Tony Ayers

Tony Ayers AC
Secretary of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs
In office 20 July 1979 – 5 May 1981
Department of Social Security
In office 21 May 1981 – 14 November 1986
Acting Secretary of the Department of Community Services
In office 13 December 1984 – 13 March 1985
Secretary of the Department of Community Services and Health
In office 24 July 1987 – 31 July 1988
Secretary of the Department of Defence
In office 1 August 1988 – 5 February 1998
Personal details
Born	Anthony Joseph Ayers (1933-09-16)16 September 1933
Died	11 April 2016(2016-04-11) (aged 82)
Nationality	Australian
Spouse	Heather Ayers
Occupation	Public servant

Anthony Joseph "Tony" Ayers AC (16 September 1933 – 11 April 2016) was an Australian public servant.

Life and career

Ayers was born on 16 September 1933.[1] His first job was teaching in a Victorian school. He later was an education officer in Pentridge Prison, Melbourne.[2]

In 1967 Ayers moved to Canberra as Director of Welfare in the Department of the Interior.

He was appointed to his first Secretary role in 1979 as head of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs.[3][4] Ayers moved soon after, in 1981, to the Department of Social Security (DSS).[5] During his time at DSS he served concurrently for three months as Acting Secretary of the Department of Community Services.[6] Ayers moved to an appointment as Secretary of the Department of Community Services and Health when the Hawke government restructured the public service and created "super ministries" in 1987.[7]

Ayers' final posting in the Australian Public Service was as Secretary of the Department of Defence between 1988 and 1998.[8][9] Ayers was praised for his work in the Department, one of the few departmental heads who has left the Department of Defence of their own accord, rather than being compelled to leave by the Defence Minister, in the last 30 years.[10]

Ayers died on 11 April 2016.[11]

Awards

Ayers was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in June 1985.[12] In January 1993 he was promoted to a Companion of the Order of Australia, in recognition of service to leadership in the development and implementation of administrative structures, systems and procedures.[13]

References

1. Tony Ayers: Obituary, Fairfax Media, archived from the original on 13 April 2016
2. Burgess, Verona (9 January 1993). "The Chinese Mandarin". The Canberra Times. p. 15. Archived from the original on 7 February 2014.
3. "Perkins appointment". The Canberra Times. 5 September 1979. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014.
4. CA 1476: Department of Aboriginal Affairs, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 7 February 2014
5. CA 1482: Department of Social Security, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 7 February 2014
6. CA 4133: Department of Community Services, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 7 February 2014
7. CA 5985: Department of Community Services and Health, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 7 February 2014
8. CA 46: Department of Defence [III], Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 7 February 2014
9. Hawke, Robert (2 June 1988). "Untitled" (Press release). Archived from the original on 10 November 2013.
10. "Changing guards at Capital Palace". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Media. 6 August 2011. Archived from the original on 6 February 2014.
11. Back, Alexandra (12 April 2016). "Former 'shop steward' of the departmental secretaries Tony Ayers dies". The Canberra Times. Fairfax media. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
12. Search Australian Honours: AYERS, Anthony Joseph, Australian Government, archived from the original on 4 November 2018
13. Search Australian Honours: AYERS, Anthony Joseph, Australian Government, archived from the original on 4 November 2018

Government offices
Preceded by David Hay	Secretary of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs 1979 – 1981	Succeeded by John Taylor
Preceded by Pat Lanigan	Secretary of the Department of Social Security 1981 – 1986	Succeeded by Derek Volker
New title Department established	Acting Secretary of the Department of Community Services 1984 – 1985	Succeeded by Mike Codd
Preceded by Bernard McKay as Secretary of the Department of Health	Secretary of the Department of Community Services and Health 1987 – 1988	Succeeded by Stuart Hamilton
Preceded by Alan Rose as Secretary of the Department of Community Services
Preceded by Alan Woods	Secretary of the Department of Defence 1988 – 1998	Succeeded by Paul Barratt