Edwin McCarthy

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = Sir

| name = Edwin McCarthy

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|CBE}}

| image = Edwin McCarthy, official portrait as Secretary of the Department of Commerce and Agriculture, published in Overseas Trading (June 1948).jpg

| image_size =

| caption =

| office1 = Secretary of the Department of Commerce and Agriculture

| term_start1 = 21 November 1945

| term_end1 = 26 April 1950

| birth_name = Edwin McCarthy

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1896|03|30|df=y}}

| birth_place = Walhalla, Victoria, Australia

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1980|09|04|1896|03|30|df=y}}

| death_place = Woden Valley Hospital, Garran, Canberra, Australia

| resting_place = Gungahlin Cemetery

| occupation = Public servant

| years_active =

| website =

| parents =

| siblings =

| spouse = {{marriage|Marjorie Mary Graham|1939}}

| alma_mater =

| children = John McCarthy,
Melisande McCarthy

}}

Sir Edwin McCarthy {{post-nominals|country=AUS|CBE}} (30 March 1896{{spaced endash}}4 September 1980) was a senior Australian public servant and diplomat. He was a prominent senior trade official, including as head of the Department of Commerce and Agriculture between 1945 and 1950.

Life and career

McCarthy was born in Walhalla, Victoria on 30 March 1896 to parents Catherine McCarthy (née Kennedy) and Daniel McCarthy.{{citation|url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mccarthy-sir-edwin-10909|title=McCarthy, Sir Edwin (1896–1980)|first=David I.|last=Smith|work=Australian Dictionary of Biography|publisher=Australian National University|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415093014/http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mccarthy-sir-edwin-10909|archivedate=15 April 2015}}

He joined the Commonwealth Public Service as a messenger in the Postmaster-General's Department in April 1911.{{citation|title=CP 262: Sir Edwin MCCARTHY CBE|url=http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/SearchOld.asp?Number=CP+262|publisher=National Archives of Australia|accessdate=15 April 2015|archive-date=13 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313193348/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}}

McCarthy married Marjorie Mary Graham on 4 July 1939 in Sydney. The couple had two children: a daughter, and a son, John McCarthy.{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/fine-art-of-diplomacy-20090724-dw8v.html|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|publisher=Fairfax Media|date=25 July 2009|first=Matt|last=Wade|title=Fine art of diplomacy|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415095352/http://www.smh.com.au/national/fine-art-of-diplomacy-20090724-dw8v.html|archivedate=15 April 2015}}

From 1945 to 1950, McCarthy was Secretary of the Department of Commerce and Agriculture.{{citation|title=CA 48: Department of Commerce and Agriculture, Central Office|url=http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/SearchOld.asp?Number=CA+48|publisher=National Archives of Australia|accessdate=15 April 2015|archive-date=13 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313193410/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}} His primary expertise was grain commodity matters, and he devised the Australian wheat price stabilisation scheme after World War II.

Between 1958 and 1962, McCarthy was Australian Ambassador to the Netherlands.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103123767|title=New Posts For Diplomats|date=14 October 1958|page=2|newspaper=The Canberra Times}} He was accredited to Belgium also, from 1959.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104274704|title=Sir Edwin McCarthy Retires Today|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=17 March 1964|page=2}}

In 1962, McCarthy was appointed Head of the Australian Permanent Mission to the European Atomic Energy Community in Brussels.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104298418|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=25 October 1962|page=3|title=McCarthy given new post}}

McCarthy died on 4 September 1980 at Woden Valley Hospital in Garran, Canberra. He had been admitted earlier within the same week after a brain aneurysm.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article125620224|title=Former senior diplomat dies|newspaper=The Canberra Times|page=9|date=5 September 1980}}

Awards

McCarthy was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in June 1952, while serving as Deputy High Commissioner in London.{{citation|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1065355|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415093125/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1065355&search_type=quick&showInd=true|archivedate=15 April 2015|publisher=Australian Government|work=itsanhonour.gov.au|title=Search Australian Honours: McCARTHY, Edwin, The Order of the British Empire – Commander (Civil)}} He was made a Knight Bachelor in June 1955, whilst serving in the same role.{{citation|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1082928|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415093315/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1082928&search_type=quick&showInd=true|archivedate=15 April 2015|publisher=Australian Government|work=itsanhonour.gov.au|title=Search Australian Honours: McCARTHY, Edwin, Knight Bachelor}}

References

{{s-ttl|title=Secretary of the Department of Commerce and Agriculture|years=1945 – 1950}}

{{s-ttl|title=Australian Ambassador to the Netherlands|years=1958 – 1962}}

Category:1896 births

Category:1980 deaths

Category:Australian Knights Bachelor

Category:Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Ambassadors of Australia to the European Union

Category:Ambassadors of Australia to Belgium

Category:Ambassadors of Australia to the Netherlands