![](/-/media/feature/micrositesnewsandevents/staffnews/suzanne-chambers-460px.jpg)
Innovation in practice
News 24 JulyA message from Executive Dean of Health Sciences Professor Suzanne Chambers: Winter has so far been a season of future-thinking and action for the Faculty of Health Sciences.
11 April 2017
Share
Sir Peter Lawler (left) at his investiture. Photo: National Archives of Australia
A trusted lieutenant by governments of all political persuasions, Sir Peter Lawler OBE made a distinguished contribution to Australia by working quietly in the background of public life.
Sir Peter Lawler OBE (1921-2017)
When today’s Australians rejoice in their multicultural society, and when they rest assured that they are being protected from the threat of terrorism, they have Peter Lawler to thank.
Sir Peter Lawler, who died last Saturday, was one of the foremost public servants of his generation. He served governments headed by every prime minister from Sir Robert Menzies to Bob Hawke. He was responsible for drafting the Cabinet paper that led to the abolition of the White Australia policy and for heading the taskforce that established the Australian Federal Police following the 1978 Hilton bombing in Sydney.
He was a trusted servant of governments of all political persuasions even though he was well known as a longtime supporter of the Australian Labor Party. He served as Secretary or Deputy Secretary of several departments of state including those of the Prime Minister, Cabinet, Special Minister of State, and Administrative Affairs. When Gough Whitlam appointed him Secretary of the Department of the Special Minister of State in 1973, Sir Peter was proud to be one of the first Catholics appointed to head a Commonwealth government department in the post-war decades.
Upon his retirement from the public service, he served as Australia’s Ambassador to Ireland and the Holy See from 1983 until 1986, and was involved with arrangements for Pope John Paul II’s visit to Australia in December 1986. He was a key advocate for a full-time ambassadorship at the Holy See, which Kevin Rudd established in 2008 at the conclusion of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Australia for World Youth Day.
His political and religious leanings were similar to those of B. A. Santamaria, and, for the last decade, he served as a Patron of the Australian Family Association, which was established by Santamaria in 1980. His concern for his ordinary fellow Australians never left him and deeply influenced the advice he gave as a senior civil servant.
For his services to the state, he was honoured by the Queen, who appointed him as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1965, and subsequently knighted him in 1981; and for his services to the Church, he was honoured by the Pope, who appointed him as a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Pius IX in 1986.
In recognition of his commitment to Labor politics and the Catholic Church, ACU hopes to establish the Sir Peter Lawler Visiting Fellowship at the PM Glynn Institute. This will enable a visiting scholar to undertake research and write a short book about the history and future of the relationship between the labour movement and Catholic social teaching in Australia.
Sir Peter was a great Australian and a great Catholic lay man who made a distinguished contribution to our country by working quietly in the background of public life for many years. Our prayers and deepest condolences go to his family at this time. May he rest in peace.
Professor Greg Craven AO, GCSG
A message from Executive Dean of Health Sciences Professor Suzanne Chambers: Winter has so far been a season of future-thinking and action for the Faculty of Health Sciences.
From Monday 22 July to Friday 9 August, Service Central will be available for extended hours to support staff.
A message from Vice President Father Anthony Casamento csma: From 5 – 9 August we will celebrate Mission Week across our campuses. This is an opportunity for us to come together as a community to cele...
Are you going to be a grandparent soon? Did you know ACU offers personal leave for staff to care for their child or grandchild after birth or adoption?
Discover the learning and career development opportunities that are available online, including the brand-new leadership development program, 'The Edge Series'.
Join ASCILITE and become a member of one of Australasia’s most vibrant professional technology enhanced learning communities, with more than 2200 members from tertiary institutions across Australia an...
Phones will be removed from all classrooms over the mid-semester break, from 23 September to 27 September.
Include an additional survey item in the Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching (SELT) survey for units that are offered in Professional Term 5 (202455).
Australia’s first five-time diving Olympian, a Kiwi gymnast and the woman who taught actor Chris Hemsworth to row will be among 15 ACU students and alumni to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Para...
A message from acting Executive Dean of Theology and Philosophy Associate Professor Richard Colledge: Recently, the faculty has hosted opportunities for reflection on the possibilities for reconcilia...
Are you on your parenthood journey? A practical guide is now available to support staff, and their supervisors, through the stages of becoming a parent and transitioning back to work.
Embark on an exhilarating journey into the mysterious world of enrolments. Register to attend an enrolment information session for Semester 2, 2024.
Join upcoming online workshops in preparation for Semester 2. Secure your spot today to learn how you can utilise Canvas and its features to enhance your teaching practices.
A limitless professional horizon awaits ACU students after its three IT programs were awarded certification by the nation’s most trustworthy player in the tech sector, the Australian Computer Society.
Following evaluation and voting by a panel of ACU judges, Co-Lab is delighted to announce Thomas Clark and Xavier Chalkley as the winners of the $1000 prize for the ACU Co-Lab Social Enterprise Pitch ...
ACU Library staff will participate in professional development activities on Thursday 18 July. While away from their usual posts, they'll be working together across three locations to plan our future ...
Applications for 2024 Teaching Development Grants, Citations and Awards are open. Explore guidelines and resources to enhance your teaching project’s impact or gain recognition for your contributions.
As we sit in this small window of the winter break gearing up for Semester 2, it's important to recognise that not everyone experiences this period as downtime. For many, workloads and busy lifestyles...
This week is NAIDOC Week, an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
ACU staff who are also members with UniSuper can now access free expert medical advice and services to support their health and wellbeing through MetLife 360Health.
Visit Service Central to access Corporate Services.