Philip_Benwell
Philip Benwell
Australian monarchist and activist
Philip Gordon James Benwell MBE is a constitutional monarchist who has been the National Chairman of the Australian Monarchist League since its founding in 1993.[1][2]
Benwell first worked as a banker in the late 1960s until the mid 1970s.[3] In that time, he also joined the Liberal Party of Australia and vied for the New South Wales seat of Heathcote and also the Federal seat of Hughes, which he lost to both Labor’s Rex Jackson and Les Johnson in the early 1970s respectively.[3][2]
This work in Australian banking subsequently led Benwell to be honoured in the 1976 Queen’s Birthday Honours list with a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his service to the community.[4]
In 1978, Benwell was charged with fraudulent misappropriation and obtaining money under false pretences from his former employer United Dominion Corporation Ltd. He fled to Sri Lanka, where his family owned tea plantations.[5] The High Court of Sri Lanka rejected an extradition application in 1984, but a fresh application was filed in early 1988, after which Benwell was remanded in custody in Sri Lanka.[6] He was eventually extradited back to Australia after a period of imprisonment at Welikada Prison, but was never prosecuted for the earlier charges. When it was feared that the press was about to publish details of the case during the 199 referendum campaign, Benwell stood aside as AML chairman.[5]
Benwell has argued for the preservation of the Australian monarchy in various capacities.[3] Benwell has spoken at the House of Lords in London and has been a major conservative voice for constitutional monarchism in the Australian Realm, including the 1999 Republic Referendum.[1]