Ashton Calvert

Dr Ashton Calvert AC
Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
In office 1 April 1998 – 4 January 2005
Personal details
Born	Ashton Trevor Calvert 9 November 1945 Hobart, Tasmania
Died	16 November 2007 (aged 62) Canberra
Nationality	Australian
Spouse(s)	Mikie
Children	Felicity and Timothy
Parents	Bob and Noreen Calvert
Occupation	Public servant

Dr Ashton Trevor Calvert AC (9 November 1945 – 16 November 2007) was a senior Australian public servant. He was Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade between April 1998 and January 2005.

Early life

Ashton Calvert was born on 9 November 1945 in Hobart, Tasmania.^[1][2] He was the great-grandchild of free settler to Tasmania William Calvert, who had arrived on the island in 1832.^[3]

Ashton Calvert attended Hobart High School and then the University of Tasmania.^[1] As a Rhodes Scholar, he went on to attend Oxford University, attaining a doctorate in mathematics.^[4] During his time at Oxford, Calvert was the president-cox of the Oxford rowing team.^[5][6]

Career

Calvert joined the Australian Public Service in 1970 in the Department of External Affairs (later Department of Foreign Affairs).^[4] His first overseas post was to Japan in 1971, where he spent four years.^[7]

In October 1993, after nearly two years as a staffer in then Prime Minister Paul Keating's office, Calvert was appointed Australian Ambassador to Japan.^[8]

Calvert was appointed Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in April 1998. During his time as Secretary of the department, Calvert made significant contributions to the Doha Development Round trade negotiations and helped to secure a deal to launch negotiations for a free trade agreement between Australia, New Zealand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (since concluded).^[9] Calvert retired from his Secretary role in January 2005.^[10]

Calvert joined the Rio Tinto Board with effect from 1 February 2005.^[11] In August 2005 he was appointed to the Woodside Petroleum Board.^[12] He resigned from both boards in November 2007 due to illness, after a medical diagnosis of aggressive cancer.^[13]

Awards and honours

Ashton Calvert was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in January 2003 for service to the development of Australian foreign policy, including advancement of business relations between Australia and Japan, and for leadership and highly distinguished contributions to Australia's overall economic and security interests at critical times in the international environment.^[14]

In 2009, a street in the Canberra suburb of Casey was named Ashton Calvert Street to honour Calvert.^[2]

Death

On 16 November 2007, in Canberra, Calvert died from cancer at age 62.^[2][15]

Notes

1. Stephens, Tony (23 November 2007). "Diplomat always at the centre". The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media). Archived from the original on 25 February 2014.
2. Ashton Calvert Street, ACT Government Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate, archived from the original on 25 February 2014
3. Alexander, Alison, "Calvert Family", The Companion to Tasmanian History (University of Tasmania), retrieved 26 February 2014
4. Downer, Alexander (16 November 2007). "Dr Ashton Calvert AC" (Press release). Archived from the original on 1 May 2013.
5. Quarrell, Rachel (25 March 2008). "Presidents forgo paddles in the boat race". The Telegraph (United Kingdom). Archived from the original on 28 February 2014.
6. Walters, Patrick (12 March 2007). "Reticent chemical weapons crusader who changed the world". The Australian (News Corp Australia).
7. "Keating picks career man as new adviser". The Canberra Times. 3 January 1992. p. 2.
8. "Calvert is new ambassador". The Canberra Times. 2 October 1993. p. 2.
9. Vaile, Mark (2 December 2004). "Dr Ashton Calvert" (Press release). Archived from the original on 1 May 2013.
10. Kelly, Hugo (2 December 2004). "Ashton Calvert Out, Michael L'Estrange In". Crikey. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014.
11. Non Executive Directors, 2004, archived from the original on 14 September 2015
12. Mayne, Stephen (17 August 2015). "Ashton Calvert makes it into the director’s club". Crikey. Archived from the original on 14 September 2015.
13. Wilson, Nigel (19 November 2007). "Rio, Woodside boards depleted by death". The Australian (News Limited).
14. Search Australian Honours: CALVERT, Ashton Trevor, Australian Government, archived from the original on 26 February 2014
15. Brief Biography of Dr Ashton Calvert, Curtin University, 7 December 2011, archived from the original on 5 May 2013

References and further reading

• Butcher, John (August 2008), "Epilogue: ‘The job is never done’", in Wilson, Trevor; Cooke, Graham, Steady Hands Needed: Reflections on the role of Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Australia 1979–1999 (PDF), pp. 83–93, ISBN 9781921536137, archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2014
• L'Estrange, Michael (16 November 2007). "Dr Ashton Calvert AC" (Press release). Archived from the original on 13 February 2014.
• Howard, John (2 December 2004). "Dr Ashton Calvert AC" (Press release). Archived from the original on 10 November 2013.
• Kelly, Paul (4 September 2009). "John Howard ministers took no advice before joining Iraq war". The Australian (News Corp Australia). Foreign Affairs and Trade head Ashton Calvert, interviewed for the book, said: "DFAT did not argue against that war role. In my view there was a strong and shared sense of policy direction on Iraq from Howard and Downer. In my view they didn't need advice on what they should do because they had, in effect, made up their minds."
• "Former diplomat Calvert dies, aged 62". Brisbane Times (Fairfax Media). AAP. 16 November 2007. Archived from the original on 18 November 2007.
• Elliott, David, "Mathematics", The Companion to Tasmanian History (University of Tasmania), archived from the original on 6 September 2013