Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 6, 2026

William Dunk

Sir William Ernest Dunk, (1897–1984) was a senior official in the Australian Public Service.

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Jul 6, 2026
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Sir William Dunk
CBE
Secretary of the Department of External Affairs
In office
10 September 1945 – 25 March 1947
Personal details
BornWilliam Ernest Dunk
1897 (1897)
Died1984 (aged 86–87)
SpouseElma Kathleen Evans (m. 1922)
ChildrenPat and Peter
OccupationPublic servant

Sir William Ernest Dunk, CBE (1897–1984) was a senior official in the Australian Public Service.

Life and career

William Dunk was born in 1897.1

He joined the Commonwealth Public Service in 1914 as a Clerk in the Auditor-General's Office.1 He rose to hold positions including the Assistant Secretary for War Administration in the Department of the Treasury and Director of Reciprocal Land Lease in the Department of External Affairs.2

Between 1945 and 1947 he was Secretary of the Department of External Affairs.3 In 1947, Dunk was appointed chairman of the Public Service Board, succeeding commissioner Frank Thorpe.4 Well ahead of time, in October 1959, Dunk advised the Australian Government that he wished to retire in early 1961.5 He retired officially from the chairmanship on 31 December 1960.6

Dunk was interviewed by Mel Pratt in 1971. The recording can be found in the National Library of Australia. 7

After retirement, he was invited to New Zealand to advise the New Zealand Government on public service matters.8

Awards and honours

Dunk was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in June 1953 in recognition of his service as Chairman of the Public Service Board.9 In 1957 he was made a Knight Bachelor.10

In 2009, a street in the Canberra suburb of Casey was named Dunk Street in William Dunk's honour.1

References

References

  1. Dunk Street, ACT Government Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate, archived from the original on 27 February 2014
  2. "Sir William Dunk To Retire In 1961, Successor Named". The Canberra Times. 12 October 1959. p. 1.
  3. CA 18: Department of External Affairs [II], Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 18 April 2014{{citation}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  4. "Mr. Dunk appointed Chairman of Public Service Board". The Canberra Times. 6 February 1947. p. 2.
  5. "Sir William Dunk to retire in 1961, Successor named". The Canberra Times. 12 October 1959. p. 1.
  6. "New head of Public Service Board". The Canberra Times. 4 January 1901. p. 2.
  7. Dunk, W.; Pratt, M. (interviewer). (1971). William Dunk interviewed by Mel Pratt for the Mel Pratt collection [sound recording], National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  8. "Sir William Dunk For New Zealand". The Canberra Times. 1 March 1961. p. 4.
  9. Search Australian Honours: DUNK, William Ernest, Australian Government, archived from the original on 18 April 2014
  10. Search Australian Honours: DUNK, William Ernest, Australian Government, archived from the original on 18 April 2014