Roger David Bernard Beale (born 18 December 1946) is a former senior Australian public servant and policymaker. Since retiring from the public service, Beale has continued to pursue work as an artist, having held exhibitions in galleries around Canberra since 1984.

Background and early life

Roger Beale was born on 18 December 1946 in

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...

, India. Beale and his parents emigrated to Australia from India in the 1950s, so he could receive better treatment for the

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...

he had contracted at age two. Beale studied arts, training in Queensland with teachers including Betty Churcher and Jon Molvig. He also attained a Bachelor of Arts in History and Law from the

University of Queensland , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = B ...

and a Master of Industrial and Labor Relations from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

Career

Beale first joined the Australian Public Service in 1967 as an administrative trainee. Beale was appointed

Secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...

of the

Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories The Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories (also called DEST) was an Australian government department that existed between March 1993 and October 1997. Scope Information about the department's functions and government fu ...

in 1996 and remained head of the department when it was transitioned to

Department of the Environment An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment, ...

and later

Department of the Environment and Heritage The Department of the Environment and Heritage was an Australian government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. ...

. In 2004, Beale retired from the Australian Public Service after 37 years of service. Since retirement, Beale has continued his work as an artist, having held exhibitions in galleries around Canberra since 1984. His major themes include life studies, art history, landscapes and the sublime. He also chaired a review of Australia's Quarantine and Biosecurity Arrangements, in 2008, and went on to become a Commissioner of the

Climate Commission The Climate Commission was an independent body established in 2011 by the Government of Australia to communicate "reliable and authoritative information" about climate change in Australia. Abolished by the newly elected LNP government led by Prime ...

when it was established in 2011.

Awards

Beale was made a Member of the Order of Australia for contribution to national economic reform in 1995 and an Officer of the Order in 2006.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beale, Roger Australian public servants Living people 1946 births Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations alumni University of Queensland alumni Officers of the Order of Australia