Kenneth Jones AO CBE

1982

CITATION

Mr Chancellor,

BORN AND EDUCATED IN BUNDABERG, KENNETH NORMAN JONES ENTERED THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND AS A PART-TIME STUDENT lN 1941. FOLLOWING WAR SERVICE HE GRADUATED IN 1949 WITH A COMMERCE DEGREE. AFTER WORKING IN THE GENERAL POLICY AREA IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT, HE ASSUMED CHARGE OF THE CABINET SECRETARIAT AND WAS SECRETARY TO CABINET COMMITTEES FROM 1959 TO 1963. HE BECAME FIRST ASSISTANT SECRETARY, IN CHARGE OF THE NEWLY FORMED EDUCATION DIVISION AND WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE OF EDUCATION, IN 1964. IN 1966 HE WAS APPOINTED FIRST ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE, AND WAS APPOINTED SECRETARY TO THE COMMONWEAL TH DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IN 1973. 

THIS CURRICULUM VlTAE IDENTIFIES THE MAN BUT TELLS US LITTLE ABOUT THE PERSON.

THE MURRAY COMMTITEE REPORT OF 1957 LED TO COMMONWEALTH INVOLVEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION FOR THE FIRST TIME. KEN JONES'S ASSOCIATION WITH CABINET, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE. AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, COVERS THE MAJOR PERIOD OF UNIVERSITY AND CAE DEVELOPMENT IN AUSTRALIA. IN 1964 HE HAD THE CARRIAGE, THROUGH SIR ROBERT MENZIES AND SENATOR GORTON, OF THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE MARTIN COMMITTEE INQUIRY - THE REPORT ON THE FUTURE OF TERTIARY EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA. IN 1973 HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN SETTING THE TAFE SECTOR ON ITS WAY TO LATER STARDOM lN THE FRASER MINISTRY. 1N 1979, HE HAD THE CARRIAGE THROUGH SENATOR CARRICK OF THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE WILLIAMS COMMITTEE INQUIRY INTO EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT. 

OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM OF DEPARTMENTAL AFFAIRS, IN 1965 HE WAS INVOLVED IN DISCUSSIONS LEADING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH GRANTS COMMISSION, WHICH HAS PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A BASIC RESEARCH CAPACITY IN AUSTRALIA. TWO YEARS LATER HE WAS ASSOCIATED IN THE DISCUSSIONS LEADING TO THE CREATION OF THE 4-METRE ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN TELESCOPE AT SIDING SPRING OBSERVATORY, A DEVELOPMENT WHICH HAS ASSISTED OPTICAL ASTRONOMY IN AUSTRALIA TO ACHIEVE THE WORLD STATUS EARLIER ESTABLISHED BY RADIO ASTRONOMY IN THIS COUNTRY.

ALTHOUGH HIS SERVICE TO THE COMMONWEALTH HAS LARGELY BEEN UNDER THE LIBERAL-COUNTRY PARTY COALITION, HIS APPOINTMENT AS PERMANENT HEAD WAS MADE BY KIM BEAZLEY, MINISTER OF EDUCATION IN THE WHITLAM GOVERNMENT, FOLLOWING THE TRANSFER OF SIR HUGH ENNOR TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE. WRITING IN 1980, MR BEAZLEY RECALLED THE APPOINTMENT OF MR JONES. AND I QUOTE: 

GORDON HIRST, WHO SEEMED TO KNOW EVERY PIGEON HOLE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TOLD ME THAT "THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY, IN WHICH SIR HUGH ENNOR WAS KING AND KEN JONES WAS PRIME MINISTER". I CHECKED ON THIS INTERESTING OBSERVATION AND FOUND THAT KEN JONES WAS UNIVERSALLY ESPECTED, WAS A FIRST-CLASS ADMINISTRATOR AND WAS CREATIVE IN HIS APPROACH TO EDUCATION ..... I THEREFORE HAD HIM APPOINTED SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT".

KEN JONES IS NOW THE LONGEST SERVING PERMANENT HEAD, AND IN HIS CAREER HAS SERVED NINE MINISTERS OF EDUCATION. IT IS A COMMENT ON POLITICAL LIFE THAT ALL BUT THE ONE WHO APPOINTED HIM HEAD HA VE GONE ON TO MORE SENIOR GOVERNMENT POSITIONS. 

IN 1969 HE WAS AWARDED A CBE FOR SERVICES TO EDUCATION AND IN 1981 HE WAS ELECTED A FELLOW OF THE AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION. 

IN CHOOSING TO BESTOW OUR OWN DEGREE ON HIM TODAY, WE WOULD WISH TO INSIST THAT WE CAME TO OUR CONCLUSION QUITE INDEPENDENTLY AND WERE NOT DETERRED ON FINDING THAT WE WERE IN SUCH GOOD COMPANY. WE NOW FORMALLY INSCRIBE HIS NAME ON OUR OFFICIAL ROLL OF HONOUR; THAT ACTION MERELY CONFIRMS THE SECURE PLACE HE ALREADY HOLDS AND WILL ALWAYS HOLD IN OUR MEMORY AND OUR AFFECTION. 

MR CHANCELLOR, FOR HIS SERVICES TO EDUCATION AND TO THE COMMONWEALTH, I PRESENT TO YOU KENNETH NORMAN JONES, COMMANDER OF THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, BACHELOR OF COMMERCE, FOR ADMISSION TO THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF LAWS HONORIS CAUSA.

Awards

Doctor of Laws honoris causa
1982