Neil Currie
Sir Neil Smith Currie CBE (20 August 1926 – 30 July 1999) was a senior Australian public servant and policymaker.
Sir Neil Currie | |
|---|---|
| Secretary of the Department of Supply | |
| In office 1 November 1971 – 12 June 1974 | |
| Secretary of the Department of Manufacturing Industry | |
| In office 12 June 1974 – 22 December 1975 | |
| Secretary of the Department of Industry and Commerce | |
| In office 22 December 1975 – 7 May 1982 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Neil Smith Currie 20 August 1926 Mackay, Queensland |
| Died | 30 July 1999 (aged 72) Batemans Bay, New South Wales |
| Nationality | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australian |
| Spouse |
Geraldine Evelyn Dexter
(m. 1951) |
| Children | Deborah, Keith, Bruce and Janet |
| Parent | George Alexander Currie |
| Alma mater | University of Western Australia (BA) |
| Occupation | Public servant |
Life and career
Neil Currie was born on 20 August 1926 in Mackay, Queensland.[1]
Currie began his Commonwealth public service career in 1948 as a cadet in the Department of External Affairs.[1] He graduated from his cadetship alongside Rowen Osborn, and Barrie Dexter.[2]
Currie married Geraldine Evelyn Dexter in Tokyo in 1951 during his first posting there.[1][3] Their engagement had been announced in March 1951.[4] Three of the couple's four children were born in Tokyo.[5]
He held several positions as a departmental head, namely Secretary of the Department of Supply between 1971 and 1974,[6] Secretary of the Department of Manufacturing Industry between 1974 and 1975,[7] and Secretary of the Department of Industry and Commerce.[8]
In 1982 then Foreign Minister Tony Street appointed Currie the Australian Ambassador to Japan.[9][5] His posting, until 1986, was at a time when Japan was Australia's biggest trading partner.[10]
Currie died in Batemans Bay on 30 July 1999, aged 72.[1] His wife, Geraldine, died on 2 May 2019 at the age of 92.[11]
Awards and honours
Currie was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1978.[12] In 1982 he was appointed a Knight Bachelor.[13]
In 2000, the Australia Japan Foundation established the Sir Neil Currie Australian Studies Award Program to commemorate Currie's life and his contribution to Australian-Japanese relations.[14]
A street in the Canberra suburb of Casey in 2009 was named Neil Currie Street in Currie's honour.[15]
References
- Farquharson, John, Currie, Sir Neil Smith (1926–1999), Australian National University, archived from the original on 2 February 2014
- Beaumont, Joan; Waters, Christopher; Lowe, David; Woodard, Garry (2003). Ministers, Mandarins and Diplomats. Melbourne University Press. p. 51. ISBN 9780522850475.
- "Shower Tea". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria. 28 March 1951. p. 5.
- "They are engaged". The West Australian. WA. 1 March 1951. p. 8.
- Bryant, John (12 June 1982). "A good week that got yet better". The Canberra Times. ACT. p. 2.
- CA 57: Department of Supply, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 2 April 2014
- CA 1770: Department of Manufacturing Industry, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 2 April 2014
- CA 1956: Department of Industry and Commerce [1], Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 2 April 2014
- "New Ambassador to Japan". The Canberra Times. ACT. 10 June 1982. p. 9.
- Fraser, Andrew; Warry, Catherine (14 August 1986). "Trade with Japan could grow, but with change". The Canberra Times. ACT. p. 10.
- Reported in The Canberra Times, 8 May 2019.
- Search Australian Honours: CURRIE, Neil Smith, Australian Government, archived from the original on 1 April 2014
- Search Australian Honours: CURRIE, Neil Smith, Australian Government, archived from the original on 1 April 2014
- Sir Neil Currie Australian Studies Awards, Australian Government, archived from the original on 11 February 2014
- Neil Currie Street, ACT Government Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate, archived from the original on 27 February 2014
Further reading
- Mitcham, Chad J., 'Currie, Sir Neil Smith (1926–1999)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/currie-sir-neil-smith-280, published online 2023.