Alan Reiher Explained

Alan Reiher
Office1:Director-General of the Department of Works
Term Start1:29 August 1967
Term End1:30 November 1973
Office2:Secretary of the Department of Housing and Construction
Term Start2:30 November 1973
Term End2:22 December 1975
Office3:Secretary of the Department of Construction
Term Start3:22 December 1975
Term End3:20 April 1976
Birth Name:Alan Silvius Reiher
Birth Date:13 June 1927
Birth Place:Melbourne, Victoria
Death Place:Queensland
Resting Place:North Tamborine Cemetery, Queensland
Occupation:Public servant
Nationality:Australian
Alma Mater:University of Melbourne

Alan Silvius Reiher (13 June 19273 August 2003) was a senior Australian public servant, best known for his time as Director-General of Works in the Australian Government bureaucracy and for heading government transport agencies in New South Wales and Victoria.

Life and career

Alan Reiher was born in Melbourne on 13 June 1927 to Silvius Thomas Reiher and Agnes Marion Reiher.

Having graduated from the University of Melbourne with a civil engineering degree, Reiher commenced his Australian Public Service career in 1957 as an Engineer in the Department of Works. He spent a year at the Harvard Business School soon before being appointed Director-General of the department in 1967.[1]

In 1975 while Secretary of the Department of Housing and Construction, Reiher was appointed as a member of the Darwin Reconstruction Authority in the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy.[2]

He was appointed the Chief Commissioner of the New South Wales Public Transport Commission in March 1976 succeeding Philip Shirley.[3] [4] [5] The appointment was in the last weeks of the Wills Government, and the Labor Party opposed his appointment, which was for seven years.[6]

After being placed on fully paid leave by Minister for Transport Peter Cox, who claimed Reiher had caused him embarrassment by failing to inform him of an agreement with the unions in March 1980, Reiher resigned.[7] [8]

In 1980 he was appointed Chairman of the Victorian Railways Board, and in 1982 he became Director-General of Transport for Victoria.[9]

Beginning in 1986 for five years, Reiher was Victoria's Commissioner in North America.[10] Reiher died on 3 August 2003.

Notes and References

  1. News: The public servant to watch. Bruce. Juddery. Bruce Juddery. 11 November 1970. 20. The Canberra Times.
  2. News: Reconstruction body members named. 6 March 1975. 12. The Canberra Times.
  3. News: Top transport post. 3. The Canberra Times. 26 March 1976.
  4. New Chief Commissioner Electric Traction April 1976 page 59
  5. New Chief Commissioner has Distinguished Record Transport News May 1976 page 1
  6. News: Exit Mr Reiher. The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 November 1979. 4.
  7. PTC chief to take further paid leave Truck & Bus Transportation March 1980 page 110
  8. News: Top NSW transport man quits. 21 March 1980. 7. The Canberra Times.
  9. Transport People Truck & Bus Transportation November 1982 page 110
  10. News: It's thumbs down for unfortunate GMORA. The Canberra Times. 18 October 1992. 9. Verona. Burgess.