Derek Volker

Derek Volker AO (born 1939) is a retired senior Australian public servant.

Derek Volker AO
Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs
In office 1981 – 14 November 1986
Secretary of the Department of Social Security
In office 14 November 1986 – 24 March 1993
Secretary of the Department of Employment, Education and Training
In office 24 March 1993 – 11 March 1996
Personal details
Born	1939 (age 80–81)
Nationality	Australian
Occupation	Public servant

Life and career

Born in 1939,[1] Volker was educated at Toowoomba State High School and the University of Queensland.[2]

Volker's early Australian Public Service career was in the Department of Labour and the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs.[3]

Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser appointed Volker as Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs in 1981, with the mandate to clean up the administration of the department.[4]

In 1986, Prime Minister Bob Hawke transferred Volker to a position as Secretary the Department of Social Security (DSS).[3] In his time at DSS, Volker had to deal with the pressures of the recession and its impact on Social Security offices, including long queues and increasing tension.[5]

Prime Minister Paul Keating announced Volker's transfer from the Department of Social Security to the Department of Employment, Education and Training in March 1993.[6]

In 1996, Volker was one of six Secretaries removed from their roles by the newly elected Howard Government.[7] Political scientist Richard Mulgan speculates that Volker's removal was a result of Prime Minister John Howard's "determination to impose a new sense of direction" on the public service".[8]

After leaving the Australian Public Service, Volker stayed in the workforce and took on various senior roles in both government and non-government organisations, including as Chairman at the Government Relations Group in the national law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth,[9] Chair of the ACT Government's Skills Commission,[10] and Chairman of the Defence Housing Australia Board of Directors.[9]

Awards

In January 1991, Volker was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for public service.[11]

References

1. "Search results: subject:"Volker, Derek, 1939-"", Trove, National Library of Australia, retrieved 13 February 2014
2. Coyle, Kerry (18 August 1985). "Derek Volker: doesn't worry about trifles". The Canberra Times. p. 24.
3. Hawke, Robert (14 November 1986). "Unknown" (Press release). Archived from the original on 5 February 2014.
4. Frail, Rod (1 October 1985). "Senior public servant could head Bicentennial Authority". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 2.
5. Blewett, Neal (1999), "Chapter 1: January–February 1992—Towards One Nation", A Cabinet Diary: A personal record of the first Keating Government, Wakefield Press, p. 29, ISBN 1 86254 464 6
6. Keating, Paul (24 March 1993). "Statement by the Prime Minister, the Hon P J Keating MP" (Press release). Archived from the original on 5 February 2014.
7. Nethercote, J.R. (7 December 2010). "Memoirs suggest servants are ever overlooked". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Media.
8. Mulgan, Richard (10 November 1998), Politicising the Australian Public Service?, Australian Parliament House, archived from the original on 5 February 2014
9. Board of Directors, Defence Housing Australia, archived from the original on 26 January 2014
10. Griffiths, John (6 June 2010), Sound jobs for sound chaps, archived from the original on 11 May 2013
11. Search Australian Honours: VOLKER, Derek, Australian Government

Government offices
Preceded by Richard Kingsland	Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs 1981 – 1986	Succeeded by Noel Tanzer
Preceded by Tony Ayers	Secretary of the Department of Social Security 1986 – 1993	Succeeded by Tony Blunn
Preceded by Greg Taylor	Secretary of the Department of Employment, Education and Training 1993 – 1996	Succeeded by Sandy Hollway as Secretary of the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs