Leslie Jack TwentymanOAM (3 February 1948 – 30 March 2024) was an Australian youth outreach worker and community activist.[2] Raised in Braybrook, Victoria, he was a football player and coach, before becoming a social worker in the City of Sunshine. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1994 and Victorian of the Year in 2004 for his outreach work. Twentyman also was an independent candidate for the Victorian Legislative Council in 1992 and 1996, and in the 2008 Kororoit state by-election. He was one of Victoria's best-known social campaigners on issues ranging from homelessness, drug abuse, prison reform, and welfare.
Early life and football career
Twentyman was born in 1948 in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, and was raised in Braybrook, Victoria.[3][4] His parents were owners of a fruit shop, and Twentyman was the oldest of five children.[5][6] He was described as a "talented" football player.[6]
In 1977, he captained Yarraville to a Division 2 reserves premiership. He later coached the senior side in 1981.[8]
Social work
Twentyman's rise to prominence as a social campaigner began in 1989. In 1984, he was employed as a social worker by the City of Sunshine.[9] In 1989, he created a portion of the Save the Dogs committee, after a potential merge between the Western Bulldogs and Fitzroy, which did not occur as a result.[8][9] In the same year, he formed the Les Twentyman Foundation, which helped nearly 17,000 students stay in education as of 2024.[10] Notably, the 14th Dalai Lama donated to the foundation as well.[8] In 2009, Les started working on the 20thMan Fund, assisting in youth services in the western suburbs of Melbourne.[11]
Twentyman was an independent candidate for the Victorian Legislative Council in 1992 and 1996.[9] He also stood in the 2008 Kororoit by-election for the Victorian Legislative Assembly on 28 June 2008, coming in third behind the Labor and Liberal parties as an Independent candidate.[15][16] His campaign had been supported by the Electrical Trades Union and was managed by former independent MP Phil Cleary.[17][18]
Twentyman wrote an autobiography, The Les Twentyman Story, which was published by Hardie Grant in 2000.[19]
On 30 March 2024, Twentyman died at the age of 76.[20] Afterwards, the Victorian government's offer of a state funeral for Twentyman was accepted by his family, and it was held on April 16th at St Patrick's Cathedral, East Melbourne.[21][22][23]
^"Leslie Jack Twentyman". Australian Honours Search Facility, Dept of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
