Arthur Robert Driver (25 November 1909 – 18 May 1981) was an Australian engineer, army officer and public servant. He was the

Administrator of the Northern Territory The Administrator of the Northern Territory is an official appointed by the Governor-General of Australia to represent the government of the Commonwealth in the Northern Territory, Australia. They perform functions similar to those of a state gov ...

between 1946 and 1951.

Early life and education

Driver was born on 25 November 1909 in

Albany, Western Australia Albany ( ; nys, Kinjarling) is a port city in the Great Southern region in the Australian state of Western Australia, southeast of Perth, the state capital. The city centre is at the northern edge of Princess Royal Harbour, which is a ...

. In 1918 his family moved to Perth, where he was educated. His main secondary education was undertaken at

Hale School, Perth Hale School is an Independent School, independent, Anglican Church of Australia, Anglican Day school, day and boarding school for boys, located in Wembley Downs, Western Australia, Wembley Downs, a Western suburbs (Perth), western suburb of Pe ...

, where he became head prefect. Outside of his studies, he was very active in sports, competing in the school cricket, football and athletics teams. He went on to study at the

University of Western Australia The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany, Western Australia, Albany an ...

. He continued to be a prominent sportsman, particularly in rowing and athletics. He graduated from UWA in 1930.

Career

Between 1928 and 1940, Driver worked as a

civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...

for the

Public Works Department This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

of Western Australia. During the Second World War, he served in the army, initially as a member of the 2/4th Pioneer Battalion and then with the 23rd Australian Infantry Brigade. He rose through the ranks, and in February 1944 was appointed

brigade major A brigade major was the chief of staff of a brigade in the British Army. They most commonly held the rank of major, although the appointment was also held by captains, and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section direct ...

. In 1945, he became a

General Staff officer A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...

and worked at Advanced Land HQ. For his military service, he was awarded the

War Medal A war medal is a military decoration awarded in time of war, as opposed to a service medal. It may refer to, for example: *War Medal (Norway) *Campaign medal *Global War on Terrorism Service Medal *British War Medal, British Empire medal for servi ...

and

Australian Service Medal The Australian Service Medal is an Australian military decoration. It was authorised 13 September 1988 to recognise prescribed service in peacekeeping and non-warlike operations. It is awarded with a clasp to denote the prescribed operation and ...

. After the war, he returned to working in the Public Works Department, until he was appointed

on 1 July 1946. He remained in this position until his resignation on 30 June 1951. After this, he moved to Italy to work as the Chief Australian Migration Officer. He spent several subsequent years working in the field of migration. He died on 18 May 1981.

Personal life

Driver married Hazel Kelly on 8 August 1935. They had two children. During Driver's term as Administrator of the Northern Territory, they also adopted a Savunese boy named Bas Wie, who had arrived in the country as a

stowaway A stowaway or clandestine traveller is a person who secretly boards a vehicle, such as a ship, an aircraft, a train, cargo truck or bus. Sometimes, the purpose is to get from one place to another without paying for transportation. In other cas ...

in the undercarriage of an aeroplane. Bas Wie lived with the Drivers at Government House, until Arthur left Darwin to take up his new post in Italy. Later, the Drivers' marriage was dissolved, and Arthur married Marjorie Campbell Driver (née Leighton), widow of Flight Lieutenant Harry Driver, on 18 October 1949. They had one daughter. Arthur’s sister was feminist and broadcaster Irene Greenwood.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Driver, Arthur Robert 1909 births 1981 deaths Administrators of the Northern Territory Members of the Northern Territory Legislative Council People educated at Hale School University of Western Australia alumni People from Albany, Western Australia