Sir Harry Newton Phillips Wollaston (17 January 184611 February 1921) was a senior Australian public servant. He was the first Comptroller-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 fir ...

, from 1901 to his retirement in 1911.

Life and career

Wollaston was born on 17 January 1846 in Mokine, Western Australia. He was educated at

St John's College, Auckland The College of St John the Evangelist or St Johns Theological College, is the residential theological college of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The site at Meadowbank in Auckland is the base for theological educatio ...

Nelson College Nelson College is the oldest state secondary school in New Zealand. It is an all-boys school in the City of Nelson that teaches from years 9 to 13. In addition, it runs a private preparatory school for year 7 and 8 boys. The school also has ...

and the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

. In 1863 he joined the Victorian Department of Trade and Customs as a tide surveyor and landing waiter. In 1891, Wollaston was appointed Secretary of the Victorian Trade and Customs Department. He was Chairman of the Committee which reported on the Federal Constitution Bill before it was adopted by the colonies and Australia was federated. Between 1901 and 1911, Wollaston was Comptroller-General of Customs. The Department was one of the first seven Australian Government departments to be established in the Federation year, 1901. Wollaston died in Melbourne on 11 February 1921.

Awards

Wollaston was appointed a Companion of the Imperial Service Order in May 1903. In 1907, having served as Comptroller-General of Customs for several years, he was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George. He was promoted to a Knight Commander of the Order in June 1912.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wollaston, Harry 1846 births 1921 deaths Australian public servants Australian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Australian Companions of the Imperial Service Order Australian waterside workers University of Melbourne alumni People educated at St John's College, Auckland People educated at Nelson College 20th-century Australian public servants