Clerks of the Senate and other senior officers

Departmental Structure*

Year	Structure
1901	Clerk Clerk–Assistant Usher of the Black Rod and Clerk of Committees1 Clerk of the Records and Papers2
1950	Clerk Clerk–Assistant Second Clerk–Assistant3 Usher of the Black Rod and Clerk of Committees Clerk of the Records
1964	Clerk Deputy Clerk4 Clerk–Assistant Principal Parliamentary Officer5 Usher of the Black Rod and Clerk of Committees
1970	Clerk Deputy–Clerk Clerk–Assistant6 Principal Parliamentary Officer7 Usher of the Black Rod
1983	Clerk Deputy–Clerk Clerk–Assistant (4 positions)8 Usher of the Black Rod9
2001	Clerk Deputy Clerk Clerk Assistant (3 positions)10 Usher of the Black Rod

 

Clerks of the Senate	Dates
BLACKMORE, Edwin Gordon, CMG11	1/4/1901 — 30/6/1908
BOYDELL, Charles Broughton12	1/7/1908 — 31/1/1917
GAVAN DUFFY, Charles Cashel, CMG	1/2/1917 — 27/8/1920
MONAHAN, George Henry, CMG	28/8/1920 — 31/12/1938
BROINOWSKI, Robert Arthur	1/1/1939 — 30/11/1942
EDWARDS, John Ernest	1/12/1942 — 20/7/1955
LOOF, Rupert Harry Colin, CBE	21/7/1955 — 14/8/1965
ODGERS, James Rowland, CBE	16/8/1965 — 08/8/1979
BULLOCK, Roy Edwards, OBE13	9/8/1979 — 23/9/1980
BRADSHAW, Keith Oscar	29/10/1980 — 15/7/1982
CUMMING THOM, Alan Ritchie	16/7/1982 — 15/2/1988
EVANS, Harry14	18/2/1988 — 4/12/2009
LAING, Rosemary Gay	5/12/2009 —

 

Deputy Clerks of the Senate15	Dates
GAVAN DUFFY, Charles Cashel16	1/5/1901 — 7/7/1901
BOYDELL, Charles Broughton	8/7/1901 — 30/6/1908
UPWARD, George Edward17	1/7/1908 — 30/6/1915
MONAHAN, George Henry	1/7/1915 — 27/8/1920
U’REN, Fred	28/8/1920 — 29/12/1930
BROINOWSKI, Robert Arthur	30/12/1930 — 31/12/1938
EDWARDS, John Ernest	1/1/1939 — 30/11/1942
LOOF, Rupert Harry Colin	1/12/1942 — 20/7/1955
ODGERS, James Rowland	21/7/1955 — 15/8/1965
BULLOCK, Roy Edwards, OBE	16/8/1965 — 8/8/1979
BRADSHAW, Keith Oscar18	11/9/1979 — 28/10/1980
CUMMING THOM, Alan Ritchie19	19/11/1980 — 15/7/1982
NICHOLLS, Herbert Charles20	15/3/1983 — 19/1/1987
EVANS, Harry21	20/2/1987 — 17/2/1988
LYNCH, Geraldine Anne22	19/5/1988 — 8/7/2005
LAING, Rosemary Gay23	4/8/2005 — 4/12/2009
ELLIOTT, Cleaver John Cecil (Acting)	15/12/2009 — 12/1/2011
PYE, Richard David	13/1/2011 —

 

Clerks Assistant24
Second Clerk–Assistant
EMERTON, Walter Ian 4/5/1950 — 8/12/1954 ODGERS, James Rowland 9/12/1954 — 20/7/1955 BULLOCK, Roy Edward 1/7/1956 — 4/3/1964
Clerk–Assistant
BULLOCK, Roy Edwards 5/3/1964 — 15/8/1965 BRADSHAW, Keith Oscar 16/8/1965 — 23/5/1973
First Clerk– Assistant		Clerk Assistant and Clerk of Committees
BRADSHAW, Keith Oscar 24/5/1973 — 10/9/1979 CUMMING THOM, Alan Ritchie25 11/9/1979 — 18/11/1980 NICHOLLS, Herbert Charles26 19/11/1980 — 14/3/1983		CUMMING THOM, Alan Ritchie 19/9/1970 — 10/9/1979 NICHOLLS, Herbert Charles27 11/9/1979 — 18/11/1980 SMITH, Horace Guy28 19/11/1980 — 4/8/1983
Table Office	Committee Office	Procedure Office	Management Office6
WHARTON, Thomas Henry Gibbs 20/6/1983— 15/1/1985 MURDOCH, Peter Neil 16/1/1985 — 10/7/1987 LYNCH, Geraldine Anne 17/7/1987 — 18/5/1988 VANDER WYK, John 6/6/1988 — 22/4/1990 CORNWELL, Michele Joy29 23/4/1990 — 26/4/1992 BROWN, Terence John (Acting) 27/4/1992 — 4/4/1993 ELLIOTT, Cleaver John Cecil 15/4/1993 — 18/3/1996 VANDER WYK, John 19/3/1996 — 16/12/2001 LAING, Rosemary Gay30 17/12/2001 — 3/8/2005 PYE, Richard David31 13/10/2005 — 6/7/2008 WEEKS, Maureen Therese 7/7/2008 — 1/9/2013 REID, Christopher Lachlan 2/9/2013 —	EVANS, Harry 28/7/1983 — 15/1/1985 LYNCH, Geraldine Anne 16/1/1985 — 16/7/1987 DIAMOND, Robert John (Acting) 17/7/1987 — 1/7/1988 CORNWELL, Michele Joy 4/7/1988 — 22/4/1990 O’KEEFFE, Peter Anthony 23/4/1990 — 4/4/1993 BROWN, Terence John (Acting) 5/4/1993 — 15/8/1993 LAING, Rosemary Gay 16/8/1993 — 18/3/1996 ELLIOTT, Cleaver John Cecil 19/3/1996 — 16/12/2001 VANDER WYK, John32 17/12/2001 — 25/9/2006 WEEKS, Maureen Therese 28/9/2006 — 6/7/2008 ELLIOTT, Cleaver John Cecil 7/7/2008 — 14/12/2009 REID, Christopher Lachlan (Acting) 16/2/2010 — 12/1/2011 REID, Christopher Lachlan 13/1/2011 — 1/9/2013 HALLETT, Brien James 2/9/2013 —	EVANS, Harry 20/6/1983 — 27/7/1983 LYNCH, Geraldine Anne (Acting) 28/7/1983 — 3/1/1984 VANDER WYK, John (Acting) 4/1/1984 — 25/6/1984 LYNCH, Geraldine Anne 26/6/1984 — 15/1/1985 EVANS, Harry33 16/1/1985 — 19/2/1987 VANDER WYK, John34 27/2/1987 — 5/6/1988 O’KEEFFE, Peter Anthony 6/6/1988 — 22/4/1990 ELLIOTT, Cleaver John Cecil 23/4/1990 — 4/4/1993 O’KEEFFE, Peter Anthony 5/4/1993 — 18/3/1996 LAING, Rosemary Gay 19/3/1996 — 16/12/2001 ELLIOTT, Cleaver John Cecil 17/12/2001 — 6/7/2008 PYE, Richard David 7/7/2008 — 12/1/2011 NOTZON, Bronywn Marie 13/1/2011 — 1/9/2013 WEEKS, Maureen Therese 2/9/2013 —	MURDOCH, Peter Neil35 20/6/1983— 15/1/1985 WHARTON, Thomas Henry Gibbs 16/1/1985 — 22/1/198836 ELLIOTT, Cleaver John Cecil (Acting) 4/1/1988 — 6/5/1988 ELLIOTT, Cleaver John Cecil37 6/6/1988 — 22/4/1990 VANDER WYK, John 23/4/1990 — 18/3/1996 O’KEEFFE, Peter Anthony38 19/3/1996 — 16/12/2001

 

Ushers of the Black Rod	Dates
UPWARD, George Edward	1/5/1901 — 30/6/1908
MONAHAN, George Henry	1/7/1908 — 30/6/1915
U’REN, Fred	1/7/1915 — 27/8/1920
BROINOWSKI, Robert Arthur	28/8/1920 — 29/12/1930
EDWARDS, John Ernest	30/12/1930 — 31/12/1938
LOOF, Rupert Harry Colin	1/1/1939 — 30/11/1942
EMERTON, Walter Ian	1/12/1942 — 3/5/1950
ODGERS, James Rowland	4/5/1950 — 8/12/1954
BULLOCK, Roy Edward	9/12/1954 — 30/6/1956
BRADSHAW, Keith Oscar	1/7/1956 — 4/3/1964
CUMMING THOM, Alan Ritchie	5/3/1964 — 15/8/1965
NICHOLLS, Herbert Charles	16/8/1965 — 18/9/1970
SMITH, Horace Guy	19/9/1970 — 10/9/1979
WHARTON, Thomas Henry Gibbs	10/9/1979 — 18/11/1980
MURDOCH, Peter Neil	19/11/1980 — 19/6/1983
VANDER WYK, John (Acting)39	15/3/1983 — 3/1/1984
ALISON, Robert William40	26/6/1984 — 23/11/2001
(ELLIOTT, Cleaver John Cecil (Acting)	16/2/1987 — 3/1/1988)42
GRIFFITHS, Andrea Megan41	20/12/2001 — 19/12/2008
HALLETT, Brien James	19/1/2009 — 1/9/2013
NOTZON, Bronwyn Marie	2/9/2013 — 18/5/2014
HALLETT, Brien James	19/5/2014 — 27/6/2014
CALLINAN, Rachel Lee	30/6/2014 —

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*For a comprehensive account of parliamentary administration to 1988, see Reid and Forrest, op. cit., Chapter 9, especially pp.416–21.

¹The position of Secretary, Joint House Committee (later Department) was held by the Usher of the Black Rod, 1901–1915, and by the Clerk–Assistant 1915–1954.

²Separated into two positions in November 1941 with the Clerk of the Records senior to the Clerk of the Papers and the latter also known as Clerk of the Papers and Accountant; the starting point for clerical staff in earlier times when there was a single line of promotion, starting at base–level entry and proceeding by seniority.

³New position. See 17/5/1950, J.47.

⁴New name given to the Clerk–Assistant’s position in 1964 following a reorganisation of both chamber departments, approved by the Executive Council. See Reid and Forrest, op. cit., p.417. The Second Clerk–Assistant was re–styled as the Clerk–Assistant.

⁵A position created in the 1964 reorganisation from the duties of the former Clerks of Records and Papers; a forerunner to the present day position of Clerk Assistant (Table).

⁶There were two positions of Clerk–Assistant from 1970, one responsible for the new committee office. The other was renamed First Clerk Assistant in 1973 following an upgrade in its classification.

⁷From November 1980, there were two Principal Parliamentary Officer positions. The new position was created to provide particular support to the opposition, minor parties and independent senators and was the forerunner to the present day position of Clerk Assistant (Procedure).

⁸Two of these positions derived from reclassification of the Principal Parliamentary Officer positions. The department was divided into four offices with a Clerk Assistant heading each one: Table Office, Procedure Office, Committee Office, and Management Office. The rationale was to establish clear management responsibility for each of the major areas of the department, to provide a choice of officers at the Clerk Assistant level for promotion to Deputy Clerk and to facilitate rotation of officers between the four managerial positions. See Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations and Staffing, Third Report, PP No. 95/1983, pp.1–2 and Reid and Forrest, op. cit., p.420. The positions lost their hyphens in 1993 on the recommendation of the Procedure Committee in its First Report of 1992, PP No. 527/1992, adopted 6/5/1993, J.91, 96–102.

⁹On 1 July 1991, the Management Office was divided into the Corporate Management Office and the Black Rod’s Office as separate programs under the system of program budgeting then in operation. The position of Usher was reclassified as a Senior Executive Service position, achieving salary parity with the Clerks Assistant in 1999 after the Usher had also become a Clerk at the Table.

¹⁰In December 2001 the Management and Black Rod’s offices were consolidated into the Black Rod’s Office.

¹¹Blackmore was appointed as Clerk of the Parliaments, not Clerk of the Senate. He had been Clerk of the South Australian House of Assembly (1886–87) and Legislative Council (1887–1901) and Clerk to the Australasian Federal Convention (1897–98). He retired on 1/7/1908 after a 12 month leave of absence, during which time Boydell acted in the position.

¹²Boydell was the first Clerk to be styled as Clerk of the Senate (in the Clerk’s signature block in the Journals of the Senate). Prior to his appointment he was styled as Acting Clerk of the Parliaments but despite efforts to retain that title he was appointed as Clerk of the Senate, the term used in s. 14 of the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1902. For relevant correspondence, see Department of the Senate, Letterpress book 1908–11, folios 122–23, 125A–25B, 126–30, 132, 133–35, 138–39, 141–42, 153–54, 156–57, 159 and 160–61. Boydell retired on 1/7/1917 after a 6 month leave of absence.

¹³Retired 15/7/1981 after a 10 month leave of absence.

¹⁴Ten year appointment under the Parliamentary Service Act 1999 expires on 4 December 2009.

¹⁵In 1901, the position when established was known as Clerk–Assistant of the Senate. In March 1964, the title changed to the current title, Deputy Clerk of the Senate, while J.R. Odgers held the position.

¹⁶Appointed Clerk of the House of Representatives 8/7/1901 until 1/2/1917 when appointed Clerk of the Senate. See Reid and Forrest, op. cit., pp.409–10.

¹⁷Retired 30/9/1915 after a three month leave of absence.

¹⁸Acting from 9/8/1979.

¹⁹Acting from 3/3/1980.

²⁰Acting from 16/7/1982. Unattached on 20/1/1987 pending retirement.

²¹Acting from 29/1/1987.

²²Acting from 16/2/1988.

²³Acting from 8/9/2003 to 5/7/2004 in the absence of Anne Lynch on extended leave.

²⁴The third ranking position in the Senate department, and senior to the Usher of the Black Rod between 1950, when the position of Second Clerk Assistant was created, and 1999, when the Usher of the Black Rod achieved salary parity with the Clerks Assistant.

²⁵Acting from 9/8/1979

²⁶Acting from 22/5/1980

²⁷Acting from 9/8/1979

²⁸Unattached from 5/8/1983 and on leave from 12/8/1983. Became Clerk of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly.

²⁹On leave from 27/4/1992 to take up position of Deputy Clerk, Queensland Legislative Assembly; resigned from the Department of the Senate 19/5/1993.

³⁰Acting Deputy Clerk from 8/9/2003 to 5/7/2004.

³¹Acting Clerk Assistant (Table) from 8/9/2003 to 5/7/2004 in place of Rosemary Laing (see notes 24 and 31).

³²On leave from 25/9/2006 till retirement on 26/7/2007.

³³Acting Deputy Clerk from 29/1/1987.

³⁴Acting from 29/1/1987.

³⁵Acting from 11/3/1983.

³⁶Date of resignation following a period of leave.

³⁷Acting Usher of the Black Rod from 9/5/1988 to 3/6/1988.

³⁸On leave from 17/12/2001 till retirement on 3/2/2003. Corporate Management Office consolidated with Black Rod’s Office.

³⁹Commenced acting when Peter Murdoch moved to act as Clerk Assistant in the new Management Office (confirmed 20/6/1983).

⁴⁰Acting from 16/1/1984.

⁴¹Acting from 29/10/2001; also acting 22/7/1996 – 17/1/1997 and 21/12/1998 – 1/4/1999 in the absence of Robert Alison on extended leave; on leave from 19/12/2008 pending retirement.

⁴²Acting while Robert Alison was absent on an executive development scheme, and again from 9/5/1988 – 3/6/1988 while Robert Alison was acting Clerk Assistant (Corporate Management).