Herbert Cole Coombs was born on 24 February 1906 in Western
Australia. He was educated at Perth Modern School, the University of Western Australia and also studied in England at the London School of Economics. Dr Coombs became Assistant Economist to the Commonwealth Bank in 1935 and in 1939 Economist to the Commonwealth Treasury. He was Director of Rationing in 1942 and in 1943 became Director-General of the Department of Post-War Reconstruction until 1949. He was appointed Governor of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in 1949 where he remained until 1960.
 
Dr Coombs was Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia from January 1960 until retirement in July 1968. He chaired the Australian Council of Aboriginal Affairs 1968-1976, the Australian Council for the Arts 1968-1974, and the Australian Elizabethan Trust 1954-1968. He was Deputy Chairman (later Pro-Chancellor) of the Council of the Australian National University (ANU) between 1952 and 1968, when he became Chancellor, retiring in 1976. He was a Visiting Fellow at the ANU as at May 1989.
 
Throughout his career, Dr Coombs has been a member of many
committees, boards and advisory groups, and economic adviser to several Prime Ministers.
 
Dr Coombs' publications include:
 
The Fragile Pattern (1970)
Other People's Money (1971)
Kulinma - Listening to Aboriginal Australians (1978)
A Certain Heritage (jointly) (1981)
Trial Balance (1981)
Towards A National Aboriginal Congress (1986)
 
Sources:
 
Who's Who in Australia, 1950, 1962, 1971, 1980, 1988.