Hugh Ennor

Sir Hugh Ennor
Ennor (right) and colleagues studying plans for the John Curtin School of Medical Research, 1950
Secretary of the Department of Education and Science
In office
1 February 1967 – 19 December 1972
Acting Secretary of the Department of Education
In office
20 December 1972 – 16 January 1973
Secretary of the Department of Science
In office
19 December 1972 – 6 June 1975
Secretary of the Department of Science and Consumer Affairs
In office
6 June 1975 – 22 December 1975
Secretary of the Department of Science
In office
22 December 1975 – 7 October 1977
Personal details
Born
Arnold Hughes Ennor

10 October 1912
Gardenvale, Melbourne
Died14 October 1977(1977-10-14) (aged 65)
Canberra
NationalityAustralian
SpouseViolet Phyllis Isobel Argall (m. 1939)[1]
ChildrenOne son and one daughter[1]
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne
OccupationPublic servant

Sir Arnold Hughes "Hugh" Ennor CBE (10 October 1912 – 14 October 1977) was a senior Australian public servant and policymaker.

Life and career

Ennor was born in Melbourne, the son of a joiner.[2] For schooling, he attended a local Catholic school, O'Neill College in Elsternwick, Victoria and later Melbourne Technical College.[1] He graduated from the University of Melbourne as a Bachelor of Science with first class honours in 1938, achieving a Master of Science in 1939 and a Doctor of Science in 1944 at the same university.[2]

During the Second World War, Ennor was engaged by Australian Chemical Warfare Research in top secret trials in northern Queensland of mustard gas protective clothing and other counter-measures. He and fellow-biochemist J. W. Legge designed and oversaw the construction of a 100 cubic metre (3,500 cu ft) stainless-steel temperature-controlled gas chamber as part of these experiments.[3]

Ennor was the first professor appointed by the new Australian National University in Canberra in 1948.[2]

In February 1967, Ennor was appointed Secretary of the Australian Government Department of Education and Science.[4][5] He served as secretary of the science department for over ten years, in the Department of Science (I),[6] the Department of Science and Consumer Affairs,[7] and the Department of Science (II).[8]

He also served for a short period as Acting Secretary of the Department of Education when the Whitlam government split the Department of Education and Science into two.[9]

Hugh Ennor died on 14 October 1977 in Canberra, aged 65.[10] His death was just a week after his retirement from the Australian Public Service.[11]

Awards

Ennor was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in January 1963 as a professor of biochemistry at the Australian National University.[12] In June 1965 he was made a Knight Bachelor.[13]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Lonergan, John P. (1996), "Ennor, Sir Arnold Hughes (1912–1977)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Australian National University, archived from the original on 12 March 2014
  2. ^ a b c "Obituary: Sir Hugh Ennor". The Canberra Times. 17 October 1977. p. 3. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014.
  3. ^ "Jack Legge". University of Melbourne. 20 April 2009.
  4. ^ Juddery, Bruce (11 January 1967). "Sir Hugh Ennor heads Science, Education". The Canberra Times. p. 1. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014.
  5. ^ CA 1196: Department of Education and Science, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 12 March 2014
  6. ^ CA 1486: Department of Science [I], Central Office, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 15 December 2013, retrieved 12 March 2014
  7. ^ CA 1888: Department of Science and Consumer Affairs, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 28 December 2013, retrieved 12 March 2014
  8. ^ CA 1962: Department of Science [II], Central Office, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 12 December 2013, retrieved 12 March 2014
  9. ^ CA 1482: Department of Education [I], Central Office, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 14 December 2013, retrieved 12 March 2014
  10. ^ "Sir Hugh Ennor dies". The Canberra Times. 17 October 1977. p. 1. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014.
  11. ^ "Retired". The Canberra Times. 8 October 1977. p. 3. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014.
  12. ^ Search Australian Honours: ENNOR, Arnold Hughes, Australian Government, archived from the original on 12 March 2014
  13. ^ Search Australian Honours: ENNOR, Arnold Hughes, Australian Government, archived from the original on 12 March 2014

References