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Kevin John Humphries (born 2 April 1960), an Australian politician, was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Barwon for the Nationals from 2007 to 2019. He was the Minister for Healthy Lifestyles and Mental Health between 2011 and 2014 in the O'Farrell government; and the Minister for Western New South Wales from April 2011 to 2015. In April 2014, he was appointed as Minister for Natural Resources, Lands and Water during the Cabinet reshuffle under Premier Mike Baird.

Early years and background

Kevin Humphries is the son of Eileen and Frank Humphries who were married in Tamworth in 1958. He grew in Tamworth and attended St Edward's Primary School which was run at the time by the Sisters of St Joseph. He would on to complete his secondary education at the Christian Brothers College.

Kevin Humphries obtained a scholarship to study at the Catholic Teachers College in Strathfield. He then went to complete a Bachelor of Education externally through University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales. He obtained a Graduate Diploma of Religious Studies (Grad Dip RE) through the Australian Catholic University in Brisbane.

His first teaching position was in 1981 at St Patricks Primary School in Walcha. It was in Walcha that he met his wife and where they were in 1985. They moved to Tamworth and he taught secondary school at Rosary College for four years. He then went on to become the Principal at Sacred Heart School at Boggabri, principal at Sacred Heart School at Geeveston in Tasmania and finally as principal at St Philomena's School in Moree in 1995.

It was in Moree in 1995 that Kevin Humphries first became a director of the Aboriginal Employment Strategy. In 2001 he left the school system and began a management consultancy company. His company specialised in worked in the cotton industry, aged care and the retirement sector. In 2002 he became chair of the New England and North West Area Consultative Committee which was a Federal Regional Partnerships Program set up by the Australian Government.

Political career

Due to the resignation of Barry O'Farrell as Premier, and the subsequent ministerial reshuffle by Mike Baird, the new Liberal Leader, in April 2014 Humphries was promoted as Minister for Natural Resources, Lands and Water and retained the portfolio as Minister for Western New South Wales in the Baird ministry. Humphries lost his Cabinet roles in April 2015 due to a post-election reshuffle. Humphries was a member of Parliament as the Member for Barwon from 2007 until his retirement in 2019.

Personal life

Humprhies is married to Linda and has two sons and a daughter.

References

1. ^ "Kevin Humphries Member for Barwon". Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
2. Humphries, Kevin. "New policy in the area of mental health". YouTube (streaming video). Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
3. ^ Nicholls, Sean (22 April 2014). "Mike Baird's cabinet reshuffle a preparation for next election". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
4. ^ "Kevin Humphries inaugural speech" (PDF). Retrieved 3 April 2019.
5. "Barry O'Farrell quits as NSW Premier over memory fail". The Australian. 16 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
6. "Mike Baird's NSW cabinet". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
7. "NSW Election 2015: Four MPs dumped as Premier Mike Baird's new cabinet takes shape". ABC News Online. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
8. "The Hon. Kevin John HUMPHRIES (1960 - )". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
9. "NSW Nationals MP Kevin Humphries won't recontest Barwon at the 2019 election". The Land. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2019.

• 1960 births
• Living people
• People from Tamworth, New South Wales
• Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
• National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of New South Wales
• 21st-century Australian politicians