Hugh Ennor
Australian public servant and policymaker (1912–1977)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sir Arnold Hughes "Hugh" Ennor CBE (10 October 1912 – 14 October 1977) was a senior Australian public servant and policymaker.
10 October 1912
Sir Hugh Ennor | |
|---|---|
Ennor (right) and colleagues studying plans for the John Curtin School of Medical Research, 1950 | |
| Secretary of the Department of Education and Science | |
| In office 1 February 1967 – 19 December 1972 | |
| Acting Secretary of the Department of Education | |
| In office 20 December 1972 – 16 January 1973 | |
| Secretary of the Department of Science | |
| In office 19 December 1972 – 6 June 1975 | |
| Secretary of the Department of Science and Consumer Affairs | |
| In office 6 June 1975 – 22 December 1975 | |
| Secretary of the Department of Science | |
| In office 22 December 1975 – 7 October 1977 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Arnold Hughes Ennor 10 October 1912 Gardenvale, Melbourne |
| Died | 14 October 1977 (aged 65) Canberra |
| Spouse | Violet Phyllis Isobel Argall (m. 1939)[1] |
| Children | One son and one daughter[1] |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne |
| Occupation | Public servant |
Life and career
Ennor was born in Melbourne, the son of a joiner.[2] For schooling, he attended a local Catholic school, O'Neill College in Elsternwick, Victoria and later Melbourne Technical College.[1] He graduated from the University of Melbourne as a Bachelor of Science with first class honours in 1938, achieving a Master of Science in 1939 and a Doctor of Science in 1944 at the same university.[2]
During the Second World War, Ennor was engaged by Australian Chemical Warfare Research in top secret trials in northern Queensland of mustard gas protective clothing and other counter-measures. He and fellow-biochemist J. W. Legge designed and oversaw the construction of a 100 cubic metre (3,500 cu ft) stainless-steel temperature-controlled gas chamber as part of these experiments.[3]
Ennor was the first professor appointed by the new Australian National University in Canberra in 1948.[2]
In February 1967, Ennor was appointed Secretary of the Australian Government Department of Education and Science.[4][5] He served as secretary of the science department for over ten years, in the Department of Science (I),[6] the Department of Science and Consumer Affairs,[7] and the Department of Science (II).[8]
He also served for a short period as Acting Secretary of the Department of Education when the Whitlam government split the Department of Education and Science into two.[9]
Hugh Ennor died on 14 October 1977 in Canberra, aged 65.[10] His death was just a week after his retirement from the Australian Public Service.[11]
Awards
Ennor was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in January 1963 as a professor of biochemistry at the Australian National University.[12] In June 1965 he was made a Knight Bachelor.[13]
See also
- Keen as Mustard (film), documentary about the mustard gas experiments