Casey, Richard Gavin Gardiner (1890 - 1976)

Summary

Richard Casey had a major influence on international collaboration in science and technology in Australia, particularly when he was the Minister-in-Charge of CSIR/CSIRO 1937-1939, 1950-1960, Minister for External Affairs 1951-1960 and Governor-General of Australia 1965-1969. Also through his earlier liaison roles in London 1924-1931 and America 1940-1942, and his later roles associated with ANARE and CSIRO.

Related achievements include: his support for BANZARE expeditions 1929 -1931; the Antarctic Treaty (1959); the establishment of Mawson and Davis Stations in Antarctica; and the taking over of Wilkes station (1959). Casey Range (1930), Casey Bay (1956), and Casey Station (1965) in Antarctica are named in his honour.

He has also been recognised by the naming of the City of Casey within Greater Melbourne, and the naming of Casey, a suburb of Canberra.

Details

Chronology

1909

Education - Engineering student, University of Melbourne

1913

Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA) (Hons engineering), University of Cambridge

1913 - 1914

Career position - Worked at Mount Morgan Gold Mining Co Ltd, Queensland [his father was chairman of the company]

1914 - 1918

Military service - First World War. Lieutenant, rising to Captain, and Major, Australian Infantry Forces [Chiefly as a staff officer]

1917

Award - Military Cross (MC) - Volunteer Auto Corps

1918

Education - Master of Arts (MA), University of Cambridge

1918

Award - Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) - Australian Infantry Forces

1918

Award - Mentioned in Despatches (MID), twice

1919

Career event - Returned to Australia via America [Visiting engineering and metallurgical works, related to Mount Morgan Company]

1919 - 1923

Career position - Board member, various companies including Mount Morgan Company

c. 1920 - c. 1923

Career position - Established a small steel-manufacturing firm, making cultery

1923

Career position - Member of a syndicate that supported the production of an automotive engine, developed and manufactured by A G M Michell [Casey unsuccessfully marketed the engine in America]

1924 - 1931

Career position - Australian political liaison officer, London [under Stanley Bruce. Casey was also closely associated with BANZARE]

1931 - 1940

Career position - Member of the House of Representatives (MHR), for Corio, Commonwealth of Australia

1933 - 1935

Career position - Assistant Treasurer, Commonwealth of Australia

1935 - 1939

Career position - Treasurer, Commonwealth of Australia [under Joseph Lyons and Earle Page]

1937

Career event - Member, Australian Delegation, Imperial Conference & Coronation

1937 - 1939

Career position - Minister-in-Charge of Development and Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Commonwealth of Australia

1939

Career position - Appointed Privy Councillor (PC)

1939

Career event - Australian Representative, Imperial Conference on Conduct of War

1939 - 1940

Career position - Minister for Supply and Development [under Robert Menzies]

1940 - 1942

Career position - Ambassador to the United States, Commonwealth of Australia [First Australian Minister to USA]

1942

Career position - Member, War Cabinet [under Winston Churchill]

1942 - 1943

Career position - Minister of State, resident in the Middle East, British government [appointed by Winston Churchill]

1944

Award - Companion of Honour (CH) - Minister of State in Cairo during World War 2

1944 - 1945

Career position - Governor of Bengal [appointed by Winston Churchill]

1946

Life event - Returned to Australia

1947 - 1950

Career position - Federal president, Liberal Party of Australia

1949 - 1951

Career position - Minister for Supply and Development (National Development from 1950)

1949 - 1951

Career position - Minister for Works and Housing, Commonwealth of Australia

1949 - 1960

Career position - Member of the House of Representatives (MHR), for La Trobe, Commonwealth of Australia

1950 - 1960

Career position - Minister-in-Charge, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Commonwealth of Australia

1951 - 1960

Career position - Minister for External Affairs, Commonwealth of Australia

1960

Career position - Life peer, Baron Casey, of Berwick in the State of Victoria and Commonwealth of Australia and of the City of Westminster

1965

Award - Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) - Governor-General designate

1965 - 1969

Career position - Governor-General of Australia

1966

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

1966

Award - Honorary Member (HonMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia

1967

Award - Doctor of Engineering (DEng), honoris causa, University of Newcastle

1968

Award - Honorary Fellow (HonFIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia [Former Honorary Members were designated Honorary Fellows on this date.]

1969

Award - Australian of the Year

1969

Award - Knight of the Garter (KG) - Governor-General of Australia - 1965 and 1969

Related entries

Archival resources

National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection

• Cornelius Gavin Casey - Records, 1820 - 1978, MS 6150; National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection. Details

Published resources

Book Sections

• Green, F. C., 'Casey, Richard Gardiner (1846-1919)' in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Douglas Pike, ed., vol. 3 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1969), pp. 366-367. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A030342b.htm. Details
• Hudson, W. J., 'Casey, Richard Gavin Gardiner (Baron Casey) (1890-1976)' in Australian Dictionary of Biography, John Ritchie, ed., vol. 13 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1993), pp. 381-385. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A130426b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• White, F. W. G., 'Casey of Berwick and Westminster, Baron Richard Gardiner Casey, KG, PC, GCMG, CH, DSO, MC, KStJ, FAA, MA(Cantab.)', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, 3 (4) (1977), 54-83. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9770340054.htm. Details
• White, F. W.G., 'Robert Gordon Menzies (1894-1978)', Historical Records of Australian Science, 5 (1) (1980), 68-102. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9800510068. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q335310. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/29660810. Details
• CA 2001 Australian Imperial Force, Base Records Office, 'NAA: B2455, Casey R G', B2455 First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4028782. Details
• '1969 Australian of the Year', Australian of the Year Awards, National Australia Day Council, https://australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/richard-gardiner-casey-kg-gcmg-ch-dso-mc-kstj-pc-memoriam. Details
• 'Casey, Richard Gavin Gardiner (1890-1976)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1464911. Details
• 'Awarded honorary DEng, 1967', Honorary degrees, University of Newcastle, 2023, https://www.newcastle.edu.au/engage/alumni/stories/honorary-degrees. Details

Resource Sections

• 'Primary description of person CP 24; Richard Gardiner Casey', in RecordSearch, National Archives of Australia, 2000, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?Number=CP%2024. Details
• Ward, C., 'Lord Richard Gavin Gardiner Casey', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2011, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/Casey-Lord-Richard-Gavin-Gardiner. Details
• White, F. W. G., 'Richard Gardiner Casey 1890-1976', in Australian Academy of Science Biographical Memoirs, Australian Academy of Science, 2006, https://www.science.org.au/fellowship/fellows/biographical-memoirs-1/richard-gardiner-casey-1890-1976. Details

See also

• Federation and Meteorology, 2001, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/index_c.html. Details
• Binnie, Anna, 'Oliphant, the Father of Atomic Energy', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 139 (2006), 11-22, https://royalsoc.org.au/images/pdf/journal/139_Binnie2.pdf. Details
• Rees, A. L. G., 'Ian William Wark 1899-1985', Historical Records of Australian Science, 6 (4) (1987), 533-548. https://doi.org/10.1071HR9870640533. Details
• Sherratt, Tim, 'CSIRO' in Oxford Companion to Australian History, Graeme Davison; John Hirst; Stuart Macintyre, ed. (Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998), pp. 164-165. http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/pubs/articles/tps/csiro_history.htm. Details