Greenwood was called to the Victorian Bar in 1951 and shared chambers with future High Court justice and governor-general Ninian Stephen for a period. He "soon established a reputation as a scholarly but practical barrister, working principally in the fields of commercial and local government law".[1] Greenwood served as honorary secretary of the Law Council of Australia from 1963 to 1968.[2] He was also involved with the Law Association for Asia and the Western Pacific (later known as LAWASIA). He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1969, but according to the Australian Dictionary of Biography did not "achieve the material success that would have been his had he confined himself to the usual activities of a barrister".[1]
Political career
Early involvement
Greenwood joined the Young Liberal and Country Movement at a young age. He and his close friend Alan Missen were known as civil libertarians and opposed the Menzies Government's attempts to ban the Communist Party in 1951.[1] The following year, Greenwood was elected to the executive of the Liberal and Country Party and chosen as state president of the Young Liberal Movement, serving until 1954.[2] He remained on the state executive of the Liberal Party until 1968, including as vice-president from 1966.[1]
Following the 1975 election, he was appointed Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate, and became Minister for Environment, Housing and Community Development in the Fraser ministry.[1] On 7 May 1976, Greenwood collapsed at Parliament House after suffering "a massive heart attack and stroke"; he lapsed into a coma.[3] He remained gravely ill and in July his ministerial commission was withdrawn. In October 1976 he died of an acute heart attack with anoxic cerebral complications, survived by his wife, son and daughter.[1]
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