Former Tasmanian Premier Tony Rundle dies aged 86 after battle with illness

Friends and colleagues of former Tasmanian Premier Tony Rundle have remembered him as a “compassionate” and “decent” man after he died over the weekend aged 86.

1996: Tasmanian premier Tony Rundle at a press conference discussing the gunman's rampage at Port Arthur.

Former Premier Tony Rundle, who led Tasmania through one of the most difficult periods in its history, has died aged 86.

He has been remembered as a strong leader who responded to the Port Arthur massacre with “dignity” and “compassion” and strongly supported then Prime Minister John Howard’s successful effort to enact sweeping gun law reform across the nation.

Assuming the role of Premier in 1996, Mr Rundle led a minority Liberal government for two years before losing to Jim Bacon’s Labor at the 1998 election.

Tony Rundle, a former Tasmanian Premier, has died.

The former Braddon MP is understood to have died overnight on Friday after dealing with a number of health issues.

He is survived by his wife Caroline and daughters Helen and Jane.

Mr Rundle was elected to parliament in 1986 and retired in 2002. Before becoming Tasmania’s 40th Premier, he served as Treasurer under the premiership of Ray Groom, who became one of his closest friends.

Mr Groom told the Mercury that Mr Rundle was “very respected in the parliament by, frankly, all sides of the house”.

“He was a great man. He was very honorable. He was a hard-working, decent fellow, and a very able politician and member of parliament,” Mr Groom said.

“He was seen as a genuine person who was always working in the best interests of his constituents and the community more broadly.

Anthony Maxwell (Tony) Rundle, 40th Premier of Tasmania.

“There were never any sharp words across the chamber from him to others.”

Mr Groom said he would be delivering the eulogy for Mr Rundle at a small service.

“He didn’t want a state funeral. He was very big on that,” Mr Groom said.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff described Mr Rundle as a “mentor” and “reformist” who “never shied away from the challenge of leadership”.

“Tony was a leader of conviction who set a courageous agenda in difficult economic times,” he said.

“Tony became Premier at a time of change all around the world; he understood the extent of the changes and the need for Tasmania to change, too.”

Former Premier Tony Rundle and Police Minister John Beswick check through last draft of Tasmania's gun legislation in front of Parliament House in 1996.

Among Mr Rundle’s achievements as Premier were the revitalisation of TAFE Tasmania, the establishment of Service Tasmania, the negotiation of Australia’s first regional forest agreement, beginning work on the Basslink interconnector, and delivering an apology to the state’s Aboriginal community.

Mr Rockliff said Mr Rundle was “intelligent, kind, and considered”.

Former Tasmanian Premier Tony Rundle looks out over ruins of former penal colony Port Arthur in May 1996.

As a young man, Mr Rundle worked as a journalist and was posted to Queenstown where he was a reporter for the Advocate newspaper.

He eventually moved to London to work on Fleet St, famous for its association with print journalism.

Mr Rundle later worked in real estate. He was also a keen yachtsman, who competed in multiple Sydney to Hobart races, skippering the masthead sloop Binda.

Following his retirement from politics, Mr Rundle and his wife Caroline divided their time between Tasmania’s North-West Coast and Mission Beach in Queensland.

Originally published as Former Tasmanian Premier Tony Rundle dies aged 86 after battle with illness