| Sir Keith Officer | |
|---|---|
| |
| Ambassador to France | |
In office 18 April 1950 – March 1955 | |
| Preceded by | William Hodgson |
| Succeeded by | Alfred Stirling |
| Ambassador to China | |
In office 15 November 1948 – 17 October 1949 | |
| Preceded by | Douglas Copland |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Australian Minister to the Netherlands | |
In office 1946–1948 | |
| Preceded by | John Hood |
| Succeeded by | John Quinn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 October 1889 Toorak, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 21 June 1969 (aged 79) Southampton, England |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne (LLB) |
| Occupation | Public servant and diplomat |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service/branch | Australian Imperial Force |
| Years of service | 1914–1919 |
| Rank | Major |
| Battles/wars | First World War |
| Awards | Knight Bachelor |
Sir Frank Keith Officer, OBE MC (2 October 1889 – 21 June 1969) was an Australian public servant and diplomat, best known for his postings in ambassadorial positions around the world.
Life and career[]
Keith Officer was born on 2 October 1889 in Toorak, Melbourne.[1] He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School and Melbourne University.[2]
Between 1914 and 1918, Officer served with the First Australian Imperial Force in Egypt, Gallipoli, France and Belgium.[3]
From 1919 to 1923, Officer was a political officer of the British Colonial Service in Nigeria.[4]
He joined the Australian Department of External Affairs in 1927.[5]
In 1940, Officer was appointed councilor to the Australian legation in Japan,[6] second in command to Sir John Latham.[7] He was Charge d'Affaires in Tokyo when the Pacific War broke out.[8]
Between 1946 and 1948, Officer was Australian Minister to the Netherlands.[9][10] Officer was offered the post of Australian Minister to Moscow in 1947.[11]
In 1948, Officer was appointed Australian Ambassador to China.[12][13] He was recalled to Canberra in November 1949 to consult with the Department of External Affairs on the recognition of the Communist Government in China.[14]
Between 1950 and 1955 Officer was Australian Ambassador to France.[15] He retired from the Commonwealth Public Service at the end of March 1950.[15] His retirement prompted External Affairs Minister Richard Casey to write a letter touching on Officer's work, in which he said: "you can properly regard yourself not only as one of the founders of the Australian Foreign Service but as a model which men of succeeding generations can seek to emulate."[16]
Awards[]
In 1917, Officer was awarded the Military Cross.[17] He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1919.[18] In the 1950 Birthday Honours he was made a Knight Bachelor, for services as ambassador in Paris.[19]
References[]
- ↑ Dermody, Kathleen. "Officer, Sir Frank Keith (1889–1969)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Archived from the original on 16 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140816025927/http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/officer-sir-frank-keith-11289.
- ↑ "Mr Keith Officer's varied career". Melbourne, Victoria. 1 September 1942. p. 2. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11993135.
- ↑ "Keith Officer knighted". Ipswich, Queensland. 26 March 1951. p. 6. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article124610879.
- ↑ "External Affairs Officer in London: Mr. R. F. K. Officer Appointed". Adelaide, SA. 2 June 1933. p. 25. http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/46978261.
- ↑ "Netherlands post for Keith Officer". Lismore, New South Wales. 10 May 1946. p. 5. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article99115293.
- ↑ "Mr. Keith Officer for Japan". 20 August 1940. p. 1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article144082170.
- ↑ "Work of Mr. K. Officer. Three years in U.S.A. Tokyo Appointment". NSW. 2 October 1940. p. 16. http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17697457.
- ↑ "Mr. Officer Minister to Netherlands". NSW. 10 May 1946. p. 3. http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/140613886.
- ↑ "Mr. Officer Minister to Netherlands". 10 May 1946. p. 3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140613886.
- ↑ "Minister to Netherlands. Mr. Keith Officer’s New Appointment". 10 May 1946. p. 4. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article95541852.
- ↑ "Moscow post offered to F. K. Officer". NSW. 23 December 1946. p. 1. http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185762051.
- ↑ "Diplomat for China". Port Pirie, South Australia. 18 June 1948. p. 1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96232854.
- ↑ "Mr. K. Officer for Chungking". ACT. 21 June 1948. p. 2. http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2751624.
- ↑ "Ambassador to China Returning". 7 November 1949. p. 3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18128382.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "To succeed Sir Keith Officer". 4 March 1955. p. 2. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91194204.
- ↑ "NAA: M1129, OFFICER/F K PART 1". 20 April 1955. http://soda.naa.gov.au/record/31500419/5.
- ↑ "Search Australian Honours: OFFICER, Frank Keith, Military Cross". itsanhonour.gov.au. Australian Government. Archived from the original on 2 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150302072546/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1091963&search_type=quick&showInd=true.
- ↑ "Search Australian Honours: OFFICER, Frank Keith, The Order of the British Empire – Officer (Military)". itsanhonour.gov.au. Australian Government. Archived from the original on 2 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150302072626/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1110091&search_type=quick&showInd=true.
- ↑ "Search Australian Honours: OFFICER, Frank Keith, Knight Bachelor". itsanhonour.gov.au. Australian Government. Archived from the original on 2 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150302073157/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1083645&search_type=quick&showInd=true.
Further reading[]
- Fewster, Alan (2009). Trusty and Well Beloved: A life of Keith Officer, Australia's First Diplomat. Miegunyah Press. ISBN 9780522855937.
The original article can be found at Keith Officer and the edit history here.