Time

Subject

Proper names

Tape 1, Side A

0:20

Personal background: born 1933, Carlton; Vic.; father in the clothing business; two sisters; schooling; family farming property; early interest in farming lifestyle

Strathmore; North Essendon; Essendon Grammar School; Geelong College; ‘Burnside’, Acheron; Alexander

2:45

Holidays on the farm; education – agricultural science

Melbourne University

3:35

Boarding school; sporting interests; friends from farms; uncle’s dairy farm; four-year agricultural science course; Commonwealth Extension Services Grant scheme; joining the Victorian Department of Agriculture

Melbourne; Geelong; Western District; Wagga; Alexander; Goulburn River Flats; Dookie Agricultural College

8.15

Bonded to the Department; marriage; move to work on irrigation; soldier settlement; Murray floods; football; State Research Farm; VFL Grand Final 1957

Wendy; Numurkah; Shepparton; Murray Martin; Murray Valley Irrigation Area; Goulburn Valley; Murray Valley; southern NSW; Victoria; City United; Goulburn Valley League; Essendon [Football Club]; Werribee

13.10

First child born; football; back to Numurkah; country lifestyle; work promotion; television – ‘Science on the Farm – The Way Ahead’

Numurkah; Martin; City United; Goulburn Valley League; Strathmerton; Murray League; Kyabram Irrigation Research Centre; Shepparton

16:15

Resignation 1963; interest in farm management; private consultant

Wagga

18.30

Gaining experience and expertise in Department (Vic.)

19:40

Partnership then establishing own practice; rivalry between Department (Vic.) and CSIRO; farm business management advisory service; expanding the business

Paul McGowan; Albury; Berrigan; Finley; J.C. McColl & Associates; Max Pyle; Commonwealth Development Bank; Numurkah

26.45

Few management courses so relied on consultants; role of Australian Institute of Agricultural Science; university courses on management; action in South Australia; Departments gave technical not management advice; cost– benefit analysis; university postgraduate scholarship

University of New England; John Dillon; World Bank; David Price; Murray Bridge; State Rivers and Water Supply Commission; Victoria; Tasmania; Professor Alan Lloyd; Melbourne University; Thailand; Colombo Plan; Australian Development Assistance Agency

Tape 1, Side B

0:20

Work in Thailand; undertaking Masters degree; maintaining the business; focus on economic policy consulting, overseas work, resource management and conservation; international work

McColl & Associates; Lloyd; Melbourne; Keith (SA); Ninety-Mile Desert; Nedeco; Agricultural Consultants Incorporated Ltd; Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation; Serayu River Project, Java; Ethiopia

6:50

Postgraduate work and becoming an academic

Melbourne; Melbourne University; Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry; Victorian Tobacco Leaf Marketing Board; McColl Partners Pty Ltd

9.07

Not expanding geographically in Australia; consultants’ network; academic network

Victoria; NSW; Institute of Agricultural Science; Melbourne University

12.25

Not a career academic; Director of Agriculture and Fisheries’ job on offer and decision to apply; focus on regionalisation; Callaghan Report; meeting with the Minister; changes to export markets; departmental submissions to Industries Assistance Commission enquiry; move from production technology focus to marketing and management role, and later to a conservation, environment, resource management phase; familiarity with some of SA’s personnel

McColl Partners; Melbourne; Numurkah; School of Agriculture and Forestry; SA; [Brian] Chatterton; Stuart Hawkins; University of Udayana, Bali; Wendy; Denpasar; Sydney; Lloyd; Al Watson; Moonee Ponds; Adelaide; Lynne Chatterton (nee Arnold); Peter Arnold; Britain; European Common Market; Whitlam Government; Industries Assistance Commission; Australian Institute of Agricultural Science (Vic.); Australian Agricultural Economics Society (Vic.)

Tape 2, Side A

0:17

The concept of extension services

Land Grant Colleges

3:55

Acting/Deputy Director of Department; taking charge

Peter Trumble

8.00

Moving family; joining the Public Service; leaving university and sale of business

La Trobe [University]; Adelaide [University]; Shaun [McColl]; Scotch [College]; Damien [McColl]; Adelaide; Melbourne University

11.05

No political discussions with Minister but a similarity of views and ideas

Lynne Arnold; Jon Lamb

13:55

Initial plans and expectations on joining the Department; learning curve for self and Department; regionalisation

Callaghan Report; Melbourne; Trumble

20.25

Changing hierarchical structure and industry; regions; appointments

South East, Murraylands, Central, West Coast Regions; Ron Webber; Tom Miller

24.40

District officers and offices; organisational structure; completing regionalisation

Barry Greer; Webber; Ted Chapman; South East, Murraylands, Central, Northern, West Coast Regions; Public Service Board

Tape 2, Side B

0:05

Managing change in the bureaucracy; new/old departments

3.53

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries

Tonkin Government

7:50

User pays

Tape 3, Side A

0:30

Relationships with Ministers; change in culture and approach to farm management, economics and marketing; inquiry into superphosphate arrangements; involvement of Minister’s Research Assistant; balance of ministerial responsibilities, department’s work and assistant’s role; 1979 State election; breakdown in relationship with Minister; Fisheries separated from the Department; new Minister; comparing Ministers; Liberal Government policy; overseas projects – marketing, transfer of technology, dryland agriculture; duty as Director-General vs as chairman and managing director’s role; Minister and administration and policy; overseas trips

Brian Chatterton; Reading University, UK; Whitlam Government; Industries Assistance Commission; Lynne Arnold; Lamb; Colin Hunt; Tom Casey; Des Corcoran; Tonkin Government; Alan Rodda; Ted Chapman; Kangaroo Island; Middle East, Africa; Sagric International; Western Australia

30:00

Sagric International and overseas work; Overseas Projects Branch; trading arrangements; 1982 State election

Bob Hogarth; Brian Chatterton; Bannon Government

Tape 3, Side B

0:08

Incoming Minister Chatterton’s attitude to overseas work and departmental personnel; Minister’s overseas travel; Sagric International’s revised structure; own clash of responsibilities; Standing Committee on Agriculture

Lynne Chatterton; Sagric International; Australian Development Assistance Agency/Assistance Bureau; Algeria; World Bank; Sydney

13:00

Confrontation with Minister

23:55

Associate Commissioner to the Industries Assistance Commission; Minister’s resignation (1983)

Brian Chatterton

29.48

Keeping the Department tight: cohesion and loyalty

Frank Blevins; Brian and Lynne Chatterton

Tape 4, Side A

0:15

New Minister (plus Correctional Services, Forestry and Minister Assisting the Treasurer and then Deputy Premier)

Blevins; Whyalla; Seaman’s Union; Brian Chatterton; Chapman; Manchester; Hogarth; Chapman; South Australian Dairy Farmer’s Association

10:55

IAC inquiry vs role as Director-General

Blevins

12.20

Working relationship with Minister; Departmental Liaison Officer in Minister’s Office; personal assistants

Blevins; Chapman; Chattertons

16:00

Resignation as Director-General; became full-time commissioner with the Industries Commission; Royal Commission into grain storage, handling and transport in Australia; inquiries and consultancies; move to managers/ administrators in departments

Bannon Government; Sagric International; Bannon; Victoria; Industries Commission; Australian Development Assistance Bureau; Canberra; Wendy McColl

23:57

Possibility of resigning when Chatterton was reappointed

Brian Chatterton

25:40

Appointment of successor as Director-General; involved in picking the new Director-General of Fisheries; position of Director, Policy and Planning; turnover time at the top

John Radcliffe; Harvey; Blevins; Northfield; Standing Committee on Agriculture; Viv Lohmeyer; Chapman; Chatterton

Tape 4, Side B

0:05

Decline of the Economics and Marketing Branch; marketing problems; policy economists; relations with Ministers

Brian Chatterton; Industries Assistance Commission; Balderstone Committee; Tonkin Government; Chapman; Blevins

9:25

Relations with staff; Executive dinners; Christmas and Social Club functions; recognition of staff expertise and their contributions; press release system; staff morale; difficult staff; attitude to fixing problems

Harvey; Grenfell Centre; Trumble; Public Service Board; Public Service Association; Barry Greer

24:20

Senior appointments based on managerial capabilities; Management Services Section; strategic planning; down-sizing; Estimates Committee reporting

Mount Eliza; Tonkin Government; Victoria; NSW; Radcliffe; E&WS; Highways

31:00

Different perspective to career public servants

Tape 5, Side A

0:15

Going to executive training overseas (1983/84) and short management courses; Management Services Unit

America; Aspen Institute; Israel; Public Service Board

3.50

Liaison with other departments and Directors

David Mercer; Keith Lewis; Peter Arnold; Tonkin Government; E&WS; Riverland; Water Resources Council; Departments of Lands, Health, Environment, Local Government

8.00

Attitude of people in organisation to managerial changes

12.30

Changing role of Department in public service; user pays

Dunstan Government

22:00

User pays’ notions; role of Federal/State governments; core activity; withdrawing services; structure of economy

Tape 5, Side B

0:05

International overseas projects

El Marj, Libya; Casey; Brian Chatterton; Waite Institute; Middle East; North Africa; Dunstan; Algeria; Rome; Australian Agricultural Consultants and Management; Ksar Chellala Project; World Bank; Algerian Government; Salger Pty Ltd

4:25

South Australia and Algeria Pty Ltd; Libyan project; Sagric International Pty Ltd created; industry opposition

Harvey; Jordan; Iraq; Tonkin Government; Hogarth; Indonesia; Thailand; Colombo Plan; the Chattertons; Chapman; Vietnam; Sagric International; United Farmers and Stockowners

11:55

Sagric separate from the Department; relationship with Australian Agricultural Consultants and Management; land administration projects; project management

AACM; Salger; Sagric International; Iraq; Jordan; Libya; Algeria; Tunisia; Indonesia; Radcliffe

17:20

Changes to Sagric’s work and independence; Algerian project

Radcliffe; Harvey; Hogarth; Glen Simpson; Iraq; Western Australia; the Chattertons

20:00

Local staff for overseas projects; Sagric International’s relationship with ADAB

Glynn Webber; Arthur Tideman; ADAB; AusAid

21:20

Other States undertaking overseas work; statutory authority vs company

Western Australia; Victoria; Mediterranean; Middle East; Sagric International

24.55

Advantage of company structure; other countries doing overseas work; dryland farming; irrigation technology

North Africa; Middle East; Mediterranean; France; Algeria; Tunisia

27:30

Benefits to South Australia and Department from overseas work; fading of close relationship between Department and Sagric International; overseas work not a junket

Middle East; North African; Erbil (Kurdish country); Sagric International; Barry Windle

Tape 6, Side A

0:05

Overseas delegations to South Australia to Department and Sagric

Israel; Middle East; North Africa; China; Iraq; the Chattertons; Webber

3:50

Departmental publications on the dryland farming system; visits by Chinese

The Chattertons; Sagric International; China; Webber

Encouraging officers to move up the ranks; liaison officers in the Minister’s Office

Windle; Radcliffe

8:40

Developing young officers’ careers

12:20

Recruiting staff in times of Public Service cutbacks; River Murray Salinity Investigation Program

Keith Watson; Phil Cole; Department of Land, Water and Biodiversity Conservation; University of New England

17:25

Fisheries and Agriculture Departments merger/de-merger; protest meeting; continuing Supreme Court case and appeal to the High Court

The Chattertons; Mick Olsen; Trumble; St Vincent’s Gulf; South Australian Fishing Industry Council; Adelaide; Ian Kirkegaard; Professor Copes; Simon Frazer University, Canada; Western Australia

29:05

Liberal Party policy to split Fisheries; own work in fisheries matters (1991)

Rodda; Kirkegaard; Richard Stevens; Australian Fisheries Management Authority; John Kerin; Australian Fisheries Services; [Federal] Department of Primary Industries; New Zealand

31:45

Time spent on Fisheries while Director-General

Kirkegaard

Tape 6, Side B

0:05

Callaghan Report on regionalisation; Corbett Report; relations with industry

Callaghan; Riverland; Murraylands; David Corbett; United Farmers and Stockowners Association; South Australian Farmers Federation

4:00

Advisory Board of Agriculture, Agricultural Bureau and Women’s Agricultural Bureau systems

Lynne Chatterton

4:35

Rural Youth; Royal Shows and field days

John Olsen; Neil Andrews

5:20

Relationships with other departments and agencies

Water Resources Council; Standing Committee on Agriculture; Agricultural Council

7:45

Stability of State and Federal governments; regard by others for South Australia’s Department; relations with CSIRO

Tonkin Government; Casey; Victoria; NSW; WA; Queensland; Canberra; Roy Watts; Noel Fitzpatrick

15:15

The Waite Institute; Commonwealth Extension Services; enforcement role; legislation; research and development role; lack of an annual report; move to corporate planning

Jim Quirke; Rip Van Velsen; Brian Chatterton; Crown Law

25:15

Technology for improving efficiency; environmental issues – drought, grasshoppers, locust plagues, fruit fly; professional organisations

Corcoran; North Adelaide; Australian Plague Locust Commission; Jamestown; Public Service Association; Australian Institute of Agriculture Science; Australian Agricultural Economics Society; Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology; Australian Agriculture and Resource Economics Society

30:20

Membership of the PSA; PSA president in the Department; little secondment to private sector; Retired Officers Group

John Feagan