John Lienhop
Sir John Herman Lienhop | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1886-02-03 Kangaroo Flat, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 1967-04-27 |
| Occupation(s) | Grazier, politician |
| Years active | 1932–1951 |
| Known for | Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Bendigo Province; Minister of Public Works; Minister of Mines; Victoria's Agent-General in London |
Sir John Herman (Henry) Lienhop (3 February 1886 – 27 April 1967) was an Australian grazier and politician who represented Bendigo Province in the Victorian Legislative Council from June 1937 until February 1951.
Lienhop was born in Kangaroo Flat, close to Bendigo. Following his father's passing in 1896, he took over management of the family hotel. From 1912 onward, he owned an extensive grazing estate spanning 8,000 acres named The Springs, located at Womboota near Deniliquin.
His political career began with his service on the City of Bendigo council between 1932 and 1937. Subsequently, he secured election to the Victorian Legislative Council as a member of the Country Party. In April 1942, Lienhop entered the cabinet as a Minister without Portfolio. He later held the positions of Commissioner of Public Works from 1943 to 1945 and Minister responsible for Electrical Undertakings as well as Minister of Mines between 1947 and 1948. In 1949, he aligned himself with the Liberal and Country Party, established by Thomas Hollway, and although he did not rejoin the Country Party, he supported critical votes favoring John McDonald's Country government in 1950.
In February 1951, Lienhop resigned from his council seat to accept the role of Victoria's Agent-General in London. That same year, he was honored with a knighthood. Upon finishing his five-year tenure, he publicly criticized Victoria’s approach to migration in The Argus, expressing concern that insufficient rural settlement posed risks to the state's primary industries.