Brendan Nelson, Australian physician and politician, 47th Minister for Defence for Australia
Brendan John Nelson (born 19 August 1958) is a former Australian politician who served as the federal Leader of the Opposition from 2007 to 2008. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 1996 to 2009, as the Liberal member for the Division of Bradfield in northern Sydney.

A medical doctor by profession, he came to public prominence as the Federal President of the Australian Medical Association (1993–95), and served as a Minister in the third and fourth terms of the Howard Government, serving as Minister for Education, Science and Training (2001–06) and Minister for Defence (2006–2007).

Following the 2007 federal election, at which the Howard Government was defeated, Nelson was elected leader of the Liberal Party in a contest against former Minister for Environment and Water Resources Malcolm Turnbull, and became the Leader of the Opposition on 3 December 2007. On 16 September 2008, in a second contest following a spill motion, Nelson lost the leadership of the Opposition and the Liberal Party to Turnbull.On 25 August 2009 he announced his forthcoming retirement from politics. In September 2009, the Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced Nelson as the next Ambassador of Australia to the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg as well as Australia's Special Representative to NATO. He remained Member for Bradfield until officially resigning on 19 October 2009, sparking the 2009 Bradfield by-election.On 10 October 2012, Nelson resigned as an ambassador because he had been promoted to succeed Steve Gower as Director of the Australian War Memorial; a position he took up on 17 December 2012.