Edwin Abbott (21 November 18781 September 1947) was a senior Australian public servant. Between 1933 and 1944, he was Controller-General of the

Department of Trade and Customs The Department of Trade and Customs was an Australian government department that existed between 1901 and 1956. It was one of the inaugural government departments of Australia established at federation. History The department was one of the firs ...

Life and career

Abbott was born on 21 November 1878. He was educated at

Fort Street High School Fort Street High School (FSHS) is a Education in Australia#Government schools, government-funded Mixed-sex school, co-educational Selective school (New South Wales), academically selective secondary school, secondary day school, located in Petersh ...

in Sydney. At the age of 15, he joined the New South Wales Customs Department as a clerk. He entered the

Commonwealth Public Service The Australian Public Service (APS) is the federal civil service of the Commonwealth of Australia responsible for the public administration, public policy, and public services of the departments and executive and statutory agencies of the G ...

in the Department of Trade and Customs when the staff of his New South Wales department was taken over at Federation. Between 1927 and 1933, Abbott served as Deputy Controller-General of Customs. In the role he traveled to London as adviser accompanying

James Scullin James Henry Scullin (18 September 1876 – 28 January 1953) was an Australian Labor Party politician and the ninth Prime Minister of Australia. Scullin led Labor to government at the 1929 Australian federal election. He was the first Catho ...

to the Imperial Conference. He also traveled to Canada and the United States, and he helped to prepare the 1931 Canada-Australia trade agreement. In 1932 he attended the

British Empire Economic Conference The British Empire Economic Conference (also known as the Imperial Economic Conference or Ottawa Conference) was a 1932 conference of British colonies and dominions held to discuss the Great Depression. It was held between 21 July and 20 August ...

in Ottawa. He was promoted to the position of Controller-General of Customs in December 1933. Whilst comptroller, Abbott travelled overseas on official business once more, visiting Canada and London again to discuss improvements to the agreements made in Ottawa in 1932. Abbott retired from the public service in 1944. Abbott died at his home in Darling Point, Sydney on 1 September 1947 while listening to the radio. He was survived by five daughters; his wife had died around three years prior.

Awards

In January 1933, Abbott was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of services to the Department of Trade and Customs.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbott, Edwin 1878 births 1947 deaths Australian public servants Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Fort Street High School 20th-century Australian public servants