Australia's delegation to secure special concessions, including the "Australia clause" allowing land-use emissions to be counted, which enabled the country to meet its Kyoto target despite fossil fuel emissions rising 25–30%, a move criticised internationally for undermining climate negotiations. He was a delegate to the Australian Constitutional Convention in Canberra in February and stated in November 1998 that Australia's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol depended on the United States and major developing countries joining, while noting that Australia was on track to limit emissions growth.

Minister for Defence (2001–2006)

Hill was re-elected during the 2001 Australian federal election and, in the third Howard ministry sworn in on 26 November 2001, was appointed Minister for Defence. Later that year, on 2 December, he confirmed that Australia had contributed to the war in Afghanistan, with an advance party already deployed and the remainder of a 150-strong force arriving shortly after. Hill stated that Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) would operate under Australian command while coordinating with coalition forces, emphasising their preparedness for the mission to defeat the Taliban and disrupt al-Qaeda operations. In May 2002, he visited Bagram Airbase to oversee Australian operations and announced that Australia might maintain its deployment until the end of the year, outlining plans for additional SASR rotations and potential support for the Afghan Interim Administration. In June 2002, Hill delivered a speech reassessing Australia's defence strategy, challenging the "concentric circles" model and highlighting the likelihood of Australian Defence Force (ADF) deployments beyond national borders. In January 2003, he confirmed that plans to outsource all defence warehousing and logistics had stalled due to failed negotiations with Tenix Toll.

In 2003, Hill supported Australia's involvement in the Iraq War based on the intelligence available at the time and advocated for transparency on cabinet deliberations, working closely with Defence officials including Chief of the Defence Force Peter Cosgrove. He later acknowledged government errors on Indigenous issues such as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission and the Stolen Generations. During the same period, Hill commented on the improving security situation in the Solomon Islands ahead of an Australian-led peacekeeping deployment. By 2004 and 2005, Hill faced speculation over his future, but he continued in the role, addressing operational issues in Afghanistan and reserving judgment on allegations of SASR misconduct while awaiting further information from Cosgrove. His tenure involved engagement with international partners, including United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, regarding coalition operations.

Hill announced his resignation from Parliament on 20 January 2006 after nearly 25 years of service, expressing gratitude to his family, staff, and Senate colleagues. Prime Minister John Howard described his departure as a "huge loss" to the government. Among his final acts in the Senate, Hill supported a bill transferring control of the abortion-inducing drug RU486 to the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Later life

On 15 March 2006, he resigned from the Senate and, two days later, was appointed Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations (UN), replacing Caroline Millar. He presented his credentials in the UN headquarters on 1 May 2006 and served until May 2009. Hill's diplomatic appointment had been criticised by then Shadow Foreign Minister and future Prime Minister Kevin Rudd who had doubts about Hill's diplomatic skills and said that the Howard Government had used the diplomatic service as "a Liberal Party employment agency" and this had left diplomats without the capacity to realise their ambitions.

Despite this earlier criticism from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd regarding his diplomatic skills, Hill was appointed in 2009 to chair the Carbon Trust, reflecting recognition of his international experience and expertise in energy efficiency and climate change. At the time, he was also an adjunct professor at the United States Studies Centre, contributing to research and teaching on sustainability, climate change, and environmental policy. Hill led the development of the Dow Sustainability Program at the University of Sydney, launched in February 2010 with US$2 million from The Dow Chemical Company Foundation to tackle sustainability challenges across energy, water, food, and biodiversity. He served in as the chair until January 2012.

On 9 April 2010, Hill was appointed the 15th chancellor of the University of Adelaide, with his two-year term beginning on 26 July. He was reappointed for a further two-year term on 21 February 2012, extending his leadership to July 2014. During this period, Hill joined the Advisory Board of United Against Nuclear Iran in August 2012, where CEO Mark Wallace noted his expertise in diplomatic and military matters. That year, he also joined the board of Climateworks Australia in August and attended the launch of the Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living at the University of New South Wales in December as chairman.

In 2013, Hill was appointed chair of Re.Group and served on the board of North Harbour Clean Energy, a company developing pumped hydro and vanadium battery projects to support Australia's renewable energy transition. On 11 May 2015, he was appointed to the Oversight Board monitoring the implementation of the First Principles Review recommendations for the ADF. On 28 June 2016, Hill joined the inaugural Supervisory Board of Rheinmetall Defence Australia as a non-executive director alongside John Caligari. In 2017, he became chairman of the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust Board and also served on the Asia Pacific Board of The Nature Conservancy and as a governor of WWF-Australia. In 2018, Hill was reported as a member of a high-level group examining Commonwealth reform, and he was appointed to head the Antarctic Science Foundation, a public–private partnership focused on research, conservation, and education, while also joining the board of Viva Energy as an Independent non-executive director and chairman in June 2018.

Hill stepped down as chair of the Antarctic Science Foundation in 2019, succeeded by Katherine Woodthorpe. He concluded his term on the Australian Strategic Policy Institute Council during 2021–22, where he had contributed to governance and strategic oversight. In November 2023, Hill joined a campaign led by Sophie Scamps calling for a national ban on native forest logging in Australia, arguing for the conservation of remaining native forests to protect biodiversity and emphasising that those affected by the ban should receive support.

Personal life

Hill is married to Diana Marie Jacka, who has served as president of UNICEF Australia and is a psychologist with experience working with children in juvenile detention and with intellectual or physical disabilities. They have four children, two sons and two daughters, including their daughter Victoria, an Adelaide-based actress. Outside politics, Hill has pursued interests in history and winemaking.

Honours

Hill has received several honours in recognition of his public service. On 1 January 2001, he was awarded the Centenary Medal for service as Minister for Defence. On 11 June 2012, he was named a Companion of the Order of Australia for eminent service to the Parliament of Australia, particularly through policy reform in the environment and defence portfolios, and for his contributions to Australia's international relations through senior diplomatic representation to the UN. He was awarded a Doctor of Laws honoris causa by the University of Adelaide on 29 April 2015 and a Doctor of Political Science honoris causa by the University of Queensland in 2017.

Notes

References

References

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