David Hay (diplomat)
| Sir David Hay | |
|---|---|
| Secretary of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs | |
|
In office 20 January 1977 – 20 July 1979 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Osborne Hay 29 November 1916 Corowa, New South Wales |
| Died | 18 May 2009 (aged 92) |
| Nationality |
 Australian |
| Spouse(s) | Alison Adams (d. 2002) |
| Children | 2 sons |
| Occupation | Public servant and diplomat |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
Australia
|
| Service/branch | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1940–1949 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | 2/6th Battalion (1940–46) |
| Commands | 3rd Battalion (1948–49) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Knight Bachelor Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order |
Sir David Osborne Hay CBE, DSO (29 November 1916 – 18 May 2009) was an Australian soldier, senior public servant and diplomat, becoming Ambassador to the United Nations, Administrator of Papua New Guinea, and heading the departments of External Territories and Aboriginal Affairs.
David Hay was born in 1916 in Corowa, New South Wales, where his parents had a grazing property. He attended Geelong Grammar School, becoming school captain and joint dux with Rupert Hamer, later Premier of Victoria. A member of the Geelong Grammar cricket team, he scored 284 runs in an innings, a record that stood for 60 years.
He studied at Oxford University, reading classics, ancient history and philosophy at Brasenose College, graduating with second-class honours, and playing cricket for the university team. He returned to Australia to join the public service, but found the fact that his degree was not from an Australian university was a barrier to entry. He continued studying, at Melbourne University.
David Hay joined the Treasury in 1939, moving to the Department of External Affairs shortly before the start of World War II. He joined the 2/6th Battalion, served in the Middle East, Greece and New Guinea, and rose to the rank of major. He married Alison Adams in 1944 and he returned to the war, earning the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1945. After the war, he was lieutenant colonel commanding the 3rd Battalion in the Citizens' Military Forces.
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