Casey, Lord Richard Gardiner

Casey, Lord Richard Gardiner (1890-1976), Australian politician, governor-general of Australia from 1965 to 1969. Born in Brisbane on August 29, 1890, and educated at the universities of Melbourne and Cambridge, England, Casey served in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) from 1914 to 1919 and was decorated for valour. After the war he worked in engineering and then in 1931 entered federal politics as the United Australian party member for Corio, Victoria. From 1933 he held various Cabinet posts including treasurer and minister for supply and development.

Following service in the British war Cabinet as minister of state for the Middle East, he was appointed governor of Bengal (1944-1946). On his return to Australia he re-entered the federal parliament and during the next 11 years was a member of the Cabinet, most notably as Minister for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the largest scientific body in Australia.

Casey received a life peerage in 1960-the first person to be created a life peer outside the United Kingdom-and then became governor-general from 1965 to 1969. He played a major role in leading the country away from the "white Australia" policy and into friendly dialogue with the new nations of Asia. He died on June 17, 1976, in Melbourne.