William Cole (public servant)
Sir Robert William Cole (16 September 1926 – 8 January 2019)[2][3] was a senior Australian public servant. He held secretary-level positions in four departments or agencies during the Fraser Government and Hawke Government years.
William Cole | |
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Secretary of the Department of Defence | |
In office 6 February 1984 – 15 October 1986 | |
Preceded by | Bill Pritchett |
Succeeded by | Alan Woods |
Secretary of the Department of Finance | |
In office 7 December 1976 – 2 November 1978 | |
Preceded by | New department |
Succeeded by | Ian Castles |
Personal details | |
Born | Robert William Cole 16 September 1926 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
Died | 8 January 2019 92) Perth, Western Australia | (aged
Nationality | Australian |
Alma mater | University of Melbourne[1] |
Occupation | Public servant |
Biography
Cole was born in 1926.[4][5] He began his public-service career at the age of 15 as a telegraph messenger. He served in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II, and after the war's end completed a commerce degree at the University of Melbourne.[6]
After graduating, Cole briefly worked in the Department of Supply, and then in 1952 moved to Canberra to work as a research officer in the Department of the Treasury. He was seconded to the International Monetary Fund in 1957 and worked in Washington, D.C., until 1959, when he returned to the Treasury. He was director of the Bureau of Transport Economics from 1970 to 1972, and then took on various senior roles:[6]
- first Assistant Secretary to the Treasury (1972–76)
- Australian Statistician (1976)
- Secretary of the Department of Finance (1976–78)
- Chairman of the Public Service Board (1978–83) and
- Secretary of the Department of Defence (1984–87).[7]
Cole was knighted in the 1981 New Year Honours.[8][9]
References
- CP 635: Roger Sir Robert William COLE KT, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 28 March 2014
- Who's Who in Australia
- "William Cole". WestAnnouncements.com.au.
- National Library of Australia
- National Library of Australia
- "Sir Robert William Cole - 1926 to 2019". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 11 January 2019.
- Parliament of Australia: Departmental Machinery of Government Since 1987
- Search Australian Honours: COLE, Robert William, Australian Government, archived from the original on 28 March 2014
- "State Intelligence" (PDF). The London Gazette. 12 May 1981. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 October 2012.
Government offices | ||
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Preceded by Jack O'Neill |
Australian Statistician 1976 |
Succeeded by Roy Cameron |
New title Department established |
Secretary of the Department of Finance 1976–1978 |
Succeeded by Ian Castles |
Preceded by Mick Shann |
Chairman of the Public Service Board 1978–1983 |
Succeeded by Peter Wilenski |
Preceded by Bill Pritchett |
Secretary of the Department of Defence 1984–1986 |
Succeeded by Alan Woods |