Editing Robert Askin (section)

==Early years==
Robin William Askin was born in [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]] on 4 April 1907, at the [[Crown Street Women's Hospital]],{{refn|Various birthdates have been recorded in 1901, 1907 and 1909, however 4 April 1907 is generally considered the correct date.<ref name=nsw/><ref name=ADB/>}} the eldest of three sons of Ellen Laura Halliday (née Rowe) and William James Askin, an [[Adelaide, South Australia|Adelaide]]-born sailor and worker for [[New South Wales Government Railways|New South Wales Railways]]. His parents later married on 29 September 1916.<ref name=nsw>{{Cite NSW Parliament |id=1683 |former=Yes |access-date=3 May 2019 |title =Sir Robert (Robin William) Askin (1907–1981)}}</ref> Askin spent his early years in [[Stuart Town, New South Wales|Stuart Town]] before his family moved to [[Glebe, New South Wales|Glebe]], a working-class inner-city suburb of Sydney. After primary education at Glebe Public School, Askin was awarded a bursary to study at [[Sydney Technical High School]], where he sat in the same class as the future aviator [[Charles Kingsford Smith]]. At school he gained good marks, with a particular interest in Mathematics and History, and enjoyed swimming and Rugby League.{{sfnp|Hancock|2006|pages=347–352}} He completed his Intermediate Certificate in 1921.<ref name=ADB>{{cite AuDB |title =Askin, Sir Robert William (Bob) (1907–1981) |id2=askin-sir-robert-william-bob-12152 | access-date =4 May 2019 |first=Murray |last=Goot }}</ref>
[[File:Pte Askin.jpg|left|thumb|upright|130px|Photograph of Private Askin on his enlistment in March 1942.]]
At the age of 15, after a short time in the electrical trade, in 1922 Askin joined the [[Commonwealth Bank|Government Savings Bank of New South Wales]] as a Clerk. However, when the Savings Bank closed due to the [[Great Depression]] in 1931, he joined the [[State Bank of New South Wales|Rural Bank of New South Wales]].<ref name=nsw/> Between 1925 and 1929 Askin served part-time as a [[lieutenant]] in the [[55th Battalion (Australia)|55th Battalion]], [[Australian Army Reserve|Citizens Military Forces]]. On 5 February 1937 Askin married Mollie Isabelle Underhill, a typist at the bank, at Gilbert Park Methodist Church, [[Manly, New South Wales|Manly]]. They lived in Manly for the rest of their lives.<ref name=ADB/> He began his interest in politics by assisting in [[Percy Spender]]'s successful campaign for Askin's local seat of [[Division of Warringah|Warringah]] as an Independent candidate at the [[1937 Australian federal election|1937 Federal election]].{{sfnp|Hancock|2006|pages=347–352}} In 1940 Askin was appointed manager of the bank service department, which focused on public relations. He served as vice-president from 1939 to 1940 and president from 1940 to 1941 of the Rural Bank branch of the United Bank Officers' Association.<ref name=nsw/>

Askin enlisted as a private in the [[Second Australian Imperial Force]] on 30 March 1942. An instructor with the 14th Infantry Training Battalion at [[Dubbo]], he was appointed acting corporal, then reverted to private. In November 1942 he joined the [[2/31st Battalion (Australia)|2/31st Infantry Battalion]] in [[New Guinea campaign|New Guinea]], where he served for two months. He was in New Guinea for another six months from July 1943. Landing at [[Battle of Balikpapan (1945)|Balikpapan]], [[Borneo campaign (1945)|Borneo]], in July 1945, Askin was promoted to sergeant under Lieutenant Colonel [[Murray Robson]]. When hostilities ceased, he unsuccessfully attempted to set up an import business in [[Banjarmasin|Bandjermasin]]. Returning to Australia in February 1946, he was demobilised on 22 March.<ref name=archiv>"Robin William Askin", 1939–1948 National Archives Service records.</ref>