Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia)

The Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is the public service head of Australia's Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the most senior public servant in the administration of Government in Australia.

Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Incumbent
Phil Gaetjens
since 2 September 2019 (2019-09-02)
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
AppointerPrime Minister
Inaugural holderMalcolm Shepherd
Formation1 January 1912 (1912-01-01)

The Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet should not be confused with the Cabinet Secretary, a ministerial position within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio responsible for assisting the Prime Minister in the procedural and operational matters of the Cabinet of Australia.

The Secretary of the DPMC is Australia’s highest-paid bureaucrat, earning more than $914,000, as of 2019.[1]

List of Secretaries of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Below is the list of Secretaries, since the first appointment was made on 1 January 1912.

OrderNameTitleDate appointment
commenced		Date appointment
ceased		Term in officePrime Minister(s)Ref(s)
1Malcolm Shepherd, CMGSecretary to the Prime Minister's Department1 January 1912 (1912-01-01)27 January 1921 (1921-01-27)9 years, 26 daysFisher; Cook; Fisher; Hughes[2]
2Percy Deane, CMG11 February 1921 (1921-02-11)31 December 1928 (1928-12-31)7 years, 324 daysHughes; Bruce[3]
3Sir John McLaren, CMG1 January 1929 (1929-01-01)2 March 1933 (1933-03-02)4 years, 60 daysBruce; Scullin; Lyons[4]
4John Starling, CMG, OBE3 March 1933 (1933-03-03)10 November 1935 (1935-11-10)2 years, 252 daysLyons
5Frank Strahan, CVO, CBE11 November 1935 (1935-11-11)25 August 1949 (1949-08-25)13 years, 287 daysLyons; Page; Menzies; Fadden; Curtin; Forde; Chifley
6Sir Allen Brown, CBE25 August 1949 (1949-08-25)31 December 1958 (1958-12-31)9 years, 128 daysMenzies
7Sir John Bunting, CBE1 January 1959 (1959-01-01)10 March 1968 (1968-03-10)9 years, 69 daysMenzies; Holt; McEwen; Gorton
8Sir Lenox Hewitt, OBE11 March 1968 (1968-03-11)12 March 1971 (1971-03-12)3 years, 1 dayGorton; McMahon[5]
n/aSir John Bunting, CBESecretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet17 March 1971 (1971-03-17)31 January 1975 (1975-01-31)3 years, 320 daysMcMahon; Whitlam[6][7]
9John Menadue1 February 1975 (1975-02-01)30 September 1976 (1976-09-30)1 year, 242 daysWhitlam; Fraser[7][8]
10Sir Alan Carmody, CBE1 October 1976 (1976-10-01)12 April 1978 (1978-04-12)11 year, 193 daysFraser[8][9][10][11]
11Sir Geoffrey Yeend, AC, CBE18 April 1978 (1978-04-18)10 February 1986 (1986-02-10)7 years, 298 daysFraser; Hawke[12][13][14]
12Mike Codd, AC10 February 1986 (1986-02-10)1 December 1991 (1991-12-01)5 years, 294 daysHawke[13]
13Dr Michael Keating, AC1 December 1991 (1991-12-01)13 May 1996 (1996-05-13)4 years, 164 daysHawke; Keating; Howard[15]
14Max Moore-Wilton, AC13 May 1996 (1996-05-13)20 December 2002 (2002-12-20)6 years, 221 daysHoward[15][16]
15Dr Peter Shergold, AC10 February 2003 (2003-02-10)28 February 2008 (2008-02-28)5 years, 20 daysHoward; Rudd[17]
16Terry Moran, AC3 March 2008 (2008-03-03)5 September 2011 (2011-09-05)3 years, 186 daysRudd; Gillard[18]
17Dr Ian Watt, AO5 September 2011 (2011-09-05)30 November 2014 (2014-11-30)3 years, 86 daysGillard; Rudd; Abbott[19]
18Michael Thawley, AO1 December 2014 (2014-12-01)23 January 2016 (2016-01-23)1 year, 53 daysAbbott, Turnbull[20]
19Dr Martin Parkinson, AC, PSM23 January 2016 (2016-01-23)2 September 2019 (2019-09-02)3 years, 222 daysTurnbull, Morrison [21]
20Phil Gaetjens2 September 2019 (2019-09-02)incumbent1 year, 146 days Morrison [22][23]
Notes
^1 Sir Alan Carmody CBE died suddenly of coronary vascular disease on 12 April 1978; during the term of his appointment.[10][11]

Historical arrangements

Within days of John Gorton becoming Prime Minister, the functions of the Prime Minister's Department was split and a Department of the Cabinet Office was established.[24][25][26][27][28] On taking office as Prime Minister in 1971, William McMahon reversed Gorton's changes and restored earlier changes via the creation of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. A lesser role of Secretary to the Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council was established for a short time; abolished in the early days of the Whitlam government.[29][30][31] Upon election to office in 1996, John Howard established a separate Cabinet Office within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The Cabinet Office was a small unit, staffed from within and outside the public service, which provided the Prime Minister with advice on issues before Cabinet as well as strategic policy directions.[32]

Secretary to the Department of the Cabinet Office
OrderNameTitleDate appointment
commenced		Date appointment
ceased		Term in officeRef(s)
1Sir John Bunting CBESecretary to the Department of the Cabinet Office11 March 1968 (1968-03-11)17 March 1971 (1971-03-17)3 years, 6 days[24]
2Michael L'Estrange AOSecretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Cabinet Policy Unit8 March 1996 (1996-03-08)30 June 2000 (2000-06-30)4 years, 114 days[32][33]

Secretary to the Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council
OrderNameTitleDate appointment
commenced		Date appointment
ceased		Term in officeRef(s)
1Sir Lenox HewittSecretary to the Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council17 March 1971 (1971-03-17)20 December 1972 (1972-12-20)1 year, 278 days[29][34]

References
  1. https://www.sbs.com.au/news/minimum-wage-up-as-penalty-rates-trimmed
  2. CA 12: Prime Minister's Department, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 23 March 2014
  3. Murray-Smith, S. (1981). "Deane, Percival Edgar (Percy) (1890–1946)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  4. McDonald, D. I. (1986). "McLaren, Sir John Gilbert (1871–1958)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  5. PM.NO.31/1968
  6. McMahon, William (12 March 1971). "New Administrative Arrangements – Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr William McMahon". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  7. Whitlam, Gough (23 August 1974). "Appointments approved by the Executive Council". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  8. Fraser, Malcolm (6 September 1976). "Senior government appointments". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  9. Hyslop, Robert (1993). "Carmody, Sir Alan Thomas (1920–1978)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  10. "Sir Alan Carmody: at the top of the bureaucracy". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 April 1978. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  11. "Obituary: Sir Alan Carmody: a controversial initiator of government activity". The Canberra Times. 13 April 1978. p. 2. Retrieved 4 November 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. Fraser, Malcolm (18 April 1978). "Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  13. Hawke, Bob (10 February 1986). "For media". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  14. "Yeend named to head PM's". The Canberra Times. 19 April 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 4 November 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. Howard, John (9 April 1996). "Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  16. Howard, John (20 December 2002). "Retirement of Max Moore-Wilton AC". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  17. Howard, John (2 February 2003). "Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  18. Rudd, Kevin (6 February 2008). "Secretary of Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  19. Gillard, Julia (4 August 2011). "Departmental Secretaries". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  20. Abbott, Tony (20 October 2014). "Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 26 January 2015.
  21. Turnbull, Malcolm (3 December 2015). "Departmental Secretaries". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  22. https://www.pmc.gov.au/who-we-are/the-secretary
  23. https://www.themandarin.com.au/112450-phil-gaetjens-promoted-to-head-of-pmc-dr-steven-kennedy-to-lead-treasury/
  24. Gorton, John (11 March 1968). "For press: PM. No. 31/ 1968 Department of the Cabinet Office - Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr John Gorton". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  25. Browne, Geoffrey; Millar, Ann; Evans, Harry (2010), "Gorton, Sir John Grey (1911–2002)", The biographical dictionary of the Australian Senate. Volume 3, 1962-1983, University of New South Wales Press, pp. 22–23, ISBN 978-0-86840-996-2, retrieved 5 November 2013
  26. "PM plans to split his department". The Canberra Times. 2 March 1968. p. 1. Retrieved 5 November 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  27. Gaul, Jonathan (5 March 1968). "A think-tank and a Secretariat". The Canberra Times. p. 2. Retrieved 5 November 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  28. Gaul, Jonathan (12 March 1968). "PM forms a Cabinet department". The Canberra Times. p. 1. Retrieved 5 November 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  29. McMahon, William (17 March 1971). "Permanent Head of Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council – Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr William McMahon". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  30. Solomon, David (13 March 1971). "PM sets up new departments". The Canberra Times. p. 1. Retrieved 5 November 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  31. "System inefficient". The Canberra Times. 13 March 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 5 November 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  32. Howard, John (8 March 1996). "Statement by the Prime Minister designate, The Hon John Howard MP". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  33. Howard, John (2 February 2000). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to the United Kingdom". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  34. Whitlam, Gough (20 December 1972). "Appointment of Permanent Heads". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
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