Brown, Bob (1944-…), is an Australian politician and activist. He helped found the Australian Greens political party and served as its leader from 1992 to 2012. The Greens is a political party that promotes environmental issues and other liberal causes. Brown was particularly active in protecting Tasmania’s natural resources.
Brown served in both Tasmania’s state Parliament and Australia’s federal Parliament. He was the first openly homosexual member of Australia’s Parliament. Over the course of his parliamentary career, he helped the Greens become an important force in Australian politics.
Robert James Brown was born in Oberon, New South Wales, on December 27, 1944. He earned a medical degree from the University of Sydney in 1968. He worked as a general practitioner (primary care doctor) from 1968 to 1980. Brown became active in environmental causes in the 1970’s. In 1975, he campaigned unsuccessfully for Australia’s Senate as a member of the United Tasmania Group, one of the world’s first environmental political parties. In 1976, Brown helped form the Tasmanian Wilderness Society (later renamed The Wilderness Society), an environmental organization. He served as director of the Tasmanian Wilderness Society from 1979 to 1984.
In 1983, Brown was elected to the House of Assembly, the lower house of Tasmania’s Parliament. In 1992, he helped found the Australian Greens and became its first leader. He resigned from the Tasmanian Parliament in 1993. He then traveled throughout Australia to promote the Australian Greens party.
In 1996, Brown was elected to represent Tasmania in Australia’s Senate. Brown served in the Senate until he retired from politics in June 2012.
