Bill Pritchett
{{Short description|Australian public servant}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Bill Pritchett
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=,|AO}}
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| office1 = Secretary of the Department of Defence
| term_start1 = 16 August 1979
| term_end1 = 6 February 1984
| birth_name = William Beal Pritchett
| birth_date = {{birth date|1921|01|31|df=y}}
| birth_place = Sydney
| death_date ={{Death date and age|2014|01|28|1921|01|31|df=y}}
| occupation = Public servant
| years_active =
| nationality = Australian
| website =
| parents =
| siblings =
| spouse = Elvira "De" Voorstad
| alma_mater = {{nowrap begin}}University of Sydney (BA){{nowrap end}}
| children = Isabel and Henry
}}
William Beal Pritchett {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=,|AO}} (31 January 1921 – 28 January 2014) was a senior Australian public servant. He was Secretary of the Department of Defence between 1979 and 1984.
Early life and education
Bill Pritchett was born on 31 January 1921.{{cite news|publisher=Fairfax Media|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|title=William Pritchett: From diplomat to head of Defence Department|date=8 February 2014|url=http://www.smh.com.au/comment/obituaries/william-pritchett-from-diplomat-to-head-of-defence-department-20140207-3274m.html|first=Bob|last=Furlonger|author-link=Robert Furlonger|archive-date=15 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215215258/http://www.smh.com.au/comment/obituaries/william-pritchett-from-diplomat-to-head-of-defence-department-20140207-3274m.html}} He attended the Sydney Church of England Grammar School. Pritchett studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree at Sydney University, studying in history and anthropology.{{citation|first=Paul|last=Barratt|author-link=Paul Barratt|url=http://aussieobserver.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/vale-bill-pritchett-1921-2014.html|date=28 January 2014|title=Vale Bill Prichett 1921–2014|archive-date=6 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140206011835/http://aussieobserver.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/vale-bill-pritchett-1921-2014.html|work=Australian Observer}}
Career
Pritchett served in World War II and then before joining the Commonwealth Public Service in 1945 as a Cadet in the Department of External Affairs. His first overseas post was to Indonesia, during the country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands.
In 1965, Pritchett was appointed Australia High Commissioner to newly independent Singapore.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131833266 |title=Our man for new State. |newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=ACT |date=14 August 1965 |page=4 }} In 1973, Pritchett was recruited to the Defence Department by his former boss in External Affairs, Arthur Tange.{{cite news|title=William Pritchett: From diplomacy to the Defence Department|first=Bob|last=Furlonger|date=7 February 2014|newspaper=The Canberra Times|publisher=Fairfax Media|url=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/obituaries/william-pritchett-from-diplomacy-to-the-defence-department-20140206-324fy.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215223323/http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/obituaries/william-pritchett-from-diplomacy-to-the-defence-department-20140206-324fy.html|archive-date=15 February 2014}}
From 1978 to 1979, Pritchett was the Deputy Secretary for Strategy and Intelligence. He was later appointed Secretary of the Defence Department when Tange retired in 1979.{{citation|title=CA 46: Department of Defence [III], Central Office|url=http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/SearchOld.asp?Number=CA+46|publisher=National Archives of Australia|access-date=16 February 2014}}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} During his time as departmental head, Pritchett worked to improve the departmental culture.{{citation|url=http://ada.asn.au/commentary/letters-to-the-editor/vale-bill-pritchett.html|title=Vale W.D. Pritchett, 1921-2014|date=7 February 2014|archive-date=15 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215224129/http://ada.asn.au/commentary/letters-to-the-editor/vale-bill-pritchett.html|work=Letter to the Canberra Times (not published)|publisher=Australia Defence Association}}{{citation|url=http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/to-think-and-to-do-in-defence/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214073937/http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/to-think-and-to-do-in-defence/|archive-date=14 February 2014|date=6 February 2014|title=To think and to do in Defence|first=Graeme|last=Dobell|publisher=The Australian Strategic Policy Institute|work=The Strategist: The Australian Strategic Policy Institute Blog}}
Pritchett retired from the public service in 1984.{{cite news|url=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/a-gentleman-in-an-unforgiving-world-20140201-31u2k.html|title=A gentleman in an unforgiving world|date=2 February 2014|first=Jack|last=Waterford|author-link=Jack Waterford|archive-date=6 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140206003605/http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/a-gentleman-in-an-unforgiving-world-20140201-31u2k.html|newspaper=The Canberra Times|publisher=Fairfax Media}}
Awards and honours
In January 1984 Pritchett was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his public service.{{citation|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/885308|title=Search Australian Honours: PRITCHETT, William Beal|publisher=Australian Government}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-dip}}
{{s-bef|before=Walter Crocker|as=High Commissioner}}
{{s-ttl|title=Australian High Commissioner to India
(Acting)|years=1962–1963}}
{{s-aft|after=James Plimsoll|as=High Commissioner}}
{{s-bef|before=Tom Critchley|as=High Commissioner to Malaysia}}
{{s-ttl|title=Australian High Commissioner to Singapore|years=1965–1967}}
{{s-aft|after=Alfred Parsons}}
{{S-gov}}
{{s-bef|before=Arthur Tange}}
{{s-ttl|title=Secretary of the Department of Defence|years=1979–1984}}
{{s-aft|after=William Cole}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pritchett, Bill}}
Category:High commissioners of Australia to India
Category:Ambassadors of Australia to Nepal
Category:High commissioners of Australia to Singapore
Category:Officers of the Order of Australia
Category:University of Sydney alumni
Category:Secretaries of the Australian Department of Defence