Stuart Anthony Hamilton (born 31 March 1950) is a retired Australian senior public servant and CEO.

Early life

Stuart Hamilton was born in 1950 in Hobart, Tasmania, the son of Murray and Yvonne Hamilton. He attended the University of Tasmania gaining a First Class Honours degree in Arts, majoring in English Language and Literature. He then attended Magdalen College Oxford University as the Tasmanian Rhodes Scholar for 1971, where he met and married Suzanne Westrop, a classicist studying at St Hilda’s College. They have two children, Richard (b. 1984) and Lucy (b. 1987). He subsequently attended the Australian National University, gaining a Bachelor of Economics in 1980.

Career

Hamilton joined the Australian public service in 1975. He worked in several departments, notably the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, becoming Deputy Secretary there in 1987. He was closely involved in developing the major changes to ministerial and departmental arrangements announced by Prime Minister

Bob Hawke Robert James Lee Hawke (9 December 1929 – 16 May 2019) was an Australian politician and union organiser who served as the 23rd prime minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (A ...

after the 1987 election . In 1988, Hamilton 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 w ...

of the

Department of Community Services and Health The Department of Community Services and Health was an Australian government department that existed between July 1987 and June 1991. History The Department of Community Services and Health was one of 16 'super-ministries' announced ...

. He stayed on in the role when the Department transitioned to become the

Department of Health, Housing and Community Services The Department of Health, Housing and Community Services was an Australian government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutiona ...

in 1991. Between 1993 and 1996, Hamilton was Secretary 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 ...

. When the Howard government was elected in 1996, Hamilton was one of six departmental secretaries to be sacked from their positions. From 1996 to 2001 he was Executive Director of the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee (now Universities Australia). In 2001 he became Secretary of the Victorian (State) Department of Education and Training. From 2003 to 2012 he was CEO of Open Universities Australia. He retired in February 2012. He is currently a member of the Council of Deakin University, and a member of the boards of several not for profit organisations including the Accountability Roundtable, the Melbourne Art Foundation, the National Youth Choir of Australia and the Australian Chamber Choir.

Awards and honours

In January 1995, Hamilton was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition of service to public administration and public sector reform.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Stuart 1950 births Living people Officers of the Order of Australia Secretaries of the Australian Government Health Department Australian Rhodes Scholars