Kenneth Norman Jones AO CBE (17 April 1924 – 19 January 2022) was an Australian senior public servant.

Kenneth Norman Jones
Secretary of the Department of Local Government and Administrative Services
In office
13 December 1984 – 24 July 1987
Secretary of the Department of Administrative Services
In office
25 March 1983 – 12 December 1984
Secretary of the Department of Education and Youth Affairs
In office
11 March 1983 – 25 March 1983
Secretary of the Department of Education
In office
16 January 1973 – 11 March 1983
Personal details
Born(1924-04-17)17 April 1924
Bundaberg, Queensland
Died19 January 2022(2022-01-19) (aged 97)
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
NationalityAustralia Australian
Alma materUniversity of Queensland
OccupationPublic servant

Early life

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Kenneth Jones was born in Bundaberg, Queensland, on 17 April 1924.[1] He attended the University of Queensland, graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce.[1]

Career

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Jones began his Commonwealth Public Service career in 1941 when he joined the Official Receiver's Office in Queensland.[1]

He was appointed to his first Secretary role in January 1973, at the Department of Education. He stayed head of that department for over ten years, and subsequently served as head of Department of Education and Youth Affairs (March 1983), Department of Administrative Services (March 1983 to December 1984) and the Department of Local Government and Administrative Services (December 1984 to July 1987).[2][3][4][5] In total, he was a Secretary in the Australian Government for over 13 years, retiring in 1986.[1]

Personal life and death

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Jones died in Canberra on 19 January 2022, at the age of 97.[6]

Awards

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In the New Year's Honours List for 1969 Jones was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.[1] In June 1986 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia, for public service, particularly in the fields of education and departmental administration.[7]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e CP 398: Kenneth Norman JONES AO, CBE, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 19 March 2018, retrieved 11 January 2014
  2. ^ CA 1482: Department of Education, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 14 December 2013, retrieved 12 January 2014
  3. ^ CA 1964: Department of Administrative Services [II], Central Office, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 16 March 2016, retrieved 12 January 2014
  4. ^ CA 3494: Department of Education and Youth Affairs, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 16 March 2016, retrieved 12 January 2014
  5. ^ CA 4137: Department of Local Government and Administrative Services, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 12 January 2014
  6. ^ "Ken Jones AO, CBE". The Canberra Times. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  7. ^ Search Australian Honours: JONES, Kenneth Norman, Australian Government, archived from the original on 2 March 2014

References and further reading

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  • Hyslop, Robert (1990), "Kenneth Norman Jones interviewed by Robert Hyslop", Conversations with Departmental Secretaries oral history project
Government offices
Preceded by
Himself
as Secretary of the Department of Administrative Services
Secretary of the Department of Local Government and Administrative Services
1984 – 1987
Succeeded byas Secretary of the Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs
Preceded byas Secretary of the Department of Territories and Local Government Succeeded byas Secretary of the Department of Administrative Services
Preceded by Secretary of the Department of Administrative Services
1983 – 1984
Succeeded by
Himself
as Secretary of the Department of Local Government and Administrative Services
Preceded by
Himself
as Secretary of the Department of Education
Secretary of the Department of Education and Youth Affairs
1983
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Hugh Ennor (Acting)
Secretary of the Department of Education
1973 – 1983
Succeeded by
Himself
as Secretary of the Department of Education and Youth Affairs