PM Transcripts

FOR PRESS P. M. No 57/ 1970
APPOINTMENT OF NATIONAL LIBRARIAN
otatement by the Prime Minister, Mr. John Gorton
Mr. A. P. Fleming, 0. B. has been appointed to the position
of National Librarian. Mr. Fleming currently holds the oYffice of Parliamentary
Librarian. Prior to taking up this appointment in 1968, Mr. Fleming was a
Special Commercial Adviser, Department of Trade and Industry.
He will assume the duties of National Librarian on the retirement
of Sir Harold White in June.
CANBERRA 14 May 1970
BACKGROUND NOTES:-
Mr. Fleming is aged 58 and is a Bachelor of Arts of the
University of Melbourne.
Before and immediately after the war, he was a journalist with
the Argus and the Courier Mail. Mr. Fleming served in the A. 1. rising
from Private in 1939 to the rank of Lt. Colonel n 1943. He was awarded
the 0. B. E. and twice mentioned in Despatches,
His work with the Commonwealth Public Service has included the
planning and conduct of research as the first Director of the joint Intelligence
Bureau and later Controller of joint Service organisations within the
Department of Defence until 1958. Later, he was Trade Commissioner in
Paris and London and First Assistant Secretary in charge of the International
Trade Relations Division.
Mr. Flemii-g has been a member or leader of delegations to
S. E. A. T. 0. G. A. T. T. and United Nations con'ferences on trade and
development. Sir Harold White, C. B. E. has been National Librarian since
1947. When he vacated the office of Parliamentary Librarian which he had
held jointly with that o! National Librarian early in 1968, Sir Harold had
been in service of the Parliament for 45 years believed to be a record
period.