Vale the Hon Ron Boswell AO

The legendary Queensland politician, Ron Boswell, was laid to rest in Brisbane on 16 January at a state funeral attended by key identities from all sides of parliament, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and former Prime Minister, John Howard.

Known simply as ‘Bozzie’, the Hon Ron Boswell AO was a good man who served as a Senator in the Australian Parliament from 1983 to 2014, where he fought for small business, primary industries and traditional family values. Presciently, he also fought against anti-Semitism.

Larger-than-life and a true man of the people, Bozzie was a passionate campaigner for small business, primary industries and traditional family values, giving a strong voice to regional Australians. 

We met in 2008 when I worked in Queensland’s commercial seafood sector. I quickly grew to admire how he treated people: He knew my political colours were not his, but it didn’t bother him. During one of our many chats about commercial fishing, he said: “Mate, I’m only interested in the facts and you’ve got them.” It was obvious to anyone who knew Bozzie that he was an effective politician and someone you wanted in your corner.

Bozzie was a devout Catholic, and his funeral was a presided over by Father Michael Twigg who called for politicians to unite the country in Bozzie’s legacy. His daughter, Catherine, spoke with great affection, sharing that: “Dad was inspired not by power but by purpose. Politics was a way to build a better country, protect the vulnerable … ensure that Australians were treated with fairness and dignity.”

Former Prime Minister Hon John Howard AO spoke fondly about working with Bozzie in the Commonwealth Parliament. He highlighted Bozzie’s fight against anti-Semitism as his greatest contribution, recalling a speech Bozzie made in parliament in 1988 in which he called for political unity to root out extremism.

Rest in peace Ron – you were one-of-a-kind. 

To learn more about the life of Ron Boswell AO, read his 2023 memoir, Not Pretty, But Pretty Effective.