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Farmer also has a unique friendship with leading Australian artist [[Sharon Davson]], who is also his ‘biographer’ in paint. In 2000, Pat Farmer commissioned Davson to create a painting for him. That ''Turning Point'' painting included imagery which visually recorded aspects of the athlete’s life. [[Celia Berrell]] wrote a poem about the painting about the athlete. <ref> http://issuu.com/inflightpublishing/docs/skippersinflightmagazineissue21/76davson</ref> From 2000, Pat Farmer was a Patron of several major endeavours concerning Davson including the ''48 Hours To World Peace'' charity she founded, the ''Davson Arts Museum'' peace and environment centre in Newcastle, and the 2nd major [[retrospective exhibition]] of her art ''Davson ~ World Leaders and Enlightenment'' <ref>http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/05/28/2911808.htm?site=southeastsa</ref> that toured in public art galleries and venues from 2008 to 2011. This exhibition which featured his “Turning Point” painting was the opening exhibition of both the Davson Arts Museum in Newcastle and the Lockyer Valley Cultural Centre in Davson's home town of Gatton in Queensland in December 2009.
Farmer also has a unique friendship with leading Australian artist [[Sharon Davson]], who is also his ‘biographer’ in paint. In 2000, Pat Farmer commissioned Davson to create a painting for him. That ''Turning Point'' painting included imagery which visually recorded aspects of the athlete’s life. [[Celia Berrell]] wrote a poem about the painting about the athlete. <ref> http://issuu.com/inflightpublishing/docs/skippersinflightmagazineissue21/76davson</ref> From 2000, Pat Farmer was a Patron of several major endeavours concerning Davson including the ''48 Hours To World Peace'' charity she founded, the ''Davson Arts Museum'' peace and environment centre in Newcastle, and the 2nd major [[retrospective exhibition]] of her art ''Davson ~ World Leaders and Enlightenment'' <ref>http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/05/28/2911808.htm?site=southeastsa</ref> that toured in public art galleries and venues from 2008 to 2011. This exhibition which featured his “Turning Point” painting was the opening exhibition of both the Davson Arts Museum in Newcastle and the Lockyer Valley Cultural Centre in Davson's home town of Gatton in Queensland in December 2009.


Davson was a sponsor of Farmer’s ''Pole to Pole'' run, making her the first artist to sponsor<ref>http://www.gattonstar.com.au/news/duo-commit-to-a-worthy-cause/716320/</ref> an international sporting event. <ref>http://issuu.com/inflightpublishing/docs/skippersinflightmagazineissue21/76davson</ref> Davson also created art works about this world record making venture. <ref> http://davsonarts.com.au/media/uploads/2012SeptemberBusinessResourceandlifestyle.jpg</ref> Then in 2014, Davson became a significant Sponsor of the "Middle East Peace Run" in [[Israel]] with Pat Farmer, with her art featured on his running shirt. <ref>http://davsonarts.com.au/media/uploads/RunningShirt.jpg</ref> This event was launched by the [[Prime Minister of Australia]], the Honourable [[Tony Abbot]]t against a backdrop of Davson's art in [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] in [[Canberra]] in April 2014. <ref>http://davsonarts.com.au/media/uploads/bio.pdf</ref> Two paintings about Farmer featured in events in the following weeks in the [[Middle East]] included ''Connecting Friends'' exhibitions of Davson's paintings in the [[Peres]] Peace House in [[Tel Aviv]] and in the [[King David Hotel]] in [[Jerusalem]]. <ref>http://davsonarts.com.au/media/uploads/bio.pdf</ref> These exhibitions and events also featured a "World Flag" <ref>http://www.jpost.com/Sports/Australian-ultra-marathoner-to-complete-20-day-Middle-East-Peace-Run-352776</ref> designed by Davson in 2004 as a symbol for greater harmony among all of Earth's inhabitants, for which Farmer is also a Patron. <ref>http://davsonarts.com.au/media/uploads/bio.pdf</ref>
Davson was a sponsor of Farmer’s ''Pole to Pole'' run, making her the first artist to sponsor<ref>http://www.gattonstar.com.au/news/duo-commit-to-a-worthy-cause/716320/</ref> an international sporting event. <ref>http://issuu.com/inflightpublishing/docs/skippersinflightmagazineissue21/76davson</ref> Davson also created art works about this world record making venture. <ref> http://davsonarts.com.au/media/uploads/2012SeptemberBusinessResourceandlifestyle.jpg</ref> Then in 2014, Davson became a significant Sponsor of the ''Middle East Peace Run'' in [[Israel]] with Pat Farmer, with her art featured on his running shirt. <ref>http://davsonarts.com.au/media/uploads/RunningShirt.jpg</ref> This event was launched by the [[Prime Minister of Australia]], the Honourable [[Tony Abbot]]t against a backdrop of Davson's art in [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] in [[Canberra]] in April 2014. <ref>http://davsonarts.com.au/media/uploads/bio.pdf</ref> Two paintings about Farmer featured in events in the following weeks in the [[Middle East]] included ''Connecting Friends'' exhibitions of Davson's paintings in the [[Peres]] Peace House in [[Tel Aviv]] and in the [[King David Hotel]] in [[Jerusalem]]. <ref>http://davsonarts.com.au/media/uploads/bio.pdf</ref> These exhibitions and events also featured a "World Flag" <ref>http://www.jpost.com/Sports/Australian-ultra-marathoner-to-complete-20-day-Middle-East-Peace-Run-352776</ref> designed by Davson in 2004 as a symbol for greater harmony among all of Earth's inhabitants, for which Farmer is also a Patron. <ref>http://davsonarts.com.au/media/uploads/bio.pdf</ref>


==Political career==
==Political career==

Revision as of 22:58, 9 January 2015

This article is about the athlete and politician. For the soccer coach, see Pat Farmer (soccer).
The Honourable
Pat Farmer
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Macarthur
In office
10 November 2001 – 19 July 2010
Preceded byJohn Fahey
Succeeded byRussell Matheson
Personal details
Born (1962-03-14) 14 March 1962 (age 62)
Sydney, New South Wales
NationalityAustralian
Political partyLiberal Party of Australia
SpouseTania Farmer (2014- ) Lisa (deceased)(1992-1998)
ChildrenBrooke (f), Dillon (m)
OccupationUltra-marathon athlete and motivational speaker
ProfessionAthlete; motivational speaker

Patrick Francis Daniel "Pat" Farmer (born 14 March 1962[2]), an ultra-marathon athlete, motivational speaker, and former Australian politician, was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the seat of Macarthur in south-west Sydney, New South Wales from 2001 to 2010, as a member of the Liberal Party. Farmer has an established reputation in international and national ultra-marathons. Between April 2011 and January 2012, Farmer successfully completed the world's longest ultra-marathon, a "Pole to Pole Run" from the North Pole to the South Pole, raising A$100,000 for Red Cross International.

Biography

Farmer was born in the Sydney suburb of Ultimo, one of seven children to Mary and Frank Farmer and grew up in Sydney’s western suburbs,[3] starting his working life as a motor mechanic from 1977 to 1984 after attending Granville TAFE.[2]

From 1984 to 2000, Farmer commenced his passion of ultra-marathon running while working with his brother Tony as a landscape gardener and later as a motivational speaker.[2] In 1992, he married Lisa Bullivant and they bought land in Catherine Field, where they began building their family home. They went on to have two children, Brooke and Dillon. In 1998, Lisa, aged 34, died unexpectedly of Mitral Valve Prolapse and Farmer was left to raise his two children on his own.[3]

During this period, Farmer set a number of ultra-marathon Australian and world records, which placed him in the elite of the sport. Before joining politics in 2001, he raised very significant funds for Diabetes Australia, Lifeline, Careflight International and the Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research. Farmer is perhaps best known for his record breaking 14,964 km Centenary of Federation run around all of Australia in 1999, taking 191 days.These records were never ratified and are still held by Gary Parsons of Queensland. This event raised considerable funds for charity. He was named Achiever of the Year at the Australian of the Year Awards 2000, presented by Prime Minister John Howard.[4]

Farmer also has a unique friendship with leading Australian artist Sharon Davson, who is also his ‘biographer’ in paint. In 2000, Pat Farmer commissioned Davson to create a painting for him. That Turning Point painting included imagery which visually recorded aspects of the athlete’s life. Celia Berrell wrote a poem about the painting about the athlete. [5] From 2000, Pat Farmer was a Patron of several major endeavours concerning Davson including the 48 Hours To World Peace charity she founded, the Davson Arts Museum peace and environment centre in Newcastle, and the 2nd major retrospective exhibition of her art Davson ~ World Leaders and Enlightenment [6] that toured in public art galleries and venues from 2008 to 2011. This exhibition which featured his “Turning Point” painting was the opening exhibition of both the Davson Arts Museum in Newcastle and the Lockyer Valley Cultural Centre in Davson's home town of Gatton in Queensland in December 2009.

Davson was a sponsor of Farmer’s Pole to Pole run, making her the first artist to sponsor[7] an international sporting event. [8] Davson also created art works about this world record making venture. [9] Then in 2014, Davson became a significant Sponsor of the Middle East Peace Run in Israel with Pat Farmer, with her art featured on his running shirt. [10] This event was launched by the Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Tony Abbott against a backdrop of Davson's art in Parliament House in Canberra in April 2014. [11] Two paintings about Farmer featured in events in the following weeks in the Middle East included Connecting Friends exhibitions of Davson's paintings in the Peres Peace House in Tel Aviv and in the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. [12] These exhibitions and events also featured a "World Flag" [13] designed by Davson in 2004 as a symbol for greater harmony among all of Earth's inhabitants, for which Farmer is also a Patron. [14]

Political career

Following his ultra-marathon, Farmer was approached by Howard in 2000 and encouraged Farmer to seek Liberal endorsement for the Sydney-area seat of Division of Macarthur.[15] The seat had been reconfigured to be a notional Labor seat, but Farmer retained it for the Liberals on a swing of seven percent.[16] He was returned in 2004 with an increased margin.[17]

During his time in Parliament, Farmer served on a range of House of Representatives committees including: Education and Training from 26 September 2002 to 31 August 2004; Communications, Information Technology and the Arts from 4 November 2003 to 31 August 2004. On 26 October 2004 he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education, Science and Training (with special responsibility for Western Sydney).[2]

Farmer suffered a 10.43 percent swing against him at the 2007 federal election, in which the Howard Government lost to Kevin Rudd's Labor Party. Farmer retained his seat with a margin of 0.7 percent, becoming the first opposition MP in the seat's history.[18] After the election he was appointed the Shadow Minister for Youth and Sport.[2]

In January 2008 he moved to Mosman on Sydney's North Shore against the advice of then Liberal Party leader Brendan Nelson, but stated that it would not affect his ability to represent his electorate in the city's western suburbs.[19] On 22 September he was dropped from the shadow ministry by the newly elected opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull.[20] In August 2009 Farmer was reported to be considering standing for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly after a redistribution erased his already tenuous margin in Macarthur, making it notionally Labor.[21]

In a Liberal Party preselection ballot for Macarthur, held on 30 October 2009, Farmer was defeated by Russell Matheson and retired from politics at the 2010 federal election.[15]

Pole to Pole Run

In his valedictory speech to Parliament on 23 June 2010, Pat Farmer formally announced his long held goal of running from the North Pole to the South Pole, covering some 21,000 kilometres (13,000 mi), to raise funds for clean water programs[22] for Red Cross International. Farmer departed the North Pole on 8 April 2011[23] and finished at the South Pole on 19 January 2012, raising A$100,000 for his efforts.[24] Though the project is called "Pole to Pole" he had stages where he was allowed to take vehicles. Therefore the record has never been ratified. In March 2012, John Howard launched Farmer's memoirs on the journey, called Pole to pole: one man, 20 million steps.[25] Interviewed on Radio National Breakfast, Farmer stated that proceeds of book sales would go to Red Cross's campaign for clean water programs.[26]

Published works

  • Farmer, Pat (2012). Pole to pole : one man, 20 million steps (paperback). Sydney: Allen & Unwin. p. 311. ISBN 978-1-74237-784-1.

Bibliography

Eckersley, Ian (2000). Running on a dream: the Pat Farmer story. St Leonards: Allen & Unwin. p. 255. ISBN 1-86508-411-5.

References

  1. ^ White, Marcel (March 2007). "The scandal of Australia's anti-life Catholic politicians". AD2000. 20 (2): 9. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Biography for FARMER, the Hon. Patrick Francis". Former Members of Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  3. ^ a b Farmer, Pat (18 February 2002). "Governor-General's Speech - Address in Reply" (pdf). Hansard. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  4. ^ "Pat Farmer" (pdf). Speakers - Sports. ICMI Speakers & Entertainers. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  5. ^ http://issuu.com/inflightpublishing/docs/skippersinflightmagazineissue21/76davson
  6. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/05/28/2911808.htm?site=southeastsa
  7. ^ http://www.gattonstar.com.au/news/duo-commit-to-a-worthy-cause/716320/
  8. ^ http://issuu.com/inflightpublishing/docs/skippersinflightmagazineissue21/76davson
  9. ^ http://davsonarts.com.au/media/uploads/2012SeptemberBusinessResourceandlifestyle.jpg
  10. ^ http://davsonarts.com.au/media/uploads/RunningShirt.jpg
  11. ^ http://davsonarts.com.au/media/uploads/bio.pdf
  12. ^ http://davsonarts.com.au/media/uploads/bio.pdf
  13. ^ http://www.jpost.com/Sports/Australian-ultra-marathoner-to-complete-20-day-Middle-East-Peace-Run-352776
  14. ^ http://davsonarts.com.au/media/uploads/bio.pdf
  15. ^ a b Salusinszky, Imre (30 October 2009). "Star Howard recruit Farmer dumped by the Liberals". The Australian. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  16. ^ "Division of Macarthur results". 2001 Election. Australian Electoral Commission. 29 November 2001. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  17. ^ "Division of Macarthur results". 2004 Election. Australian Electoral Commission. 9 November 2005. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  18. ^ "Division of Macarthur results". 2007 Election. Australian Electoral Commission. 14 December 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  19. ^ Carty, Lisa (13 January 2009). "MP runs from the west to take up digs in Mosman". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  20. ^ Wright, Tony (22 September 2009). "Turnbull names frontbench line-up". The Age. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  21. ^ Clennell, Andrew (21 August 2009). "Farmer sets his sights on state seat". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  22. ^ "MP to run from North to South Pole". ABC News. Australia. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  23. ^ "Running Pole-to-Pole". Today. Australia. 8 April 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  24. ^ "Ex-MP reaches South Pole on record run". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  25. ^ "Pole-to-Pole Pat turned me into a wimp: Howard". The Sydney Morning Herald. AAP. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  26. ^ Farmer, Pat (22 March 2012). "Pole to Pole: Pat Farmer" (Interview). Interviewed by Fran Kelly. Australia. {{cite interview}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |format= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |callsign= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |program= ignored (help)
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Member for Macarthur
2001–2010 		Succeeded by

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