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Sir Oliver Howard Beale KBE, QC

Career within Commonwealth

Oliver Howard Beale (known as Howard and later Sir Howard Beale) was born in 1898 and educated at Sydney High School and the University of Sydney. In 1925 he was admitted to the bar and took silk in 1950. During World War II, he served in the RANVR (Naval Auxiliary Patrol) as a Sub Lieutenant on anti-submarine duties (1942-45).

Beale entered the House of Representatives at the September 1946 general election as Member for Parramatta (NSW). He held the seat for the Liberal Party at the subsequent general elections of 1949, 1951, 1954 and 1955. In this period he was Minister for Transport and Minister for Information (1949-50), Minister for Supply (1950-58) and Minister for Defence Production (1956-58). He was also Acting Minister at different times in the Immigration, National Development, Air and Defence portfolios; a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works (1947-49); Chairman, Australian Transport Council (1949-50); and a member of the Council of Defence (1950-58). As Minister for Supply, Beale was responsible for the establishment of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission.

In February 1958, Beale resigned from Commonwealth Parliament to become Australian Ambassador to the United States of America in Washington. He held this position until 1964. During his diplomatic appointment Beale was also Alternate Governor of the International Monetary Fund. He was later a guest lecturer in, and received honorary degrees from, various North American universities.

Following Sir Howard's return to Australia he was President (1964) and Federal President (1965-68) of the Arts Council of Australia; and a Director of various companies including Oil Basins Ltd (Chairman), Mineral Holdings Ltd (Chairman), Weeks Natural Resources Ltd, Bermuda (Vice Chairman), Pacific Australia (LNG) Pty Ltd (Vice Chairman), Invincible Life Assurance Ltd, Selcast Iron Ore Ltd (London), Engelhard Industries Ltd and Occidental Mining and Petroleum Corporation USA (Vice President).

Sir Howard Beale was made a Knight Commander in the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1961. His memoirs 'This Inch of Time' were published in 1977 (Melbourne University Press). He died on 17 Oct 1983 in his home at Darling Point, Sydney. His son, Julian, was a member of the House of Representatives in 1984-96.

Links to other Commonwealth Persons

CP 680 - Julian Howard BEALE - son

Publications

Sir Howard Beale, This Inch of Time: memoirs of politics and diplomacy, Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1977

Sources

Parliamentary Handbook 1957, p 34; 1959, p 223

Who's Who in Australia 1983, p 90

David Lowe, 'Beale, Sir Oliver Howard (1898 - 1983)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, online edition, accessed 2 September 2009 at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A170074b.htm

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Unregistered links

1960-1964: International Monetary Fund - Alternate Governor
1964-1964: Arts Council of Australia - President
1965-1968: Arts Council of Australia - Federal President