The Seven Dwarfs: A Team of Rivals

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    Abstract

    The persistence of the idea of the 'seven dwarfs' in the fairly thin soil of Commonwealth Public Service (CPS) history testifies to its usefulness - although just as the actual composition of the group remains a matter for debate, so does the question of their significance continue to prompt varied interpretations. In a general sense, the term is well enough understood. The expression, 'seven dwarfs', refers to the careers and characteristics of a group of men who secured great influence and authority within and around the CPS from the 1940s until, in some cases, well into the 1980s. They represented a marked expansion in the reach, standing and professionalism of public policy in Australia. They are also a neat encapsulation of 'the new mandarins' - a wider company of senior bureaucrats - who rose to prominence in that period, and were associated with a distinct ethic of independence and authority.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationThe Seven Dwarfs and the Age of the Mandarins: Australian Government Administration in the Post-war Reconstruction Era
    EditorsSamuel Furphy
    Place of PublicationCanberra
    PublisherANU Press
    Pages3-30
    Volume1
    Edition1
    ISBN (Print)9781925022339
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2015

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