Richard Gardiner Casey was born in Brisbane on 29 August 1890. He was educated at Melbourne Church of England Grammar School, the University of Melbourne and Cambridge University (England), graduating with a degree in engineering with honours in mechanical science. He married Ethel Marian Sumner Ryan (known as Maie), daughter of Sir Charles Snodgrass Ryan in 1926. They had two children.

In September 1914 Casey enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, and was awarded the Military Cross (MC) in 1916 and the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1918. He was discharged in 1919 with the rank of Major, and was subsequently connected with various mining and engineering concerns. In 1924, Casey was appointed Australian Political Liaison Officer in London, by Prime Minister S M Bruce, as part of a reorganisation of the Department of External Affairs. He returned to Australia for a few months in 1927, to see the Department established in Canberra, before resuming his duties in London. In this period he was effectively a public servant, but resigned in early 1931.

Casey first entered federal politics in December 1931, as the member for Corio (Victoria), representing the United Australia Party. In the Lyons Government he was mainly associated with the Treasury portfolio, as Assistant Treasurer (1933-35) and then Treasurer (1935-39). Later, he was also Minister in Charge of the Commonwealth Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (1937-39). He was a member of the Ministerial delegation to the 1937 Imperial Conference and attended the Coronation of His Majesty, King George VI the same year.

During World War II, Casey was Minister for Supply and Development and a member of both the Economic and War Cabinets (1939-40) in the first Menzies Government. He was also the Australian Representative to the Imperial Conference on the Conduct of the War (1939). Casey resigned from Parliament in January 1940 to become the first Australian Minister to the United States. For the remainder of war, he was United Kingdom Minister of State for the Middle East and a member of the British War Cabinet (1942-43) and then Governor of Bengal (1944-46).

Casey returned to Australian politics in December 1949 when he was re-elected to the House of Representatives, this time as the Liberal Party member for La Trobe (Victoria). He held several portfolios (many concurrently) in successive Menzies Governments, including Supply and Development (1949-50), Works and Housing and the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority (1949-51), National Development (1950-51), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (1950-60), External Territories (1951) and External Affairs (1951-60). In 1951, Casey led the Australian delegation to the 6th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in Paris, and made several subsequent official visits overseas.

Lord Casey was appointed a Privy Councillor (PC) in 1939, a Companion of Honour (CH) in 1944 and was created Baron Casey of Berwick, Victoria and of the City of Westminister (a life peerage) in 1960. He was also made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in 1965, and a Knight Garter (KG) in 1969. On 22 September 1965 Lord Casey was appointed Governor-General of Australia and served in this capacity until 1 April 1969. He died on 17 June 1976.

Published works:

An Australian in India (1947)
Double or Quit (1949)
Friends and Neighbors (1954)
Personal Experience: 1939-46 (1962)
The Future of the Commonwealth (1963)
Australian Father and Son (1966)
R G Casey's diaries for the period 1951-60 were edited by T B Millar and published as Australian Foreign Minister: The Diaries of R G Casey, 1951-60 (Collins, 1972). Selected original diaries and some other personal papers are held by the National Library of Australia

Sources:

Commonwealth Parliamentary Handbook, 11th ed (1945-1953)
Hudson, W J. Casey (Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 1986)
Who's Who in Australia, 21st ed (1974)

Agency associated with person unregistered

    1914-    1919: Served with AIF in Gallipoli etc 
Nov 1937-Apr 1939: Minister in charge of Development
    1937-    1937: Ministerial delegation to the Imperial Conference
                   and the Coronation of King George VI - Member
Mar 1939         : Appointed Privy Councillor
Nov 1939-Dec 1939: Imperial Conference on Conduct of War, London -
                   Australian representative
Jan 1940-    1942: Australian Minister to the USA
    1942-    1943: Minister of State, for the United Kingdom,
                   Resident in the Middle East and Member of the War
                   Cabinet of the United Kingdom
Jan 1944-Jan 1946: Governor of Bengal
    1948-    1949: Liberal Party of Australia - Federal President
    1960         : Created Baron Casey of Berwick, Victoria, and of
                   City of Westminister, England (Life Peerage)