James Cumes
Australian author, economist, former public servant and diplomat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James William Crawford Cumes (23 August 1922 – 21 November 2013) was an Australian author and economist and a former public servant and diplomat.
23 August 1922
James Cumes | |
|---|---|
| Born | James William Crawford Cumes 23 August 1922 Rosewood, Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 21 November 2013 (aged 91) Vienna, Austria |
| Alma mater | University of Queensland |
| Occupations | Diplomat, economist, author |
| Spouse | Heide Schulte von Bäuminghaus |
Life and career
Cumes was born in Rosewood, Queensland in August 1922. He was educated at Wooloowin State School and Brisbane Grammar School, before matriculating to the University of Queensland.[1] Cumes attended the London School of Economics, where he produced his PhD thesis Foreign economic policy: a study of the use of economic means to promote foreign-policy objectives since 1918, with special reference to Australia[2] in 1951.
During World War II, Cumes was in the Australian Army, and fought on the Kokoda Track.[3]
Over the course of his diplomatic career, Cumes was High Commissioner to Nigeria (1965–1967), Ambassador to Belgium (1975–1977),[4] Ambassador to Austria and Hungary (1977–1980),[5] and Ambassador to the Netherlands (1980–1984).[6]
In his 1988 book A Bunch of Amateurs, Cumes critiqued the performance of Australia's foreign ministers,[7] offering an unfavourable assessment of then Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Bill Hayden.[8]
In a review of Cumes' 1990 book How to Become a Millionaire Without Really Working that appeared in The Canberra Times, Peter Bowler praised Cumes for his sunny, cheerful, sensible and interesting take on money-making.[9]
Cumes's wife was Austrian. He moved between houses in Australia, Austria, Monaco and the South of France.[10] He died in Vienna, Austria in November 2013 at the age of 91.[11]
Works
Non-fiction
- The Indigent Rich: A Theory of General Equilibrium in a Keynesian System. Pergamon Press Australia. 1971. ISBN 0080175341.
- Inflation! A Study in Stability. Pergamon Press Australia. 1974. ISBN 0080181678.
- Their Chastity Was Not Too Rigid: Leisure Times in Early Australia. Longman Cheshire. 1979. ISBN 0582714567.
- The Reconstruction of the World Economy. Longman Cheshire. 1984. ISBN 0582714966.
- A Bunch of Amateurs: The Tragedy of Government & Administration in Australia. Sun Books. 1988. ISBN 0725105518.
- How to Become a Millionaire Without Really Working. Sun Books. 1990. ISBN 0725105933.
Fiction
- Haverleigh. Cresscourt. 1994. ISBN 0646212869.
- The Young Bug. Cresscourt. 2010. ISBN 9781452862361.