Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise I rise today to pay tribute to Peter Henderson AC, who passed away on 25 September this year. Peter was a dedicated public servant. He took to heart the dictum of his headmaster, Sir James Darling, that those who were lucky enough to be born into reasonably well-off families and to have a strong education should consider doing something for their community by way of public service. He was, in his own words, 'a professional, non-political public servant.'

Peter joined the then Department of External Affairs in 1951. He served overseas in Washington, Jakarta, Geneva and London, culminating in his appointment as Ambassador to the Philippines. Peter reached the apex of Australia's foreign service when he was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1979, a position he held for five years. At that time, it was said of him that he brought to his task a capacity for hard work, considerable experience of in-house administration and a warm, sensitive, even democratic personality. He was of that generation of public servants who helped build Australia in the postwar period. His service to his country was recognised in 1985 when he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia.

In 1955, he married Heather, daughter of Sir Robert Menzies, in the Church of St Andrews here in Canberra. And I am honoured by Heather's presence in the chamber today. Peter and Heather had four daughters, who in turn gave them 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Their relationship was extraordinarily strong—a marriage of minds and a true partnership.

I met Peter and Heather through my time as Executive Director of the Menzies Research Centre. In recent years, as Heather became a noted chronicler of her life with her parents and a speaker in demand, Peter's public role became that of a support to her. In her book Letters to my daughter, Heather thanked Peter not only for his 'brainwork' in transforming the text of the book but for his 'slaving over menial tasks', giving her time to feed them 'properly'. There is one story I want to recount. About six years ago, I invited Heather to come to the Hornsby RSL to speak about Letters to my daughter. I asked a friend of mine who was working for a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council to drive Peter and Heather from the city. When they reached the RSL, my friend said to me you: 'You've got an amazing speaker here tonight. He had such a wonderful career.' My friend had spent the whole trip talking to Peter about his foreign service career and was embarrassed when he found out the guest of honour was in fact Heather. But the comment reflects the fact that both of them have made and, in Heather's case continues to make, a great contribution to our country.

To my mind, Peter was the consummate public servant. He was courteous and considered in the wise counsel he gave. It is a mark of his humility that, despite his depth of foreign policy knowledge and expertise, particularly in matters Indonesian, he never sought to impose his views on current debates. He was witty, sharp and a stickler for detail. My own prose over the years benefited from his keen eye and ear.

My thoughts are with Heather and Peter's family at this time. May his memory be a blessing to them and may his example of public service continue to inspire others.

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