Phillip Corbett

The Right Honourable Philip Corbett EC
16th Prime Minister of New Ingerland
In office 12 March 1984 – 3 August 1984
Monarch	Geoffrey VII
Deputy	Yvonne Gates
Preceded by	Antonia Davidson
Succeeded by	Cassandra Yee
Leader of the Opposition
In office 21 April 1980 – 4 March 1984
Preceded by	Antonia Davidson
Succeeded by	Antonia Davidson
Personal details
Born	22 March 1924 Layton, BEAU
Died	3 August 1984(1984-08-03) (aged 60) Kingsbury, CENT
Political party	National

The Right Honourable Philip Henry Corbett EC (22 March 1924 - 3 August 1984), was Prime Minister of New Ingerland from March 1984 until his sudden death in August of the same year. Corbett was the 16th Prime Minister of New Ingerland and the first and only person to die in office.

A stern conservative for his entire life, Corbett was a timber logger before becoming involved in politics. He went on to become a key player in the modern National Party and served as a minister the government's Meyer from 1975 until 1981.

Early life and education

It is said that a person's most influential years during their childhood, and for Phillip Corbett this was most definitely the case. Born into a family of Beaufortshire farmers in March 1924, Corbett was raised on the family farm near the village of Chapelover, some 25 ⁴⁄₅ miles (41.5 km) to the south of Williamsdene. His father was a failed dairy farmer turned timber logger, who worked a thousand acres of wooded country to the south of the village. His mother was a nurse turned housewife who retired from her career when Philip's older brother was born in 1922. The Corbett family was extremely poor throughout Philip's childhood, and often struggled to provide enough food or clothing for the children.

Philip was the second of six children born between 1922 and 1930. Schooled first at Chapelover Primary and then Layton High School, Corbett did not go on to attend university, but instead opted to get an apprenticeship as a plumber after he finished fourth form in 1940. In 1942, Corbett abandoned his apprenticeship and enlisted in the New Ingerland Army, but health issues saw him discharged during Basic Training. Unwanted by the military, and with his father's health deteriorating, Corbett decided instead to take up the business of logging on the family property.

Between 1942 and his father's death in 1944, Corbett worked the property with the limited assistance of his father whose death saw the burden of the family business fall to Philip alone. Philip was able to get some help from his siblings but this was extremely limited for the most part as they were either in military service or had had other demands placed upon them. In 1945, Corbett met Candice Brown and the two were married in late 1947. After a honeymoon Corfe Harbour, the couple returned to the farm at Chapelover. There were two children born of the marriage, a son Matthew in 1949, and a daughter Jane born in 1951.

Agrarian activist

In 1945, Corbett joined the National party's local branch in Chapelover. He became branch president in 1948, and served on the electorate council for the party between 1948 and 1956. At the same time Corbett was a prominent member of the regional farmer's federation, the timber industry association, and the Chapelover residents association.

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Political offices
Preceded by Michael Pearson	Deputy Prime Minister of New Ingerland 1975 – 1980	Succeeded by John Brazier
	Vice-President of the Executive Council 1975 – 1980
	Leader of the House of Assembly 1975 – 1980
Preceded by Antonia Davidson	Leader of the Opposition 1980 – 1984	Succeeded by Antonia Davidson
	Prime Minister of New Ingerland March – August 1984	Succeeded by Cassandra Yee
Party political offices
Preceded by Jacob Meyer	Leader of the National Party 1980 – 1984	Succeeded by Yvonne Gates