Geoffrey Whiskard

Sir Geoffrey Granville Whiskard KCB KCMG
Sir Geoffrey Whiskard, c.12 September 1935
British High Commissioner to Australia
In office 1936–1941
Succeeded by	Sir Ronald Cross, 1st Baronet
Personal details
Born	19 August 1886 3 Hartington Villas, Penge Road, Beckenham, Kent
Died	19 May 1957 (Age 70) 13 Mill Street, Mildenhall, Suffolk
Alma mater	Wadham College, Oxford

19 August 1886

19 May 1957 (Age 70)

Sir Geoffrey Granville Whiskard KCB KCMG (1886 – 19 May 1957) was a British civil servant and diplomat.

Whiskard was born in Kent to Ernest Whiskard, a local bank manager and Lucy Marian, née Sutton, daughter of a Political Analyst. Shortly after the family moved to Kensington because Geoffrey's father Ernest had been appointed manager of the Capital and Counties Bank's local branch.

Whiskard was educated at St Paul's School, London and then in December 1904 he won a scholarship to Wadham College, Oxford, going up in October of the next year. He gained first class in Mods and Greats graduating in 1909.

Geoffrey entered the Home Office in 1911 and served as an Assistant Secretary to the Chief Secretary for Ireland during the Anglo-Irish war, then in the Colonial Office 1922–25 and in the Dominions Office 1925–35. He was High Commissioner to Australia 1936–41, and Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Works 1941–43 and at the Ministry of Town and Country Planning 1943–46.

He married Cynthia Reeves in 1915, having three children Richard, Mary and John. On the 30 July 1940 Cynthia died of Heart Failure brought on by a severe Asthma attack whist visiting Sydney. Geoffrey did later remarry to Eileen Margaret Anderson after he had retired from Government.