Sir Frank Keith Officer, OBE, MC (2 October 1889 – 21 June 1969) was an Australian public servant and diplomat, best known for his postings in ambassadorial positions around the world.
Life and career
Keith Officer was born on 2 October 1889 in Toorak, Melbourne.[1] He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School and Melbourne University where he was resident at Ormond College.[2]
In 1940, Officer was appointed counsellor to the Australian legation in Japan,[6] second in command to Sir John Latham.[7] He was Charge d'Affaires in Tokyo when the Pacific War broke out.[8]
Between 1946 and 1948, Officer was Australian Minister to the Netherlands.[9][10] Officer was offered the post of Australian Minister to Moscow in 1947.[11]
In 1948, Officer was appointed Australian Ambassador to the Republic of China.[12][13] He was recalled from Nanjing in November 1949 to consult with the Department of External Affairs on the recognition by the United Kingdom of the Communist Government in China.[14]
Between 1950 and 1955 Officer was Australian Ambassador to France.[15] He retired from the Commonwealth Public Service at the end of March 1950.[15] His retirement prompted External Affairs Minister Richard Casey to write a letter touching on Officer's work, in which he said: "you can properly regard yourself not only as one of the founders of the Australian Foreign Service but as a model which men of succeeding generations can seek to emulate."[16]
