People Australia

Frank Meere, Herald and Weekly Times, c.1958

State Library of Victoria, 49346435

Sir Francis Anthony (Frank) Meere (CBE) (1895-1985) public servant and trade union official 

Birth: 24 July 1895 at Daylesford, Victoria, son of Philip Francis Meere (1866-1935), ironmonger, and Harriet Charlotte, née Hill (1865-1957). Both parents were born in Daylesford. Marriage: 25 September 1920 at East Malvern, Melbourne, to native-born Helena Agnes Doyle (1894-1961). Death: 15 April 1985 at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Religion: Catholic. 

• Educated at the Christian Brothers College, St Kilda.
• Was appointed to Commonwealth Department of Trade and Customs in Victoria in 1913. Joined the Australian Commonwealth Public Service Clerical Association (CPSCA) soon after. [It became the Administrative & Clerical Officers’ Association, Commonwealth Public Service in 1956-1982 — and other names followed.]
• Attended inaugural meeting of CPSCA, Federal Capital Territory branch, in Canberra in 1928. Was first branch secretary from 1928 to 1942 and instrumental in building branch. Executive councillor from 1928 to 1942 and represented the branch at each conference during this period.
• Transferred to Sydney in 1942. Continued active involvement in the union by being prominent in negotiations which led to the establishment of the Central Classification Committee and the Promotions Appeal Committee. Was the first union representative on Central Classification Committee. Union representative on the Public Service Board when it appointed a Commissioner of the Board as Chairman of all Committees.
• Was assistant comptroller-general of customs from 1947 to 1952. Appointed permanent head [comptroller-general] of Customs Department in 1952.
• Set up departmental committees in each State with staff elected representatives to share responsibilities with management and introduced a staff reporting scheme. Granted honorary life membership of the association. Retired as comptroller-general in 1960.
• Appointed OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in June 1952. Promoted Commander of the Order (CBE) in 1955. In 1960 he was made a Knight Bachelor.
• Sir Francis retired from the public service in July 1960 and later that year was appointed a director of the manufacturer Pope Industries Ltd. He was special advisory authority on import protection from 1962 to 1973.

Sources
Federal Public Service Journal, July 1960 p 19.