Paul Hasluck

Sir Paul Hasluck
Hasluck in 1960
17th Governor-General of Australia
In office
30 April 1969 – 11 July 1974
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterJohn Gorton
William McMahon
Gough Whitlam
Preceded byThe Lord Casey
Succeeded bySir John Kerr
Minister for External Affairs
In office
24 April 1964 – 11 February 1969
Prime MinisterRobert Menzies
Harold Holt
John McEwen
John Gorton
Preceded byGarfield Barwick
Succeeded byGordon Freeth
Minister for Defence
In office
18 December 1963 – 24 April 1964
Prime MinisterRobert Menzies
Preceded byAthol Townley
Succeeded byShane Paltridge
Minister for Territories
In office
11 May 1951 – 18 December 1963
Prime MinisterRobert Menzies
Preceded byRichard Casey
Succeeded byCharles Barnes
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Curtin
In office
11 December 1949 – 12 February 1969
Preceded byDivision created
Succeeded byVictor Garland
Personal details
Born
Paul Meernaa Caedwalla Hasluck

(1905-04-01)1 April 1905
Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
Died9 January 1993(1993-01-09) (aged 87)
Dalkeith, Western Australia, Australia
Resting placeKarrakatta Cemetery
Political partyLiberal Party of Australia
Spouse
(m. 1932)

Sir Paul Meernaa Caedwalla Hasluck, KG, GCMG, GCVO, PC (1 April 1905 – 9 January 1993) was an Australian statesman who served as the 17th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1969 to 1974. Prior to that, he was a Liberal Party politician, holding ministerial office continuously from 1951 to 1969.

Hasluck was born in Fremantle, Western Australia, and attended Perth Modern School and the University of Western Australia. After graduation he joined the university as a faculty member, eventually becoming a reader in history. Hasluck joined the Department of External Affairs during World War II, and served as Australia's first Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1946 to 1947. He would later contribute two volumes to Australia in the War of 1939–1945, the official history of Australia's involvement in the war.

In 1949, Hasluck was elected to federal parliament for the Liberal Party, winning the Division of Curtin. In 1951, less than two years after entering politics, he was made Minister for Territories in the Menzies Government. In his twelve years in the position, he initiated transitions toward self-government in Australia's territories, including Nauru, Papua New Guinea, and the Northern Territory. Hasluck later served as Minister for Defence (1963–1964) and Minister for External Affairs (1964–1969). His tenure in those positions covered Australia's involvement in the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation and the first years of the Vietnam War.

After the disappearance of Harold Holt, Hasluck unsuccessfully stood in the resulting Liberal leadership election. He initially stayed on in cabinet under the new prime minister, John Gorton, but in 1969 Gorton instead nominated him to replace Lord Casey as governor-general. In his five years in the position, Hasluck saw two previous political adversaries (William McMahon and Gough Whitlam) become prime minister; he maintained good working relationships with both. In retirement, he was a prolific author, publishing an autobiography, several volumes of poetry, and multiple works on Australian history.