Alan Westerman

Sir Alan Westerman CBE
Secretary of the Department of Trade
In office 1 September 1960 – 17 December 1963
Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry
In office 17 December 1963 – 1 February 1971
Personal details
Born	25 March 1913 New Zealand
Died	18 May 2001 (aged 88)
Nationality	Australian
Spouse(s)	Ruth Claremont (d. 1966)[1]
Alma mater	University of Tasmania University of Melbourne Columbia University
Occupation	Public servant

Sir Wilfred Alan "Alan" Westerman CBE (25 March 1913 – 18 May 2001) was a senior Australian public servant and policymaker.

Life and career

Alan Westerman was born in New Zealand on 25 March 1913.^[2] He was educated at Knox Grammar School, the University of Tasmania, the University of Melbourne and Columbia University.^[3]

After World War II, Westerman joined the Australian Trade Commissioner Service, staying in the organisation between 1946 and 1949.^[2]

He was appointed Secretary of the Department of Trade in September 1960, becoming Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry when the new department was established in 1963. His contribution to trade policy occurred at a significant time in Australia's international trading history, as the nation was seeking markets for its ever-increasing industrial products.^[4]

Westerman retired from his Secretary role when he was appointed executive chairman of the Australian Industry Development Corporation beginning February 1971.^[5]

Awards and honours

Westerman was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1962.^[6] In 1963, he was made a Knight Bachelor.^[7]

In 2009, a street in the Canberra suburb of Casey was named Westerman Street in Alan Westerman's honour.^[8]

References

1. "Lady Westerman dies". The Canberra Times. 23 May 1966. p. 3.
2. CP 961: Sir Wilfred Alan WESTERMAN Kt, CBE, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 31 March 2014
3. Farquharson, John, Westerman, Sir Wilfred Alan (1913–2001), Australian National University, archived from the original on 2 February 2014
4. Vaile, Mark (23 May 2001). "Death of Sir Allen Westerman" (Press release). Archived from the original on 11 February 2014.
5. "Secretary named for AIDC". The Canberra Times. 24 September 1970. p. 1.
6. Search Australian Honours: WESTERMAN, Wilfred Alan, Australian Government, archived from the original on 31 March 2014
7. Search Australian Honours: WESTERMAN, Wilfred Alan, Australian Government, archived from the original on 1 October 2012
8. Westerman Street, ACT Government Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate, archived from the original on 27 February 2014