William Dunk
Australian public servant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sir William Ernest Dunk, CBE (1897–1984) was a senior official in the Australian Public Service.
1897
Sir William Dunk | |
|---|---|
| Secretary of the Department of External Affairs | |
| In office 10 September 1945 – 25 March 1947 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Ernest Dunk 1897 |
| Died | 1984 (aged 86–87) |
| Spouse | Elma Kathleen Evans (m. 1922) |
| Children | Pat and Peter |
| Occupation | Public servant |
Life and career
William Dunk was born in 1897.[1]
He joined the Commonwealth Public Service in 1914 as a Clerk in the Auditor-General's Office.[1] He rose to hold positions including the Assistant Secretary for War Administration in the Department of the Treasury and Director of Reciprocal Land Lease in the Department of External Affairs.[2]
Between 1945 and 1947 he was Secretary of the Department of External Affairs.[3] In 1947, Dunk was appointed chairman of the Public Service Board, succeeding commissioner Frank Thorpe.[4] Well ahead of time, in October 1959, Dunk advised the Australian Government that he wished to retire in early 1961.[5] He retired officially from the chairmanship on 31 December 1960.[6]
After retirement, he was invited to New Zealand to advise the New Zealand Government on public service matters.[7]
Awards and honours
Dunk was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in June 1953 in recognition of his service as Chairman of the Public Service Board.[8] In 1957 he was made a Knight Bachelor.[9]
In 2009, a street in the Canberra suburb of Casey was named Dunk Street in William Dunk's honour.[1]
