James Thomas Heathershaw (7 May 187125 July 1943) was an Australian public servant and the third

Secretary A secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, personal secretary, or other similar titles is an individual whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, program evalu ...

of the Department of the Treasury.

Early life

Heathershaw was born on 7 May 1871 in

Beaufort, Victoria Beaufort is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Western Highway midway between Ararat and Ballarat, in the Pyrenees Shire local government area. It is above sea level. At the 2021 census, Beaufort had a population of 1,712 ...

. He was the twelfth child of Henry and Amelia Nancy (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Robilliard), and attended Flinders School in

Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in Victoria, Australia, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River (Victo ...

Career

Heathershaw joined the Victorian Public Service in March 1889, transferring to the newly-formed Federal Treasury in 1902. In 1926, Heathershaw was appointed Secretary of the Treasury, becoming Australia's third Treasurer. He stood down from the role in 1932 due to poor health and went back to being Assistant Secretary in charge of pensions, compensation and insurance, before officially retiring in December 1935; he had even delayed his retirement date by some nine months to finish reorganising the Treasury's pensions department.

Personal life and death

Heathershaw married Rosa Ethel Rodway at the Primitive Methodist Church in Carlton, on 7 March 1901; they had a son and a daughter. James Heathershaw spent his final years in Elwood, Melbourne, where he enjoyed golfing and gardening. He died on 25 July 1943, aged 72, at Oakleigh railway station. The cause of death was reportedly

cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina, heart attack), heart failure, hypertensive heart disease, rheumati ...

Awards

In June 1927 Heathershaw was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, while Secretary to the Treasury.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heathershaw, James 1871 births 1943 deaths Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Secretaries of the Department of the Treasury of Australia Public servants from Melbourne