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Former permanen t
head made Home
Affairs Secretary
Dr Don McMichacl, who was a
permanent head in search of a de
partment since the Fraser Govern
ment abolished his Department of
the Environment in 1975, has been
given Home Affairs; /
Dr McMichacl, 46, an international
ly known biologist and former curator
of molluscs and 'deputy director of The
Australian Museum, .Sydney, is ex
pected to give a fillip to the fortunes of
Australia's national museums and the
archives as Secretary' of the Depart
ment of Home Affairs.
He will also be responsible for admin
istering, far-flung island territories
around Australia, and women's affairs,
and will manage. Government support
for the arts and letters; Eventually, his
department svill encompass the residua!
functions of tlje Departments of the
Capital .Territory, and the Northern
Territory^ ' , '
A director of. the Australian Con
servation Foundation in the late 1960s,
Dr McMichacl was one of the best
known Australians involved in environ
mental issues. He resigned yesterday as
acting'chairman of the Great Barrier
Reef Marine Park Auihority and is a
former director of the NSW Govern
ment's National Parks and Wildlife
Service. ' .
Asked yesterday If his. appointment
was out of the ordinary,' he said, "1 think
my background with environmental is
sues is not quite relevant. One's com
petence "as.,to government .adminis
tration is what matters. ,' .
"As one gets' involved in adminis
tration of government departments,
background become?less important.
"1 think it is time 1 did something
Dr McMiehael Help
Dr McMiehael
interesting. This is a real area of genu
ine interest to me".
Apart from national museums and
the archives, Dr McMichacl will be
responsible for the Australian War Me
morial, the National Library, the Aus
tralia Council, the Australian National
Gallery and other institutions con
nected with the arts and letters.
"Museum administration will be an
area of particular concern to me", he
said.
He rejected any suggestion of govern
ment moves to downgrade the environ
mental functions in the Department of
Environment, Housing and Community
Development, (where he was one of two
first-division officers as director of en
vironment and came under the control
of the departmental secretary, Mr R. B.
Lansdown).
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