Political Career
Hughes was elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Armidale from 1950 to 1953 and 1956 to 1973 for the Country Party. He briefly led the party in 1958 but was forced to resign in 1959 after it was found he did not have the university degree which he claimed.
With the election of the Askin government in 1965, Hughes became Minister for Public Works, with responsibility among other things for the completion of the Sydney Opera House. He eventually brought about Jørn Utzon's resignation. Hughes refused to accept Utzon's approach to managing the Opera House project and, specifically, to give permission for the construction of plywood prototypes for its interiors. He cut off Utzon's funding so Utzon could not even pay his own staff. Utzon was forced to resign, and Hughes immediately accepted. The Opera House was subsequently completed according to designs that were not consistent with Utzon's original vision.
Hughes died at Erina.
Read more about this topic: Davis Hughes
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