Joseph Aloysius Carrodus was born in Richmond, Victoria, the son of  William Carrodus. He was educated at St Patrick's College, East Melbourne and the University of Melbourne. On 11 August 1904 he joined the Commonwealth Public Service as a clerk in the Department of External Affairs. During the 1914-1918 war he rose from private to captain in the Australian Military Forces.
 
Carrodus was a Clerk 4th Class in the Correspondence, Records and Passports Branch of the Department of Home and Territories (CA 15) by 1 July 1920 when he was promoted to a Clerk 3rd Class in the same branch. By 1 July 1925 he was Clerk-in-Charge of the Territories Branch of the Department of Home and Territories, retaining this position when the department became the Department of Home Affairs [II] (CA 24). 

In 1926 he represented New Guinea before the Permanent Mandates Commission in Geneva. On 6 June 1929 he was promoted to the position of Chief Clerk in the Administration Section of the Central Staff of Home Affairs [II]. 

On 30 June 1932 he became the Chief Clerk in the Central Administration of the new Departmentof the Interior [I] (CA 27). On 15 March 1934 Carrodus was appointed to the position of Acting Administrator of the Northern Territory [II] (CA 1070) for a period of six months. 

He returned to the Department of the Interior [I] as  Chief Clerk (unattached) in September 1934. On 18 April 1935 his position was reclassified and he was appointed as Assistant Secretary (General Division). On 25 November 1935 he was appointed as Secretary of the Department of the Interior [I]. On 26 April 1939 the Department of the Interior [I] was abolished and Carrodus became Secretary of the new Department of the Interior [II] (CA 31).

William Alexander McLaren was appointed as Secretary of Interior [II] on 1 May 1949 and Carrodus became Director of the Directorate of Civil Defence (CA 541). He relinquished this position in 1950.

Carrodus died in Canberra on 8 April 1961.


Sources:

Who's Who 1947, 1950, 1959
Commonwealth Gazettes: 8 Apr 1905, p 275; 22 Jun 1912, p 118; 9 Dec
 1920, p 2267; 6 Dec 1926, p 2190; 6 Jun 1929, p 1369; 12 May 1932, 
 p 664; 2 Jun 1932, p 751 ; 15 Apr 1934, p 457; 17 Apr 1935, p 591;
 21 Nov 1935, p 1828; 11 May 1939, p 826; 12 May 1949, p 1223.

Agency associated with person unregistered

1926: Permanent Mandates Commission, Geneva - Representative of New
      Guinea