Harold Breen

Harold Breen
Secretary of the Department of Supply and Development
In office
31 July 1949 – 16 March 1950
Secretary of the Department of Supply
In office
17 March 1950 – 10 May 1951
Secretary of the Department of Defence Production
In office
11 May 1951 – 8 August 1957
Personal details
BornHarold Patrick Breen
(1893-04-30)30 April 1893
Richmond, Melbourne
Died6 July 1966(1966-07-06) (aged 73)
Malvern, Melbourne
Resting placeSt Kilda Cemetery
NationalityAustralian
Spouse(s)Agnes Rose O'Sullivan
(m. 1916–1923; her death)
Rosa Marguerita Maree Carrodus
(m. 1930–1934; her death)
Constance Jessie Gillespie
(m. 1957–1966; his death)
OccupationPublic servant

Harold Patrick Breen CBE (30 April 1893 – 6 July 1966) was a senior Australian public servant. He was head of the Department of Defence Production between 1951 and 1957.

Life and career

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Harold Breen was born on 30 April 1893 in Richmond, Melbourne.[1]

He commenced his Commonwealth Public Service career in 1910 in the Department of Defence in the Ordnance Department.[2]

Rising up the ranks, he was appointed Secretary of the Department of Supply and Development in July 1949,[3] and later head of the Department of Supply in 1950.[4]

When the Department of Defence Production was established in 1951, Breen was appointed as its inaugural head.[5] He remained in the position until his retirement in 1957.[1]

Breen died in Malvern on 6 July 1966 and was buried in St Kilda Cemetery.[1]

Awards

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Breen was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in June 1953 during his time as head of the Defence Production Department.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Blaazer, D.P. (1993), "Breen, Harold Patrick (1893–1966)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Australian National University, archived from the original on 1 September 2014
  2. ^ CP 182: Harold Patrick BREEN CBE, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 16 March 2016, retrieved 1 September 2014
  3. ^ CA 54: Department of Supply and Development, Central Office [II], National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 22 February 2015, retrieved 1 September 2014
  4. ^ CA 57: Department of Supply, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 2 August 2020, retrieved 1 September 2014
  5. ^ CA 58: Department of Defence Production, Central Administration, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 1 September 2014, retrieved 1 September 2014
  6. ^ "Search Australian Honours: BREEN, Harold Patrick", itsanhonour.gov.au, Australian Government, archived from the original on 1 September 2014