Bill Pritchett
Bill Pritchett AO | |
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Secretary of the Department of Defence | |
In office 16 August 1979 – 6 February 1984 | |
Personal details | |
Born | William Beal Pritchett 31 January 1921 Sydney |
Died | 28 January 2014 92) | (aged
Nationality | ![]() |
Spouse(s) | Elvira "De" Voorstad |
Children | Isabel and Henry |
Alma mater | University of Sydney |
Occupation | Public servant |
William Beal "Bill" Pritchett AO (31 January 1921 – 28 January 2014) was a senior Australian public servant. He was Secretary of the Department of Defence between 1979 and 1984.
Early life
Bill Pritchett was born on 31 January 1921.[1] For schooling, he attended the Sydney Church of England Grammar School.[1] Pritchett studied for an Arts Degree at Sydney University, specializing in history and anthropology.[2]
Career
Pritchett served in World War II and then, in 1945, joined the Commonwealth Public Service as a Cadet in the Department of External Affairs.[1] His first overseas post was to Indonesia, during the country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands.[1]
In 1973, Pritchett was recruited to the Defence Department by his former boss in External Affairs, Arthur Tange.[3] He was later appointed Secretary of the Defence Department when Tange retired in 1979.[1][4] During his time as departmental head, Pritchett worked to improve the departmental culture.[5][6]
Pritchett retired from the public service in 1984.[1][7]
Awards and honours
In January 1984 Pritchett was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his public service.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Furlonger, Bob (8 February 2014). "William Pritchett: From diplomat to head of Defence Department". The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media). Archived from the original on 15 February 2014.
- ↑ Barratt, Paul (28 January 2014), "Vale Bill Prichett 1921–2014", Australian Observer, archived from the original on 6 February 2014
- ↑ Furlonger, Bob (7 February 2014). "William Pritchett: From diplomacy to the Defence Department". The Canberra Times (Fairfax Media). Archived from the original on 15 February 2014.
- ↑ CA 46: Department of Defence [III], Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 16 February 2014
- ↑ "Vale W.D. Pritchett, 1921-2014", Letter to the Canberra Times (not published) (Australia Defence Association), 7 February 2014, archived from the original on 15 February 2014
- ↑ Dobell, Graeme (6 February 2014), "To think and to do in Defence", The Strategist: The Australian Strategic Policy Institute Blog (The Australian Strategic Policy Institute), archived from the original on 14 February 2014
- ↑ Waterford, Jack (2 February 2014). "A gentleman in an unforgiving world". The Canberra Times (Fairfax Media). Archived from the original on 6 February 2014.
- ↑ Search Australian Honours: PRITCHETT, William Beal, Australian Government
Government offices | ||
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Preceded by Arthur Tange |
Secretary of the Department of Defence 1979 – 1984 |
Succeeded by William Cole |