John Bunting (diplomat)
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Sir John Bunting AC KBE |
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|---|---|
| Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom | |
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In office 1 February 1975 – 31 March 1977 |
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| Preceded by | John Armstrong |
| Succeeded by | Sir Gordon Freeth |
| Secretary of the Prime Minister's Department | |
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In office 1959 – 10 March 1968 |
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| Preceded by | Allen Brown |
| Succeeded by | Lenox Hewitt |
| Secretary of the Department of Education and Science | |
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In office 13 December 1966 – 1 February 1967 |
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| Secretary of the Department of the Cabinet Office | |
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In office 11 March 1968 – 17 March 1971 |
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| Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | |
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In office 17 March 1971 – 31 January 1975 |
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| Preceded by | new office |
| Succeeded by | John Menadue |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Edward John Bunting 3 March 1918 Ballarat, Victoria |
| Died | 2 May 1995 (aged 77) Sydney |
| Nationality |
 Australian |
| Spouse(s) | (Lady) Peggy Bunting |
| Children | 3 sons |
| Alma mater |
University of Melbourne BA, (Hons) |
| Occupation | Public servant; Diplomat |
Sir Edward John Bunting AC KBE (3 March 1918 – 2 May 1995) was an Australian public servant and diplomat, whose senior career appointments included Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Bunting was born in Ballarat, Victoria, and educated at the Trinity Grammar School. In 1937 he entered residence at Trinity College (University of Melbourne), where he played cricket and football, graduating in 1938 with a Bachelor of Arts (honours). Bunting was one of four graduates accepted into the Commonwealth Public Service in 1940, accepting a posting in Canberra within the Department of Trade and Customs and later, the Department of Post-war Reconstruction. After a short posting overseas, Bunting became a member of the Sydney-based Inter-Departmental Dollar Committee, which dealt with the allocation of dollars for imports.
In 1950 he was appointed to the Prime Minister's Department as an assistant secretary and later returned to London as Official Secretary at Australia House. Back in Canberra, Bunting was appointed deputy secretary in the Prime Minister's Department and appointed as Secretary to that department in 1959, a position he continued to hold until 1968, and served successive Prime Ministers Sir Robert Menzies, Harold Holt, and John McEwen. Within days of John Gorton becoming Prime Minister, Bunting was sidelined as Secretary to the newly formed Department of the Cabinet Office and was replaced by Lenox Hewitt as Secretary to the Prime Minister's Department. On taking office as Prime Minister in 1971, William McMahon reversed Gorton's changes and restored Bunting to the pre-eminent position as Secretary to the newly formed Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Hewitt accepted appointment to the lesser role of Secretary to the Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council. Bunting provided advice to incoming Prime Minister Gough Whitlam on the transition to government; with Whitlam later opining of Bunting:
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