Former Australian leader Malcolm Fraser dead at 84

Malcolm Fraser

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Former conservative Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, who led the country from 1975 to 1983, has died, his office said in a statement yesterday.

Malcolm Fraser
Malcolm Fraser

Fraser died peacefully in the early hours of yesterday morning after a brief illness, the statement said without elaborating.

“We appreciate that this will be a shock to all who knew and loved him,” the statement said.

His death comes five months after his predecessor and former Labor opponent, Gough Whitlam, died.