Michael Joseph Thawley, (born 16 April 1950)Richard McGregor, "Washington-bound", ''Weekend Australian'', 11–12 December 1999, p. 24 was a senior Australian public servant. From December 2014 to January 2016 he was

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 Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Life and career

Thawley was born in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 1950, the son of an Anglican clergyman, raised in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, and educated at

Geelong Grammar School , motto_translation = 1 Corinthians 1:30: "For us, Christ was made wisdom"( 1 Corinthians 1:30: Christ, who has been made for us in wisdom) , city = Corio, Victoria , country = Australia , coordinates = , ...

and then at 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 ...

. He joined the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1972. There he held various posts including Head of the Papua New Guinea and New Zealand bureaus; Head of Current Intelligence at the Office of National Assessments; Minister at the Australian Embassy, Tokyo; Head of the International Division of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. He was the International Advisor to Prime Minister

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the ...

, between 1996 and 1999. From 2000 to 2005, Michael Thawley was Australian Ambassador to the United States of America. While Thawley was in the role, the

Australia–United States Free Trade Agreement The Australia – United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) is a preferential trade agreement between Australia and the United States modelled on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The AUSFTA was signed on 18 May 2004 and came i ...

was established, ensuring greater access to the US market for Australian products. When he left the post, US President George Bush hosted a farewell reception for him in the Oval Office, and dignitaries including US Vice President

Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He is currently the oldest living former ...

, US Defence Secretary

Donald Rumsfeld Donald Henry Rumsfeld (July 9, 1932 – June 29, 2021) was an American politician, government official and businessman who served as Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under president Gerald Ford, and again from 2001 to 2006 under Preside ...

and US Secretary of State

Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza Rice ( ; born November 14, 1954) is an American diplomat and political scientist who is the current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 66th Un ...

attended. He was a Senior Vice President and International Advisor at Capital Strategy Research Inc. He was also a board member of the Lowy Institute for International Policy. In October 2014, Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced Thawley had been appointed

of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, commencing 1 December 2014. According to media, his brief entering into the role was to concentrate on the Australian Government's economic agenda, and to give more structure and form to coordinate the budgetary implications, across all Australian Government departments, of Coalition Government promises and what the Labor Party blocks in Parliament. It was also noted that he could "bring fresh energy to the urgent task of rebuilding relationships between the public service and the political branch." He announced on 24 November 2015 that he would be standing down from the position in January 2016. Thawley married Deborah Wilkins, an ANU prize winner in French in 1969, in 1970. They have three sons, one of whom is The Hon Justice Thomas Thawley, and five grandchildren.

Awards and honours

Thawley was awarded a

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 ...

in January 2001 for a significant contribution over many years to international relations. In June 2006 he was appointed an

Officer 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 Go ...

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thawley, Michael 1950 births Living people Ambassadors of Australia to the United States Officers of the Order of Australia Australian National University alumni Recipients of the Centenary Medal People educated at Geelong Grammar School Politicians from London