John Spence papers, ca. 1909-1949

MLMSS 8350

fonds

ca. 1909-1949

Textual Records, Clippings, Ephemera, Photographs

152411

0.52 metres of textual material (3 boxes)

John Spence (1878-1949), public servant, was born on 6 January 1878 at Riccarton, Ayrshire, Scotland, son of John Spence, machinist, and his wife Mary, née Kelly. Migrating with his family, he came to New South Wales when he was aged 8 and was later sent to Sydney Boys' High School. He joined the Department of Public Instruction as a pupil-teacher in September 1894 and in June 1897 transferred to the clerical branch of the Department of Public Works.
In 1901 he enrolled part-time at the University of Sydney (B.A., 1904; LL.B., 1909). President of the Evening Students' Association, he won the Sir Wigram Allen scholarship (1906). He married Ethel May Cooke on 26 January 1909 at the Congregational Church, Woollahra, and was admitted to the Bar on 6 May.
His promotions were rapid. A council-member of the Public Service Association of New South Wales, in 1913 Spence was appointed manager of the building construction branch in the Department of Public Works; in 1915 he was seconded as chief accountant with Norton, Griffiths & Co. until its controversial financial contract with the government was cancelled in 1917. Spence filled various positions in the works department before becoming chief accountant in 1918. Although he joined the Public Service Board as senior inspector in 1919, he retained links with public works and served on numerous public service boards and committees, among them the Stores Supply and Tender Board and the Railway Service Superannuation Board (1922-25). He was made acting government printer in 1922, and promoted to director of finance in the Treasury in 1923 and to the Public Service Board in 1924.
New South Wales Auditor-general from 1928-1942, his conduct during the economic and political uncertainties of the Depression secured his reputation for integrity and trustworthiness. He was appointed C.M.G. in 1936. Chairman of the Treasury Insurance Board (1922-25), the State budget (1928) and the taxation investigation (1933-36) committees, he was also a member of the Board of Referees under the War-Time (Company) Tax Assessment Act of 1941.
Retiring in December 1941, Spence practised as a consulting accountant and was a director of various companies, including Nestlé and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Co. (Australasia) Ltd, Australia Silknit Ltd and Automatic Totalisators Ltd. He was chairman of Prince Henry Hospital and a trustee of the Australian Museum, Sydney. A good Scots-Australian, he enjoyed both golf and surfing. Survived by his wife and three daughters, Spence died at his Killara home on 26 June 1949 and was cremated with Anglican rites. His estate was valued for probate at £10,028.

References:
Australian Dictionary of Biography 2012 and compiled from the collection

John Spence papers, ca. 1909-1949, consisting mainly of private papers documenting his career achievements in the public service.

BOX 1
Tourist maps, business cards, 1940, pocket notebook, 1915-1917, certificates, correspondence 1942-1948, telegrams, greeting cards, documents related to honors and medals awarded to Spence, Jubilee medal documents, Coronation medal papers, Order of St Michael and Saint George printed documents

BOX 2
Greeting cards, photographs, 1940, newspaper clippings, Memorandum of articles of Association, tourist and rail maps, correspondence including miscellaneous appointments, copies of testimonials, personal certificates and testimonials, applications for positions, Wartime (Company) Tax Assessment Act, 1940

BOX 3
British Passport, 1937, printed legislation, ‘press cuttings’ books, 1909-1944, record of cases, hearings in chronological order, list of claims and applications, legal documents, 1949

Copyright status:: In copyright
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW

Information upgraded as part of the Manuscripts Unprocessed eRecords Project 2011-2012