Bede Fanning
{{Short description|Australian public servant}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Bede Fanning
| honorific-suffix = ISO
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| office1 = Director-General of the Postmaster-General's Department
| term_start1 = 11 June 1946
| term_end1 = 14 March 1949
| birth_name = Lawrence Bede Fanning
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1885|08|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = Casino, New South Wales
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1970|08|14|1885|08|18|df=y}}
| death_place = Hawthorn, Melbourne, Victoria
| resting_place = Melbourne general cemetery
| occupation = Public servant
| years_active =
| nationality = Australian
| website =
| parents =
| siblings =
| spouse = Amy Edwards
(m. 1910–1951; her death)
| alma_mater =
| children =
}}
Lawrence Bede Fanning ISO (18 August 1885 – 14 August 1970) was a senior Australian public servant, best known for his time as Director-General of the Postmaster-General's Department in the 1940s.
Life and career
Bede Fanning was born in Casino, New South Wales on 18 August 1885.{{citation|url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/fanning-lawrence-bede-10151|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727084005/http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/fanning-lawrence-bede-10151|archivedate=27 July 2014|title=Fanning, Lawrence Bede (1885–1970)|first=A.N.|last=Preston|date=1996|work=Australian Dictionary of Biography|publisher=Australian National University|url-status=live}}
During World War II, while the Director-General of the Postmaster-General's Department at the time, Daniel McVey, was engaged on work for the Department of Civil Aviation and Aircraft production, Fanning was head of the Australian Post Office.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35698125|title=Mr. L. B. Fanning is New Postal Head|page=8|newspaper=The Advertiser|date=5 June 1946}}
In June 1946, Fanning was appointed Director-General of the Postmaster-General's Department.{{citation|title=CA 9: Postmaster-General's Department, Central Administration|url=http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/SearchOld.asp?Number=CA+9|publisher=National Archives of Australia|accessdate=5 December 2013|archive-date=11 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200311101431/https://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/DumpSession.asp?C=Initialise.inc&S=Open%20P_RECORDSEARCH_SERVICE%20SQLSERVER_ODBC&E=%5BMicrosoft%5D%5BODBC+Driver+17+for+SQL+Server%5D%5BSQL+Server%5DIncorrect+syntax+near+%27207.241%27.|url-status=dead}} He retired from his position at the Department in March 1949 and the day after his retirement began a three-year term as Chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Control Board, tasked with supervising the provision of radio and television services and maintaining technical and programming standards.
Fanning died on 14 August 1970 in Hawthorn, Melbourne.
Awards
Fanning was awarded an Imperial Service Order in June 1941 as the Chief Telephone Inspector in the Postmaster-General's Department.{{citation|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1081796|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727084230/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1081796&search_type=quick&showInd=true|archivedate=27 July 2014|title=Search Australian Honours: FANNING, Lawrence Beed|url-status=live|publisher=Australian Government|work=itsanhonour.gov.au}}
References
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{{s-start}}
{{s-gov}}
{{s-bef|before=Daniel McVey}}
{{s-ttl|title=Director-General of the Postmaster-General's Department |years=1946 – 1949}}
{{s-aft|after=Giles Chippindall}}
{{s-end}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fanning, Bede}}
Category:Australian Companions of the Imperial Service Order
Category:20th-century Australian public servants
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