Ian Sharp (public servant) explained

Ian Gordon Sharp
Office1:Secretary of the Department of Labour
Term Start1:19 December 1972
Term End1:12 June 1974
Office2:Secretary of the Department of Labor and Immigration
Term Start2:12 June 1974
Term End2:31 March 1975
Birth Name:Ian Gordon Sharp
Birth Date:23 April 1913
Occupation:Public servant
Nationality: Australian
Parents:Charles Hay Sharp and Margaret Gordon
Siblings:Heather and Margaret

Ian Gordon Sharp (April 23, 1913 – July 26, 1996) was a senior-level Australian public servant, best known for his time as Secretary heading the Department of Labour and subsequently the Department of Labor and Immigration in the early 1970s.[1]

Life and career

Ian Sharp was born in 1913. He attended the University of Western Australia, studying Law. Graduating with first class honours, he was admitted to the London School of Economics. His Ph.D thesis "Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration in Great Britain" was published by Allen and Unwin in 1950.

In 1972, Sharp was appointed Secretary of the new Department of Labour, Contrary to the practice of most Whitlam Ministers, who inherited departmental heads from their Menzies Government colleagues, Sharp was chosen for the role by the Minister for Labour Clyde Cameron.[2] [3] Sharp, a lawyer with a background in arbitration was said to be regarded as an old friend by Cameron.[4]

When a New Ministry was announced, and his Minister's role was expanded to include immigration, Sharp's role too expanded and he was made Secretary of the new Department of Labor and Immigration.[5] When Sharp handed over his Secretary position to Peter Wilenski in 1975, he spent three months with Wilenski in something of an "apprenticeship" role, sharing authority in the department, before leaving in March that year.[6]

On 31 March 1975, Sharp started a three-year appointment as a judge of the Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission.[7]

Awards

Sharp was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in June 1989 for his public service, particularly in the field of industrial relations.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Burckel. Christian E.. Who's who in the United Nations - Volume 1. 1951. C.E. Burckel & Associates. 395.
  2. News: Hard, but without trickery . John. Bannon. 17 March 2008. The Australian. News Ltd.
  3. News: Six of 18 new Heads named. Bruce. Juddery. Bruce Juddery. 21 December 1972. 1. The Canberra Times.
  4. News: Mr Cameron: Despite setback, still a power in the Labor movement. Bruce. Juddery. Bruce Juddery. 2. 7 June 1975. The Canberra Times.
  5. New Ministry. 11 January 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140111025518/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=3293. Gough. Whitlam. Gough Whitlam. 11 June 1974.
  6. News: The in-tray runneth over for Peter Wilenski. Bruce. Juddery. Bruce Juddery. 31 March 1975. The Canberra Times. 2.
  7. News: New postings: Dr Wilenski made department head. The Canberra Times. 1. 10 December 1974.