Chapter 8: I Leave the Bureau (continued)

Working in a military department such as Air meant that much of the work of the Department was overseen by the Air Board which was comprised of four military members and the Permanent Head of the civil sector of the Department, Bert McFarlane. The Governor General is the Commander in Chief of the military forces. The Minister for Air has a delegation from the Governor General and employees in the Department are employed under the Defence Act. The duties of the position of Divisional head, in which I was acting, were defined under the Public Service Act.

The permanent appointment to the position was complicated by the fact that there were four RAAF Air Commodores due to retire at a relatively early age who were interested in the job. Bert Spratt of the Public Service Board thought I should be appointed. About this time my wife died after a period during which her illness became progressively worse.

The upshot was that after acting in the position for a considerable time I was not appointed to the job. My public service career, which began in the Bureau of Meteorology, ended in the Department of Defence. That career gave me an interesting life in which I have met a large number of stimulating people.

Bureau of Meteorology