John Gilbert McLaren C.M.G. (1871 - 1958)

Born 15 Oct 1871 in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Emily Frances Sarah (Wynn) McLaren — married 8 Feb 1904 in Annandale, New South Wales, Australia

Husband of Lucie Adela (Sparrow) McLaren — married 1 Oct 1949 in Mosman, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 27 Jul 1958 at age 86 in Strathfield, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Mark Ryan [send private message]

Biography

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import.^[1] It's a rough draft and needs to be edited.

User ID

User ID: 89E9927888BCF14FA01E8D5A709A6F072545

Note

McLAREN, Sir JOHN GILBERT (1871-1958), public servant, was born on 15 October 1871 at Parramatta, New South Wales, son of William Burness McLaren, stonemason, and his wife Mary, ně Gilbert, both born at Parramatta. He was educated at Sydney Boys' High School and the University of Sydney (B.A., 1895). He had joined the Postmaster-General's Department, New South Wales, in January 1888, as a clerk, and transferred with his department to the Commonwealth service in 1901.

McLaren was Commonwealth electoral officer for New South Wales in 1904-19 and a member in 1911-12 of the commission that redistributed electoral boundaries for the State. In July 1919 he was appointed assistant secretary, Prime Minister's Department, and in 1921-28 was secretary of the Department of Home and Territories. He visited Darwin in 1925 to report on and recommend staff reorganization in the Northern Territory, and in 1927 he examined the government of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea as apreliminary to its revision.

In June 1928 McLaren was appointed a commissioner of the Public Service Board. However, when S. M. (Viscount) Bruce reshuffled the Commonwealth Public Service in December, McLaren replaced Percy Deane as secretary to the Prime Minister's Department (1929-32) to which the administration of the territories of Papua and New Guinea was transferred. At the request of Prime Minister Scullin he reviewed the functions of the External Affairs Branch to bring it more closely within the departmental structure. (Sir) Keith Officer observed that although McLaren was very friendly he was 'almost too well informed of affairs in the office and asked such embarrassing questions'. He was chairman of the Australian Tobacco Investigation in 1931-32 and chairman of the Commonwealth advisory committee on employment (1932).

During his appointment as official secretary, High Commissioner's Office, London (January 1933–October 1936), on a salary reduced by a quarter under the Financial Emergency Act, McLaren represented Australia at International Labour Organization conferences (1933, 1934) and annually at meetings of the Permanent Mandates Commission, Geneva. As deputy high commissioner he attended the London Naval Conference in 1935-36 and the Council of Accession (1936). The financial responsibilities of the high commissioner were attended to by Bruce during McLaren's term, but pressures for economy led McLaren to suggest that all State agents-general should be located in Australia House.

During his early career McLaren had been active in literary and debating circles and was an attractive and well-informed speaker. On 8 February 1904 at Annandale, Sydney, he had married with Catholic rites Emily Frances Sarah Wynn (d.1941), oratorio andconcert soprano, and on his transfer in 1927 he became prominent in the nascent cultural life of Canberra. He was the first president of the Canberra Musical Society (1928-30) and of the Canberra Repertory Society (1932), and a member of the Canberra Society of Arts. In August 1927 he was a member with (Sir) Robert Garran and (Sir) David Rivett of a committee calling for the establishment of a university and was a government nominee to the council of Canberra University College (1930-32) and acting chairman (1930).

McLaren was appointed C.M.G. in 1925 and knighted in 1935. When he retired in 1936 and returned to Sydney it was rumoured that he might seek a political career. He took an active interest in immigration and in work for the League of Nations and for overtwenty years was a member of the Millions Club of New South Wales and its president in 1951-58. He died on 27 July 1958 at Strathfield, and was cremated. McLaren had married on 1 October 1949 at Mosman, a widow Lucie Adela Nash, ně Sparrow, who survived him together with three daughters of his first marriage.^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ McLaren-682 was created by Mark Ryan through the import of gilbert2.ged on Sep 21, 2015. This comment and citation can be deleted after the biography has been edited and primary sources are included.
2. ↑ Australian Dictionary of Biography

• Source: S2946 Title: Marion Joyce Purnell, ancestry
• Australian Royalty
• Wikipedia

Findagrave source

Sir John Gilbert McLaren Birth: 15 Oct 1871 Parramatta, City of Parramatta Council, New South Wales, Australia Death: 27 Jul 1958 (aged 86) Strathfield Municipality, New South Wales, Australia Burial: Cremated

Memorial #: 231207814 Bio: John was educated at Sydney Boys' High School and the University of Sydney (B.A., 1895). He had joined the Postmaster-General's Department, New South Wales, in January 1888, as a clerk, and transferred with his department to the Commonwealth service in 1901.McLaren was Commonwealth electoral officer for New South Wales in 1904-19 and a member in 1911-12 of the commission that redistributed electoral boundaries for the State. In July 1919 he was appointed assistant secretary, Prime Minister's Department, and in 1921-28 was secretary of the Department of Home and Territories. He visited Darwin in 1925 to report on and recommend staff reorganization in the Northern Territory, and in 1927 he examined the government of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea as a preliminary to its revision. During his early career, McLaren had been active in literary and debating circles and was an attractive and well-informed speaker. On 8 February 1904 at Annandale, Sydney, he had married with Catholic rites Emily Frances Sarah Wynn (d.1941), oratorio and concert soprano, and on his transfer in 1927, he became prominent in the nascent cultural life of Canberra. He was the first president of the Canberra Musical Society (1928-30) and of the Canberra Repertory Society (1932) and a member of the Canberra Society of Arts. In August 1927 he was a member of a committee calling for the establishment of a university and was a government nominee to the council of Canberra University College (1930-32) and acting chairman (1930). McLaren was appointed C.M.G. in 1925 and knighted in 1935. When he retired in 1936 and returned to Sydney. He took an active interest in immigration and in work for the League of Nations and for over twenty years was a member of the Millions Club of New South Wales and its president in 1951-58. He died on 27 July 1958 at Strathfield and was cremated. McLaren had married on 1 October 1949 at Mosman, a widow Lucie Adela Nash, née Sparrow, who survived him together with three daughters of his first marriage.

Source: Excerpts taken from Australian Dictionary of Biography 1986

Daughters: Mildred Gwendoline, May Alexandra, and Jean Mary McLaren. Family Members Parents William Burness McLaren 1839-1904 Mary Gilbert McLaren 1841-1905 Spouse Emily Frances Sarah "Millie" Wynn McLaren 1875-1941 Siblings Frances Mary McLaren 1865-1869 Kate Isabel McLaren 1867-1950 Emmaline Annie McLaren 1869-1958 William Albert McLaren 1873-1937 Elsie McLaren 1883-1897 Created by: Helen (46831582) Added: 2021-08-25T22:52:27.000Z URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/231207814/john_gilbert_mclaren Citation: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/231207814/john_gilbert-mclaren: accessed June 18, 2024), memorial page for Sir John Gilbert McLaren (15 Oct 1871–27 Jul 1958), Find a Grave Memorial ID 231207814; Cremated; Maintained by Helen (contributor 46831582).