Andrew Peacock

The Honourable Andrew Peacock AC GCL
Peacock in 1969
Leader of the Opposition
In office 9 May 1989 – 3 April 1990
Prime Minister	Bob Hawke
Deputy	Fred Chaney
Preceded by	John Howard
Succeeded by	John Hewson
In office 11 March 1983 – 5 September 1985
Prime Minister	Bob Hawke
Deputy	John Howard
Preceded by	Bob Hawke
Succeeded by	John Howard
21st Ambassador of Australia to the United States
In office 2 February 1997 – 27 February 1999
Nominated by	John Howard
Preceded by	John McCarthy
Succeeded by	Michael Thawley
Party leadership positions Leader of the Liberal Party In office 9 May 1989 – 3 April 1990 Deputy Fred Chaney Preceded by John Howard Succeeded by John Hewson In office 11 March 1983 – 5 September 1985 Deputy John Howard Preceded by Malcolm Fraser Succeeded by John Howard Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party In office 17 July 1987 – 9 May 1989 Leader John Howard Preceded by Neil Brown Succeeded by Fred Chaney
Cabinet posts Minister for Industry and Commerce In office 11 October 1982 – 11 March 1983 Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser Preceded by Phillip Lynch Succeeded by John Button Minister for Industrial Relations In office 3 November 1980 – 16 April 1981 Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser Preceded by Tony Street Succeeded by Ian Viner Minister for Foreign Affairs In office 11 November 1975 – 3 November 1980 Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser Preceded by Don Willesee Succeeded by Tony Street Minister for the Environment In office 12 November 1975 – 22 December 1975 Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser Preceded by Joe Berinson Succeeded by Ivor Greenwood Minister for External Territories In office 25 January 1972 – 5 December 1972 Prime Minister William McMahon Preceded by Charles Barnes Succeeded by Gough Whitlam Minister for the Army In office 12 November 1969 – 2 February 1972 Prime Minister John Gorton William McMahon Preceded by Phillip Lynch Succeeded by Bob Katter, Sr.
Member of the Australian Parliament for Kooyong
In office 2 April 1966 – 17 September 1994
Preceded by	Robert Menzies
Succeeded by	Petro Georgiou
Personal details
Born	Andrew Sharp Peacock (1939-02-13)13 February 1939 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died	16 April 2021(2021-04-16) (aged 82) Austin, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Liberal
Spouses	Susan Rossiter ​ ​ (m. 1963; div. 1978)​ Margaret Ingram ​ ​ (m. 1983; div. 1995)​ Penne Korth ​ (m. 2002)​
Relations	John Rossiter (father-in-law)
Children	3
Education	Scotch College
Alma mater	University of Melbourne

Andrew Sharp Peacock AC GCL (13 February 1939 – 16 April 2021) was an Australian politician and diplomat. He served as a cabinet minister and went on to become leader of the Liberal Party on two occasions (1983–1985 and 1989–1990), leading the party to defeat at the 1984 and 1990 elections.

Peacock was born in Melbourne and attended Elsternwick Primary School and Scotch College before studying law at the University of Melbourne. A former president of the Young Liberals, he was elected to Parliament at the age of 27, filling the blue-ribbon seat of Kooyong, vacated by Sir Robert Menzies. Peacock was appointed to cabinet in 1969 by John Gorton and later served under William McMahon and Malcolm Fraser. He held a variety of portfolios, most notably serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1975 to 1980. He unsuccessfully challenged Fraser for the Liberal leadership in 1982, but was then elected as Fraser's successor following the party's defeat at the 1983 election.

At the 1984 election, the Peacock-led Coalition slightly reduced the Labor Party's majority. He resigned the Liberal leadership the following year after failing to have his deputy John Howard removed; he was duly replaced by Howard. He remained a member of the shadow cabinet, and in 1987 unsuccessfully challenged Howard for the leadership; he was instead elected deputy leader. Peacock returned as leader in 1989. However, his second term lasted less than a year, as he resigned after another electoral defeat in 1990; he had won the popular vote but failed to win enough seats. Peacock left politics in 1994 and was later appointed Ambassador to the United States, serving from 1997 to 1999.