Don Laidlaw


Donald Hope Laidlaw LL.B., B.Litt. was a lawyer, businessman and politician in the State of South Australia.
He was born to Mr. and Mrs. Lyndley Hope Laidlaw of Victoria Avenue, Unley Park, and educated at St. Peter's College, then studied Law and Literature at Adelaide University and Magdalen College, Oxford. He was called to the Bar in 1948.
During World War II he served in the AIF. Intelligence Corps as a Japanese interpreter.
Laidlaw was elected as a Liberal candidate to the Legislative Council in July 1975 and served until November 1982.
He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 1989 Australia Day Honours for "service to secondary industry, the South Australian Parliament and to the community".
He was a member of the Royal Adelaide Golf Club, The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and served on the boards of numerous boards, including Adelaide Brighton Cement, Quarry Industries, Adelaide Wallaroo Fertilizers, Bennett and Fisher and Johns Perry Ltd.

Family

He married Vivienne Perry LLB, a daughter of Frank Tennyson Perry, on 2 February 1948. Their eldest daughter Diana Laidlaw was a noted State politician. He married again, to Vivienne's sister Margaret Pauline.