Keith Officer

Sir Keith Officer
OBE, MC
Australian Ambassador to France
In office
18 April 1950 – March 1955
Preceded byWilliam Hodgson
Succeeded byAlfred Stirling
Australian Ambassador to China
In office
15 November 1948 – 17 October 1949
Preceded byDouglas Copland
Succeeded byVacant
Australian Minister to the Netherlands
In office
1946–1948
Preceded byJohn Hood
Succeeded byJohn Quinn
Personal details
Born(1889-10-02)2 October 1889
Toorak, Victoria, Australia
Died21 June 1969(1969-06-21) (aged 79)
Southampton, England
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne (LLB)
OccupationPublic servant and diplomat
Civilian awardsKnight Bachelor
Military service
AllegianceAustralia
Branch/serviceAustralian Imperial Force
Years of service1914–1919
RankMajor
Battles/warsFirst World War
Military awardsOfficer of the Order of the British Empire
Military Cross
Mentioned in Despatches (3)

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 where he was resident at Ormond College.[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 counsellor 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 the Republic of China.[12][13] He was recalled from Nanjing in November 1949 to consult with the Department of External Affairs on the recognition by the United Kingdom 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

  1. ^ Dermody, Kathleen, "Officer, Sir Frank Keith (1889–1969)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Australian National University, archived from the original on 16 August 2014
  2. ^ "Mr Keith Officer's varied career". The Argus. Melbourne, Victoria. 1 September 1942. p. 2.
  3. ^ "Keith Officer knighted". Queensland Times. Ipswich, Queensland. 26 March 1951. p. 6.
  4. ^ "External Affairs Officer in London: Mr. R. F. K. Officer Appointed". The Advertiser. Adelaide, SA. 2 June 1933. p. 25.
  5. ^ "Netherlands post for Keith Officer". Northern Star. Lismore, New South Wales. 10 May 1946. p. 5.
  6. ^ "Mr. Keith Officer for Japan". Cootamundra Herald. 20 August 1940. p. 1.
  7. ^ "Work of Mr. K. Officer. Three years in U.S.A. Tokyo Appointment". The Sydney Morning Herald. NSW. 2 October 1940. p. 16.
  8. ^ "Mr. Officer Minister to Netherlands". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. NSW. 10 May 1946. p. 3.
  9. ^ "Mr. Officer Minister to Netherlands". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate. 10 May 1946. p. 3.
  10. ^ "Minister to Netherlands. Mr. Keith Officer's New Appointment". Kalgoorlie Miner. 10 May 1946. p. 4.
  11. ^ "Moscow post offered to F. K. Officer". The Wet Wyalong Advocate. NSW. 23 December 1946. p. 1.
  12. ^ "Diplomat for China". Recorder. Port Pirie, South Australia. 18 June 1948. p. 1.
  13. ^ "Mr. K. Officer for Chungking". The Canberra Times. ACT. 21 June 1948. p. 2.
  14. ^ "Ambassador to China Returning". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 November 1949. p. 3.
  15. ^ a b "To succeed Sir Keith Officer". The Canberra Times. 4 March 1955. p. 2.
  16. ^ "NAA: M1129, OFFICER/F K PART 1". Sydney Bulletin. 20 April 1955.
  17. ^ "Search Australian Honours: OFFICER, Frank Keith, Military Cross", itsanhonour.gov.au, Australian Government, archived from the original on 2 March 2015
  18. ^ "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
  19. ^ "Search Australian Honours: OFFICER, Frank Keith, Knight Bachelor", itsanhonour.gov.au, Australian Government, archived from the original on 2 March 2015

Further reading

  • Fewster, Alan (2009). Trusty and Well Beloved: A life of Keith Officer, Australia's First Diplomat. Miegunyah Press. ISBN 9780522855937.
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