Mervyn Charles Probine (30 April 1924 – 17 April 2010) was a New Zealand physicist and public servant. He served as chairman of the

State Services Commission The Public Service Commission (PSC; Māori: ''Te Kawa Mataaho''), called the State Services Commission until 2020, is the central public service department of New Zealand charged with overseeing, managing, and improving the performance of the ...

between 1981 and 1986.

Early life and family

Born in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...

on 30 April 1924, Probine was the son of Frederick Charles Probine and Annie Kathleen Probine (née Polson). He married Marjorie Walker in 1949, and the couple went on to have two children.

Career

Probine joined the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) as a draughtsman in 1942. He graduated with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

from

Auckland University College , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn ...

in 1947 and a

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast ...

from 1951 from

Victoria University College Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well k ...

, and obtained a

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

in physics from the

University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

. In 1967, he was appointed director of the Physics and Engineering Laboratory (PEL), and then ten years later, was promoted to assistant director-general of the DSIR. Probine joined the

in 1979, and was appointed chair of that body in 1981. During his tenure, the

Official Information Act 1982 The Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) is an Act of the New Zealand Parliament which creates a public right to access information held by government bodies. It is New Zealand's primary freedom of information law and has become an important pa ...

was passed and the Equal Employment Opportunities Unit (EEOU) was established. The EEOU was charged with promoting and monitoring access to employment opportunities in the New Zealand public service for ethnic minorities, women, and the disabled.

Honours and awards

In 1964, Probine was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher educationa ...

. In the

1986 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1986 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countrie ...

, he was appointed a

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a care ...

, in recognition of his service as chairman of the State Services Commission.

Death

Probine died in Auckland on 17 April 2010.

References

*''Notable New Zealanders'' (1979, Paul Hamblyn, Auckland) {{DEFAULTSORT:Probine, Mervyn 1924 births 2010 deaths New Zealand public servants New Zealand Companions of the Order of the Bath People from Auckland Alumni of the University of Leeds New Zealand physicists People associated with Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (New Zealand) Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand