Percival Gourgaud
{{Short description|Australian public servant (1881–1958)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Percival Gourgaud
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OBE}}
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| office1 = Secretary of the Department of Works and Railways
| term_start1 = 11 June 1929
| term_end1 = 12 April 1932
| birth_name = Percival Albert Gourgaud
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1881|10|03|df=y}}
| birth_place = Gladstone, Queensland, Australia
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1958|08|30|1881|10|03|df=y}}
| death_place = Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| occupation = Public servant
| years_active =
| nationality = Australian
| website =
| parents =
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Percival Albert Gourgaud {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OBE}} (3 October 1881{{spaced endash}}30 August 1958) was a senior Australian public servant, best known for his time as head of the Department of Works and Railways.
Life and career
Gourgaud was born on 3 October 1881 at Norton Diggings, near Gladstone, Queensland to parents Claudius Gourgaud and Mary Jane Gourgaud (née Barnes).{{cite Australian Dictionary of Biography |id2=gourgaud-percival-albert-10338|title=Gourgaud, Percival Albert (1881–1958)|first=Jan|last=McDonald|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403025646/http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/gourgaud-percival-albert-10338|archivedate=3 April 2015}} Claudius had emigrated from France, and Mary Jane from England.
He was appointed Secretary of the Department of Works and Railways in June 1929,{{citation|title=CA 14: Department of Works and Railways, (Central Office)|url=http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/SearchOld.asp?Number=CA+14|publisher=National Archives of Australia|accessdate=5 April 2015}} his previous position had been chief clerk and assistant secretary in the Department.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129260609|title=Works Department: Probable New Secretary. Mr. P. A. Gourgaud Mentioned|newspaper=News|location=Adelaide, South Australia|date=21 March 1929|page=1}}
The Great Depression restricted public operations, and in 1932 the Works Department was amalgamated with Home Affairs and Transport to form the Department of the Interior, in which he was appointed Assistant Secretary.
Gourgaud retired in 1946, and moved to a house in Moore Street, Turner.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103119416|title=Death of Mr. P A. Gourgaud|newspaper=The Canberra Times|page=2|date=1 September 1958}}
Gourgaud died on 30 August 1958 at Canberra Community Hospital, and was buried in Canberra cemetery.
Awards
Gourgaud was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1937, in recognition of his public service.{{citation|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1106849|publisher=Australian Government|work=itsanhonour.gov.au|accessdate=5 April 2015|title=Search Australian Honours: GOURGAUD, Percy Albert, The Order of the British Empire - Officer (Civil)}}
References
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{{s-gov}}
{{s-bef|before=Henry Walters}}
{{s-ttl|title=Secretary of the Department of Works and Railways|years=1929 – 1932}}
{{s-aft|after=Herbert Charles Brown|as=Secretary of the Department of the Interior}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gourgaud, Percival}}
Category:Australian public servants
Category:Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire