Casey, Lord (1890-1976), Richard Gardiner Casey, served as governor general of Australia from 1965 to 1969. He was the third Australian to hold the post.
Casey was born on Aug. 29, 1890, in Brisbane and educated at Melbourne and then Cambridge in England. He joined the Army in 1914 and rose to the rank of major during World War I (1914-1918). He received two awards for bravery, the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross. Casey began his Australian political career by winning election to the House of Representatives in 1931. He held many important positions, including federal treasurer, from 1935 to 1939, and minister in charge of development and scientific and industrial research.
During World War II (1939-1945), Casey distinguished himself at home and abroad. In Australia, he was minister of supply and development in 1939 and 1940. He was then appointed the first Australian minister to the United States. In 1942 and 1943, in the United Kingdom, he was minister of state for Middle East affairs and a member of the British War Cabinet, which handled matters related to the war. From 1944 to 1946, he was governor of the state of Bengal in the colony of British India.
In 1946, Casey returned to Australia. He served as minister for national development in 1950 and 1951, and then as minister for external affairs until 1960. He received a life peerage in 1960. In 1969, he was named Australian of the Year. Casey died on June 17, 1976, in Melbourne.
