William Cole (public servant)

Sir Robert William Cole (16 September 1926 – 8 January 2019)^[2][3] was a senior Australian public servant. He held secretary-level positions in four departments or agencies during the Fraser government and Hawke government years.

Sir William Cole
Secretary of the Department of Defence
In office 6 February 1984 – 15 October 1986
Preceded by	Bill Pritchett
Succeeded by	Alan Woods
Secretary of the Department of Finance
In office 7 December 1976 – 2 November 1978
Preceded by	New department
Succeeded by	Ian Castles
Personal details
Born	Robert William Cole (1926-09-16)16 September 1926 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died	8 January 2019(2019-01-08) (aged 92) Perth, Western Australia
Alma mater	University of Melbourne[1]
Occupation	Public servant

Background

Cole was born in 1926 in Melbourne.^[4][5] His parents were James Cole and Rita Tassie.^[6]: 56 He had two younger siblings, Geoff and Barbara.^[6]: 56 He attended Northcote High School but left school in 1941.^[6]: 56 He began his public-service career at the age of 15 as a telegraph messenger.^[6]: 56 In 1944, he was conscripted in and served in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II ending in service's postal division.^[6]: 56 After being demobilised, he returned to his previous work at the Department of Supply in Melbourne.^[6]: 56

In 1948, taking advantage of the Labor government's Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme, he completed his high school years 11 and 12.^[6]: 56 This allowed him to attend and completed a commerce degree at the University of Melbourne.^[7]

After graduating, Cole briefly worked in the Department of Supply, and then in 1952 moved to Canberra to work as a research officer in the Department of the Treasury.^[6]: 56 He was seconded to the International Monetary Fund in 1957 and worked in Washington, D.C., until 1959, when he returned to the Treasury.^[6]: 56 He was director of the Bureau of Transport Economics from 1970 to 1972, and then took on various senior roles:^[7]

• first Assistant Secretary to the Treasury (1972–76)
• Australian Statistician (1976)
• Secretary of the Department of Finance (1976–78)
• Chairman of the Public Service Board (1978–83) and
• Secretary of the Department of Defence (1984–87).^[8]

Marriage

He met his wife Margaret Martin in Canberra; they were married in November 1956.^[6]: 56 They had two children.^[6]: 56

Honours

Cole was knighted in the 1981 New Year Honours.^[9][10]