Abstract
The Australian crisis of 1929–1932 was not only a matter for the politicians and parties; it was a whirlwind into which public servants, Commonwealth and state, were also swept up.
While no government department anywhere was remote from the crisis, NSW Treasury – numbering 85 staff by 1932 – became caught in the middle of an unusually violent political storm.
Key officials such as Under Secretary Clarence Chapman and Expenditure Accountant Tom Kelly led a team of now nameless and forgotten public servants who, for a time, found themselves managing a system that threatened to collapse into chaos. These officers faced the challenging task of balancing their duties in carrying out the policies and instructions of the NSW Government of the day – the Labor administration led by Jack Lang as Premier and Treasurer – with their wider professional relationships and sense of fiscal responsibility. The Commonwealth would ultimately prevail in its conflict with the NSW Government and in the wake of the greatest social and political tension Australia had ever faced, calm would be restored. In the meantime, however, NSW Treasury faced its greatest ordeal.
While no government department anywhere was remote from the crisis, NSW Treasury – numbering 85 staff by 1932 – became caught in the middle of an unusually violent political storm.
Key officials such as Under Secretary Clarence Chapman and Expenditure Accountant Tom Kelly led a team of now nameless and forgotten public servants who, for a time, found themselves managing a system that threatened to collapse into chaos. These officers faced the challenging task of balancing their duties in carrying out the policies and instructions of the NSW Government of the day – the Labor administration led by Jack Lang as Premier and Treasurer – with their wider professional relationships and sense of fiscal responsibility. The Commonwealth would ultimately prevail in its conflict with the NSW Government and in the wake of the greatest social and political tension Australia had ever faced, calm would be restored. In the meantime, however, NSW Treasury faced its greatest ordeal.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Walking a Tightrope |
| Subtitle of host publication | Milestones and moments in the history of NSW Treasury |
| Editors | Paul Ashton |
| Place of Publication | Sydney |
| Publisher | NSW Government |
| Chapter | 8 |
| Pages | 104-115 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-0-646-70020-5 |
| Publication status | Published - 2024 |