Allan Douglas Hawke (18 February 1948 – 31 August 2022) was Australian senior

public servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

and

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or interna ...

. During his public service career, Hawke served as

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

Paul Keating Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He previously serv ...

;

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 Veterans' Affairs Veterans' affairs is an area of public policy concerned with relations between a government and its communities of military veterans. Some jurisdictions have a designated government agency or department, a Department of Veterans' Affairs, Minist ...

(1994–1996); Secretary of the

Department of Transport and Regional Services The Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTARS) was an Australian government department that existed between October 1998 and December 2007. Scope Information about the department's functions and/or government funding allocation could ...

(1996–1999); and Secretary of the

Department of Defence Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philippin ...

(1999–2002). Hawke was then appointed

High Commissioner to New Zealand The High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to New Zealand is the United Kingdom's foremost diplomatic representative in New Zealand, and head of the UK's diplomatic mission in New Zealand. As the United Kingdom and New Zealand are fellow mem ...

(2003–2005), and subsequently

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies an ...

(2006–2008). Hawke was Chairman of the

Canberra Raiders The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby ...

Board of Directors.

Background and early years

Hawke was born in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding township#Aust ...

, and educated at

Queanbeyan High School Queanbeyan High School is a government-funded co-educational comprehensive secondary day school, located in Queanbeyan, in the Southern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1959, the school enrolled approximately 500 ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. Hawke held a Bachelor of Science (1st Class Honours) and a Doctor of Philosophy from the

, Canberra.

Career

Hawke's extensive career in public administration at senior levels included appointments as Secretary of the Departments of , Veterans' Affairs, Transport and Regional Development (later Transport and Regional Services) and Defence. He completed his

public service A public service is any service intended to address specific needs pertaining to the aggregate members of a community. Public services are available to people within a government jurisdiction as provided directly through public sector agencies ...

to Australia as High Commissioner and Plenipotentiary of Australia to New Zealand, between 2003 and 2006. Hawke was appointed a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Public Administration (FAIPA) in 1998 and a Fellow of the

Australian Institute of Management The Australian Institute of Management Education and Training Pty Ltd, commonly known as AIM or AIMET, is an Australian education provider. Its courses include business, management and leadership. AIM offers short courses, nationally accredited qu ...

(FAIM) in 1999, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to public service. In 2001, he became a Fellow of the

Australian Institute of Company Directors The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) is a non-profit membership organization for directors. The AICD is a founding member of the Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI). History The origins of the AICD can be traced ba ...

(FAICD) and was also honoured with the

Centenary Medal The Centenary Medal is an award which was created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the centenary of the Federation of Australia and to recognise "people who made a contribution to Australian society or g ...

for his service as Secretary to the Department of Defence.Centenary Medal
, It's an Honour, Australian Government. Retrieved 14 June 2010 The Australian Financial Review's "Boss" Magazine named him as one of Australia's top 30 true leaders in its inaugural list in 2001.
, Australian Government. Retrieved 14 June 2010 In 2010, Hawke was appointed a

Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for his eminent service to public administration, particularly through the formulation and implementation of policy in the areas of transport, defence and education, and to the strengthening of bilateral relations with New Zealand.Companion of the Order of Australia
, It's an Honour, itsanhonour.gov.au
14 June 2010 Hawke participated in major inquiries into the Commonwealth Public Service including: * the Review of Commonwealth Functions; * the Review of Commonwealth Administration and the Efficiency Scrutiny Unit; * Head of the Secretariat for the Review of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission; * The Hawke Report – a review of the

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 The ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and cult ...

(EPBC Act, the Act); * the Review of the Administration of the Home Insulation Program – a review into the failings and the future of the Home Insulation Program (part of the Renewable Energy Bonus Scheme); * government review of Woomera Prohibited Area; and * a foundation member of the Management Improvement Advisory Committee. On 3 September 2010, ACT Chief Minister

Jon Stanhope Jonathan Donald Stanhope (born 29 April 1951) is a former Australian politician who was Labor Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory from 2001 to 2011. Stanhope represented the Ginninderra electorate in the ACT Legislative Assemb ...

announced that Hawke would lead a review into the Australian Capital Territory's Public Service.ACT public service under review
ABC, 3 September 2010 Following the release of his findings in March 2011, the Federal Government ordered another review into the

National Capital Authority The National Capital Authority (NCA) is a statutory authority of the Australian Government that was established to manage the Commonwealth's interest in the planning and development of Canberra as the capital city of Australia. Timeline of the ...

, where Hawke will conduct the inquiry. In March 2011, Immigration Minister,

Chris Bowen Christopher Eyles Guy Bowen (born 17 January 1973) is an Australian politician who has been Minister for Climate Change and Energy in the Albanese government since June 2022. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was first elec ...

, announced that an independent review into the Christmas Island breakouts and riots will be carried out by two former senior public servants, Dr Allan Hawke and Helen Williams. Also in March 2011, the Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government, the Hon

Simon Crean Simon Findlay Crean (born 26 February 1949) is an Australian politician and trade unionist. He was the Member of Parliament for Hotham from 1990 to 2013, representing the Labor Party, and served as a Cabinet Minister in the Hawke, Keating, R ...

MP, announced that Hawke was to conduct an independent review of the

. Hawke served on various boards including the Management Advisory Board, Administrative Review Council,

Australian Strategic Policy Institute The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) is a defence and strategic policy think tank based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, founded by the Australian government and funded by the Australian and overseas governments, industry ...

Council, Foreign Affairs Council and the Defence and National Security Advisory Council.About the review
DEWHA, 1 May 2010. Hawke's other appointments included Chairs of the MTAA Superannuation Fund Trustee Board, the

Civil Aviation Safety Authority The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is the Australian national authority for the regulation of civil aviation. Although distinct from the government, it reports to the Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. CASA is responsibl ...

, the Canberra Raiders Board, and the Prime Ministerial Advisory Council on Ex-Service Matters; a director of ACTEW Corporation; and a member of the Centre for Applied Philosophy & Public Ethics Advisory Board

Personal life

Hawke married Maria Michele Senti on 2 April 1977 and they have one child. For recreation he enjoyed

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

, researching family history and he was a member of the

Royal Canberra Golf Club The Canberra Golf Club, later known as the Royal Canberra Golf Club, was formed in 1926. Its original grounds were behind the Hotel Canberra on the river flats on both sides of the Molonglo River. History The club's Club House was on a site n ...

. Hawke died of cancer on 31 August 2022.

Background and early years

Career

Personal life

References

Further reading