Arthur Tange
Encyclopedia
Sir Arthur Harold Tange AC
, CBE
(18 August 1914 – 10 May 2001) was a prominent Australia
n senior public servant
of the middle to late 20th century.
A considerable intellect, he was one of the most influential people in the government of Australia for nearly 30 years, earning him respect and disdain in equal measure. He was best known for his controversial role in reforming the organisation of the administration of the defence of Australia in the 1970s. He is also less well known for having laid the foundations of the modern Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(DFAT) in his time at the then Department of External Affairs.
. Having rapidly risen from research assistant
to departmental secretary in the Department of External Affairs (forerunner to the modern Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) from 1954 to 1965, he then took up the position of High Commissioner
to India from 1965 to 1969.
, was also a separate portfolio with yet another minister. The respective services and departments were in competition, each group jealously guarding its own budget and powers against the others.
, Tange felt that a co-ordinated administration of the defence of Australia, integrating strictly military matters, supply and material acquisition, intelligence, defence-related economic affairs and international relations
was needed. To this end he spent the bulk of his time as Secretary of the Department of Defence (1970 to his retirement in 1979) working towards the merging of the departments of the Army, Navy, Air, Supply and Defence into one. He advocated a wider view of defence policy than the civilian members of the Defence department and the uniformed members of the armed services.
His work culminated in a 1973 report, formally titled "Australian Defence: Report on the Reorganisation of the Defence Group of Departments" but widely known in the press and in government circles as "the Tange Report". With the support of the Whitlam
Labor
government, the proposed changes were enacted and the various services have since then been more widely known as the Australian Defence Force
. The Prime Minister
and Minister for Defence
are now advised by both the uniformed Chief of the Defence Force
and the civilian Secretary of the Department of Defence, with overall defence policy being developed and enacted co-operatively between the uniformed and civilian staffs.
) was to equip the future leaders of the defence forces with a broader humanistic as well as technical education
, to enable them to eventually make the wider contributions to defence policy that Tange felt was lacking in the senior uniformed officers of his generation. The Australian Defence Force Academy
(ADFA) was opened in 1983, in Canberra, and most military officers since then have received their tertiary education
and basic military training
in its tri-service environment.
in the universities, unions and labour movement
saw him as a prime example of the old public service 'mandarin' who told his ministers what to do and pursued a conservative agenda no matter who was in government at the time.
. His wife of 60 years, Marjorie, died two months later after a series of strokes.
In 2002, the Department of Defence, in conjunction with the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre
(SDSC) at the Australian National University
(ANU), decided to establish an ongoing Ph.D. scholarship in honour of Tange. The first of these scholarships were awarded in 2003, and another was awarded in 2007.
The first independent biography of Tange, Arthur Tange: Last of the Mandarins by Peter Edwards, was published in 2006. Peter Edwards has also edited and published Tange's personal memoirs in Defence Policy-Making: A Close-up View, 1950-1980, released in 2008.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(18 August 1914 – 10 May 2001) was a prominent Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n senior public servant
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
of the middle to late 20th century.
A considerable intellect, he was one of the most influential people in the government of Australia for nearly 30 years, earning him respect and disdain in equal measure. He was best known for his controversial role in reforming the organisation of the administration of the defence of Australia in the 1970s. He is also less well known for having laid the foundations of the modern Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the government of Australia charged with advancing the interests of Australia and its citizens internationally...
(DFAT) in his time at the then Department of External Affairs.
Career
Born on 18 August 1914, Arthur Harold Tange ultimately became known as one of the most formidable 'mandarins' of the Australian Public Service in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. He joined the public service during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Having rapidly risen from research assistant
Research assistant
A research assistant is a researcher employed, often on a temporary contract, by a university or a research institute, for the purpose of assisting in academic research...
to departmental secretary in the Department of External Affairs (forerunner to the modern Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) from 1954 to 1965, he then took up the position of High Commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
to India from 1965 to 1969.
Secretary of Defence
In 1970 he returned to Australia to become Secretary of the Department of Defence - the most senior public servant therein, and effective executive head of the civilian Defence Department, reporting to the Minister. At that time the Department of Defence was of relatively little consequence in the Commonwealth government. Each service (Navy, Army and Air Force) had its own separate department with its own minister. Further, the Ministry of Supply, responsible for military logisticsMilitary logistics
Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with:...
, was also a separate portfolio with yet another minister. The respective services and departments were in competition, each group jealously guarding its own budget and powers against the others.
Rationalising departments
With his career background in diplomacy and international affairsInternational relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
, Tange felt that a co-ordinated administration of the defence of Australia, integrating strictly military matters, supply and material acquisition, intelligence, defence-related economic affairs and international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
was needed. To this end he spent the bulk of his time as Secretary of the Department of Defence (1970 to his retirement in 1979) working towards the merging of the departments of the Army, Navy, Air, Supply and Defence into one. He advocated a wider view of defence policy than the civilian members of the Defence department and the uniformed members of the armed services.
His work culminated in a 1973 report, formally titled "Australian Defence: Report on the Reorganisation of the Defence Group of Departments" but widely known in the press and in government circles as "the Tange Report". With the support of the Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government, the proposed changes were enacted and the various services have since then been more widely known as the Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
. The Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
and Minister for Defence
Minister for Defence (Australia)
The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
are now advised by both the uniformed Chief of the Defence Force
Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)
Chief of the Defence Force is the most senior appointment in the Australian Defence Force . The CDF commands the ADF under the direction of the Minister of Defence, in a coequal arrangement with the Secretary of Defence, the most senior public servant in the Department of Defence.The position is a...
and the civilian Secretary of the Department of Defence, with overall defence policy being developed and enacted co-operatively between the uniformed and civilian staffs.
Tri-service cooperation
Another aspect of Tange's work was a desire that the three services should work together in the defence of Australia at all levels, rather than as feuding tribes. To this end he was instrumental in the decision to set up a primary tri-service college for the joint training, academic and military, of all officer recruits in the services. A further motive for developing the academy (which is an affiliated academic college of the University of New South WalesUniversity of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
) was to equip the future leaders of the defence forces with a broader humanistic as well as technical education
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
, to enable them to eventually make the wider contributions to defence policy that Tange felt was lacking in the senior uniformed officers of his generation. The Australian Defence Force Academy
Australian Defence Force Academy
The Australian Defence Force Academy is a tri-service military Academy that provides military and tertiary academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force .Tertiary education is provided by the...
(ADFA) was opened in 1983, in Canberra, and most military officers since then have received their tertiary education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
and basic military training
Recruit training
Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
in its tri-service environment.
Reputation
Neither of these reforms were easy and they were both accompanied by enormous resistance and press clamour. Tradition within the old service departments led to fights over these issues in the press, the ministries and the parliament in the 1970s. Tange's role in the changes saw him regarded as both a forward-looking visionary and a wrecker of Australian security, on a grab for personal power. The conservative forces in the military and coalition parties in Australia often regarded him as a man bent on destroying the sensible and time-honoured traditions of the individual services whilst the political leftLeft-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
in the universities, unions and labour movement
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
saw him as a prime example of the old public service 'mandarin' who told his ministers what to do and pursued a conservative agenda no matter who was in government at the time.
Retirement and legacy
Tange retired in 1979 and lived until 2001, when he died of leukemiaLeukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
. His wife of 60 years, Marjorie, died two months later after a series of strokes.
In 2002, the Department of Defence, in conjunction with the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre
Strategic and Defence Studies Centre
The Strategic and Defence Studies Centre is a university centre that was situated in the former Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies at the Australian National University. It is Australia's oldest-established centre for the study of strategic, defence and wider security issues and a...
(SDSC) at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
(ANU), decided to establish an ongoing Ph.D. scholarship in honour of Tange. The first of these scholarships were awarded in 2003, and another was awarded in 2007.
The first independent biography of Tange, Arthur Tange: Last of the Mandarins by Peter Edwards, was published in 2006. Peter Edwards has also edited and published Tange's personal memoirs in Defence Policy-Making: A Close-up View, 1950-1980, released in 2008.
External links
- Speech by the Hon Alexander Downer, MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the memorial service for the late Sir Arthur Tange, Parliament House, Canberra, 24 May 2001
- Tange receiving the Order of Australia
Further reading
- Peter Edwards (2006). Arthur Tange: Last of the Mandarins, Allen & Unwin, Sydney