Page 3489 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 12 October 1994
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Wednesday, 12 October 1994
__________________________
MADAM SPEAKER (Ms McRae) took the chair at 10.30 am and read the prayer.
DEATH OF SIR GEOFFREY YEEND, AC, CBE
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I move:
That the Assembly expresses its deep regret at the death of Sir Geoffrey Yeend, AC, CBE, who made a significant contribution to both the Australian Public Service and the academic community in Canberra, and tenders its profound sympathy to his widow and family in their bereavement.
It was with much sadness that I learnt of the recent death of Sir Geoffrey Yeend, at the age of 67. Sir Geoffrey had a distinguished Public Service and academic career and will be remembered for the significant and valuable contributions that he made in both of these fields. Sir Geoffrey attended Canberra High School. He received a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Melbourne, which he achieved through study at the former Canberra University College, which is now part of the Australian National University. So he is an Old Canberran.
Sir Geoffrey joined the Commonwealth Public Service in January 1945. After spending time in the Department of Postwar Reconstruction and the Prime Minister's Department, he served as principal private secretary to Sir Robert Menzies from 1952 to 1955. From 1958 to 1960, Sir Geoffrey was assistant secretary at the Australian High Commission in London. On his return to Australia, Sir Geoffrey returned to the Prime Minister's Department as an assistant secretary, and six years later was promoted to first assistant secretary. By 1972 he was one of the department's deputy secretaries, and he was later appointed secretary by the Fraser Government, after the death of Sir Alan Carmody.
Sir Geoffrey was respected for his well reasoned and unbiased advice to government and received bipartisan support from both sides of the political spectrum. Sir Geoffrey was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1976 and in 1979 was created a Knight Bachelor for public service. Other honours bestowed upon him included Companion of the Order of Australia and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, by the Emperor of Japan for his contribution to the promotion of economic and cultural relations between Australia and Japan.
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