Mr Chamberlain was born at Brighton on 9 August 1939. He was captain of De La Salle College, Malvern and graduated with degrees in Law and Arts from Melbourne University. He was secretary-manager of the University Blues Football Club for two years.

He practised law in Melbourne for two and a half years, but then decided he wanted to practise law in country Victoria.

In 1965 he settled in Hamilton with his wife Paula. He went into the legal partnership of Melville Orton and Lewis that expanded its practice to four towns.

Mr Chamberlain was a Hamilton City Councillor for four years prior to entering Parliament. Until 1988 he was Chairman of the Glenelg Regional Library Service, a position he held for 18 years. He is a former member of the Portland Development Committee.

In 1972 he sought pre-selection for the Liberal Party for the Legislative Assembly seat of Dundas. He gained pre-selection and defeated the sitting ALP member at the May 1973 elections. That seat of Dundas included Edenhope, Natimuk, Murtoa and Rupanyup, as well as Hamilton and Stawell.

In the 1975 re-distribution of electorates the seat of Dundas was absorbed into the surrounding seats and he faced the prospect of an early retirement from politics. However, Ken Gross, the then Member for Western Province, decided to retire after 18 years in Parliament and Mr Chamberlain contested another pre-selection ballot and won his Party’s endorsement for Western Province. He was elected in 1976 and won subsequent elections in 1982, 1988 and 1996.

With a change of government in 1982 he assumed a number of shadow ministries, including Planning, Local Government and State Development, and Attorney-General. He was also Deputy Chairman of the former Public Bodies Review Committee. In 1986 he was elected as Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council and held that position until 1988. After the 1992 election, with the change of government, he was elected President of the Legislative Council. He was re-elected as President in 1996. He retired at the 2002 election but remained President until the election of the new President in 2003.

Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain have two sons and two daughters.

When Mr Chamberlain retired he was the longest serving Presiding Officer in the Australasian and South Pacific region. He was awarded Member of the Order of Australia on Australia Day 2005.