Dr Peter Shergold
Secretary of the Department of Education, Science and Training, Australia

Dr Peter Shergold has been the Secretary of the Department of Education, Science and Training since January 2002.

He received a B.A. in Politics and American Studies from the University of Hull; an M.A. in History at the University of Illinois; and a PhD in Economics from London School of Economics.

In 1972 he took up a lectureship at the University of New South Wales. In 1985 he became Head of the Department of Economic History at the University, working closely with non-government organisations in the area of ethnic affairs. He has taught at the University of Illinois, Southampton University, London School of Economics and Pennsylvania State University and has twice been a Fulbright Scholar.

In 1987 he joined the Australian Public Service to establish the Office of Multicultural Affairs. From 1991 he headed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). At the end of his term in July 1994 he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Comcare. He was Public Service Commissioner from September 1995 to February 1998. From then until January 2002 he served as Secretary of the Department of Workplace Relations and Small Business, which was expanded to become the Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business following the 1998 election.

He was made a Member in the Order of Australia for "public service" on Australia Day 1996.

He seeks to manage the work-life balance by cross-country skiing, bush gardening, playing tennis (socially) and golf (badly) and researching family history.

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