List of commissioners of the Australian Public Service

The Australian Public Service Commissioner is an official appointed by the Australian Government to take a leading role ensuring the Australian Public Service has adequate organisational and workforce capability.^[1] Until 1987 the Australian Public Service Commission was called the Public Service Board.

List of commissioners

Inaugural Public Service Commissioner

• Duncan McLachlan (1902–1916)^[2][3][4]

Original appointments to the Public Service Board (1923)

• William Skewes (1923–1931)^[5]
• John Patrick McGlinn (1923–1930)
• Brudenell White (1923–1928)

Commissioners on the Public Service Board

• John McLaren (1928)^[6][7]
• William Clemens (1929–1931)

Sole Public Service Commissioners

• William Clemens (1931–1937)^[8]
• Frank Thorpe (1937–1947)^[9]

Chairmen of the Public Service Board

• William Dunk (1947–1960)^[10]
• Frederick Wheeler (1961–1971)
• Alan Cooley (1971–1977)
• Mick Shann (1977–1978
• William Cole (1978–1983)
• Peter Wilenski (1983–1987)^[11]

Australian Public Service Commissioners

• John Enfield (1987–1990)
• Dennis Ives (1990–1995)
• Peter Shergold (1995–1998)
• Helen Williams (1998–2002)
• Andrew Podger (2002–2004)
• Lynelle Briggs (2004–2009)
• Steve Sedgwick (2009–2014)
• John Lloyd (2014–2018)^[12]
• Peter Woolcott (2018–2023)
• Gordon de Brouwer (2023–)

References

1. Australian Public Service Commission, About the Australian Public Service Commissioner, Australian Government, archived from the original on 28 February 2015
2. "Public Service Commissioner. Mr. McLachlan retiring". The Argus. Melbourne, Victoria. 30 September 1915. p. 6.
3. Nethercote, J.R. (2 February 2015). "Wise appointment: John Lloyd equipped to tackle the public service's neglected problems". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
4. "Federal Service. Retirement of Mr. McLachlan". The Sydney Morning Herald. 30 May 1916. p. 5.
5. "Public Service. Federal Board Appointed". The Maitland Weekly Mercury. 9 June 1923. p. 14.
6. "Public Service Board. Mr. J. G. McLaren Second Member". The Canberra Times. 23 June 1928. p. 4.
7. "Public Service. Secretaries Transferred". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 December 1928. p. 18.
8. "Public Service Board: Mr. Clemens to Act Alone". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 15 May 1931. p. 7.
9. "Mr. F.G. Thorpe: P.S. Commissioner Cabinet Appointment". The Canberra Times. 10 February 1937. p. 2.
10. "Mr. Dunk appointed Chairman of Public Service Board". The Canberra Times. 6 February 1947. p. 2.
11. Mitcham, Chad. "Peter Stephen Wilenski (1939–1994)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943.
12. Thomson, Phillip (12 December 2014). "John Lloyd new Public Service Commissioner". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2015.