Robert Randolph Garran GCMG (1867 - 1957)

Born 10 Feb 1867 in Sydney, New South Wales.

Died 11 Jan 1957 at age 89 in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

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Biography

Robert Garran GCMG was born in the Colony of New South Wales (1788-1900)

Robert Garran GCMG is Notable.

Robert Randolph Garran was born in 1867 in Sydney, New South Wales. He was the only son (among seven children) of journalist and politician Andrew Garran and his wife Mary Isham. Robert Garran attended Sydney Grammar School from the age of ten, starting in 1877. He was a successful student, and became School Captain in 1884. He then studied arts and law at the University of Sydney, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1888. He subsequently won the University's Medal in Philosophy, when he was conferred with a Master of Arts with first-class honours in 1899.

Robert Randolph Garran was acknowledged as "Australia's first public servant". He was the first federal government employee after the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901. He served as the departmental secretary of the Attorney-General's Department from 1901 to 1932, and after 1916 also held the position of Solicitor-General of Australia. In 1901 his new role as departmental secretary of the Attorney-General's Department, Garran was responsible for organising the first federal election in March 1901. Then he would go on to organise the transfer of various government departments from the states to the ne Federal government. These included the Department of Defence, the postal and telegraphic services (now part of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) and the Department of Trade and Customs (now part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade).

While in this position Robert Garran was knighted three times for his service to the Commonwealth, in 1917, in 1920 and again in 1937.

In 1902, Robert Garran had married Hilda Robson. They went on to have four sons, Richard (born 1903), John (1905), Andrew (1906) and Isham Peter (1910), all born while the family was still living in Melbourne. However Garran was also an important figure in the development of the city of Canberra during its early years. He was one of the first public servants to relocate there after it replaced Melbourne as the Australia Capital in 1927.

Sir Robert Garran passed away in 1957 in Canberra. He was granted a state funeral, the first given to a public servant of the Government of Australia. He was survived by his four sons; his beloved Hilda had passed away in 1936. He was laid to rest at the St John the Baptist Cemetery, in Reid in inner suburb of Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory.

Garran is a suburb in the Woden district of Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory. It was was named after Sir. Robert Garran and the suburb was first settled in 1966.

Sources

• R. S. Parker, Garran, Sir Robert Randolph (1867–1957), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/garran-sir-robert-randolph-410/text10827, published first in hardcopy 1981, accessed online 10 February 2023.

• Robert Garran from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. first accessed online on the 10th of February, 2023 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Garran

• FATHER OF CONSTITUTION Sir Robert Garran dies from The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) of Saturday 12 January 1957, Page 3. first accessed on TROVE on the 10th of February, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71775891?

• Family Notices from The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) of Saturday 12 January 1957, Page 8. first accessed on TROVE on the 10th of February, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/91231790?searchTerm=%22Sir%20Robert%20Randolph%20Garran%22

• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 10 February 2023), memorial page for Sir Robert Randolph Garran GCMG (10 Feb 1867–11 Jan 1957), Find a Grave Memorial ID Find A Grave: Memorial #152892609, citing St John the Baptist Cemetery, Reid, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia; Maintained by Icecaste46 (contributor 48693213).

• Garran, Australian Capital Territory from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. first accessed online on the 11th of February, 2023 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garran,_Australian_Capital_Territory

Further Reading

• GOSSIP: Sir Robert Garran and So Now He'll Wear a Wig from the Smith's Weekly (Sydney, NSW : 1919 - 1950) of Saturday 12 March 1932, Page 15. first accessed on TROVE on the 25th of October, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/234572688? & https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/234572692?