Joseph Carrodus

Joseph Carrodus CBE
Secretary of the Department of the Interior (I)
In office 25 November 1935 – 26 April 1939
Secretary of the Department of the Interior (II)
In office 26 April 1939 – 1949
Personal details
Born	Joseph Aloysius Carrodus 3 November 1885 Richmond, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died	8 April 1961 (aged 75) Canberra
Nationality	Australian
Spouse(s)	Mabel Florence Maud, née Waters (m. 1923; w. 1961)
Children	Peter and Joy
Alma mater	University of Melbourne
Occupation	Public servant
Religion	Roman Catholic

Joseph Aloysius Carrodus CBE (3 September 1885 – 8 April 1961) was a senior Australian public servant.

Early life and career

Joseph Carrodus was born on 3 September 1885 in Richmond, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.^[1] He studied at St. Patrick's College in East Melbourne and then the University of Melbourne.^[2]

Carrodus joined the Department of External Affairs as a junior in 1904, not long after leaving school.^[3]

During World War I, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in February 1916. Departing from Melbourne on the ship HMAT A34 Persic in June 1916 to fight in France as an infantry captain.^[3] He returned to Australia on 27 May 1919,^[4] joining the Department of Home and Territories as a clerk.^[2]

On 14 March 1923, Carrodus married Mabel Florence Maud, and the pair settled in Canberra in 1927.^[1]

Later life and career

Carrodus was Acting Administrator of the Northern Territory from April to October 1934, and while there stated that the "effort to breed out colour is a commendable one", regarding inter-war proposals to "breed out the colour" of Aboriginal Australians of mixed descent.^[5] When he returned to Canberra from the role in the Northern Territory, he prepared a report recommending the Administrator of the Northern Territory and other branch heads make period visits to the Northern Territory inland in the dry season, writing "Darwin is not the Territory, it gives no indication of the conditions prevailing inland."^[6]

Carrodus was appointed Secretary of the Department of the Interior (I) in 1935,^[7] and stayed on in the role as the department transitioned to a newly Christened Department of the Interior (II), until his retirement from the Australian Public Service in 1949.^[3][8]

Carrodus and his wife Mabel were keen gardeners, and rarely missed Canberra Horticultural Society shows.^[9]

Carrodus died on 8 April 1961 in Canberra Community Hospital and was buried in Canberra cemetery.^[1]

Awards

Carrodus was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1939 for his services as Secretary of the Department of the Interior.^[10]

References

1. Riddett, Lyn Anne (1993), Carrodus, Joseph Aloysius (1885–1961), archived from the original on 2 February 2014
2. CP 42: Joseph Aloysius CARRODUS CBE, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 2 February 2014
3. "Former Head of Interior dies at 75". The Canberra Times. 10 April 1961. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014.
4. Joseph Aloysius CARRODUS, The AIF Project, archived from the original on 6 April 2015
5. McGregor, Russell (2002), "'Breed out the Colour' or the Importance of Being White", Australian Historical Studies, 120 (PDF), p. 289, archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2014
6. Ling, Ted (2011), "Chapter 4: World War II and Planning for the Future", Commonwealth Government Records about the Northern Territory (PDF), National Archives of Australia, p. 57, ISBN 9781920807870, archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2013
7. CA 27: Department of the Interior [I], Central Administration, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 2 February 2014
8. CA 31: Department of the Interior [II], Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 2 February 2014
9. Coltheart, Lenore (2014). Albert Hall: The Heart of Canberra. NewsSouth Publishing. p. 103. ISBN 9781742247144.
10. "Search Australian Honours: CARRODUS, Joseph Aloysuis, The Order of the British Empire - Commander (Civil)", itsanhonour.gov.au, Australian Government, archived from the original on 6 April 2015