Percy Claude Spender, son of F H Spender, was born in Sydney on 
5 October 1897. Educated at Fort Street High School and the University of Sydney, he joined the Commonwealth Public Service in 1915 and was subsequently appointed to the Crown Solicitor's Office. In 1923, he was admitted to the NSW Bar and in 1935 was made a King's Counsel (KC). 

In 1937, Percy Spender was elected to the House of Representatives as the member for Warringah (NSW), representing the United Australia Party (UAP) and, from 1944, the Liberal Party. He held the seat until resigning from federal politics in 1951.

In the wartime Menzies Government, Spender was made Minister without portfolio assisting the Treasurer (1939), Treasurer (1940) and Minister for the Army (1940-41). In this period, he was also a member of the Economic Cabinet (1939-40), War Cabinet (1939-41) and the Advisory War Council (1940-45); was Vice-President of the Federal Executive Council for a short period (1940); and served on Parliamentary Committees relating to 'Pay-as-you-earn' taxation (1943-44), broadcasting (1946-49) and privileges (1947-49).

When Menzies returned to office as Prime Minister in December 1949, Spender was made Minister for External Affairs and Minister for External Territories. During this period he led the Australian delegations to the British Commonwealth Conference in Colombo and to the Fifth Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York (1950). He was also instrumental in the establishment of the Colombo Plan (initially known as the Spender Plan) and was a signatory, on behalf of Australia, to both the Anzus Pact and the Japanese Peace Treaty (1951).

In early 1951, Spender left federal politics to become Australia's second Ambassador to the United States (1951-58). He subsequently continued his distinguished career as the first Australian elected a Justice on the International Court of Justice in The Hague (1958-64) and was the Court's President (1964-67).

Sir Percy Spender was created a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1952, a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in 1957, a Knight Most Venerable in the Hospital Order of St John of Jerusalem (KStJ) and was conferred the "Grande Ufficiale Order of Merit by the Republic of Italy" in 1976. He also received honorary doctorates from ten universities.

Sir Percy Claude Spender died on 3 May 1985.

Publications

(with G Wallace) Company law and practice (Sydney, Law Book Company, 1937)
Australia's foreign policy: the next phase (Canberra, 1944)
Exercises in diplomacy; the ANZUS Treaty and the Colombo Plan (Sydney University Press, 1969)
Politics and a man (Sydney, Collins, 1972)


Sources

Spender, Jean, Ambassador' wife (Sydney, Angus & Robertson, 1968)
Parliamentary Handbook, 10th ed (1945) and 11th ed (1953)
Who's Who in Australia 1944, 1950 and 1983

Agency associated with person unregistered

1958 - 1964 : Justice International Court
1964 - 1967 : International Court of Justice, The Hague - President
1951 - 1958 : Australian Ambassador to United States of America
1940        : Executive Council - Vice President
1918        : Australian Imperial Forces
1942 - 1945 : Australian Military Forces
1945 - 1952 : Hon. Lt-Col. A.A.L.C.
1950        : Australian Delegation to Colombo Conference - Chairman
1950        : Conference British Commonwealth Consultative Committee
              on Economic Aid to South and South East Asia, Sydney
              and London - Chairman
1950 - 1951 : 5th General Assembly U.N. - Vice-President
1951        : Australian Representative to the ANZUS Treaty
              negotiations and at signing of Treaty San Francisco
1951        : Japanese Peace Treaty Conference San Francisco - 
              Vice-President
1952        : Attended inaugural meeting ANZUS conference at Honolulu
1966        : Australian Delegation to 2nd Suez Conference - Leader
1975        : Awarded "Grande Ufficiale Order of Merit Italy