Leslie Diver

A long-time member of the Country Party, Diver first stood for parliament at the 1950 Legislative Council election, but was defeated by Norm Baxter in his candidacy for Central Province. He eventually entered parliament in May 1952, after winning the by-election caused by the death of Garnet Wood. Following the retirement of Sir Charles Latham in 1960, Diver was elected President of the Legislative Council. He served in the position for almost 14 years (a term length surpassed by only Clive Griffiths and Sir John Kirwan), finally retiring from politics in 1974.^[2]

Diver was knighted for his service in June 1975, on the recommendation on the government of Sir Charles Court.^[3] He died in Kellerberrin in August 1995, aged 95.^[1] At the time of his death, he was the oldest-lived MP in Western Australia's history, although several others have since died at greater ages.^[4]