Louis Loder

Sir Louis Francis Loder CBE (30 December 1896 – 11 February 1972) was a senior Australian public servant and policymaker. He was head of the Department of Works between 1945 and his retirement in 1961.

Sir Louis Loder
CBE
Director-General of the Department of Works
In office
2 February 1945 – 13 July 1945
Director-General of the Department of Works and Housing
In office
13 July 1945 – 4 June 1952
Director-General of the Department of Works
In office
6 June 1952 – 29 December 1961
Personal details
Born(1896-12-30)30 December 1896
Louis Francis Loder
Died11 February 1972(1972-02-11) (aged 75)
NationalityAustralia Australian
Spouse(s)Jean Arnot
(m. 1924–1972; his death)
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne
OccupationPublic servant

Life and career

Louis Loder was born in Sale, Victoria on 30 December 1896.[1]

Loder served in the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War.[2]

Between 1928 and 1940, Loder was Chief Engineer at the Victorian Country Roads Board.[3] He then went on to work for Allied Works between 1940 and 1945.[3]

In 1945, Loder was appointed to be Director-General of the newly established Department of Works (later Department of Works and Housing and then Department of Works (II)).[4][5][6] In these roles, Loder was responsible for the design, costing, supervision and execution of all architectural and engineering works for the Australian Government.[1] During this time he was occupied with work that included coordinating the works of experts to establish the Snowy River Hydro-electric scheme as urgent politics, working to manage the expansion of war aircraft facilities at Mascot Airport in Sydney and managing the rocket range at Woomera.[7]

Loder retired from the Australian Public Service in 1961.[1][8] On retirement, Loder was planning a 13-month overseas holiday.[3]

Loder died in Healesville, Victoria on 11 February 1972.[1]

Awards and honours

Loder was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in June 1953.[9] He was appointed a Knight Bachelor in June 1962.[10]

In 1987, a street in the Canberra suburb of Theodore was named Louis Loder Street in Loder's honour.[11]

References
  1. Lawrence, T.F.C., "Loder, Sir Louis Francis (1896–1972)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Australian National University, archived from the original on 22 December 2013
  2. First World War Embarkation Rolls - Louis Francis Loder, Australian War Memorial, archived from the original on 27 April 2014
  3. "First Director". The Canberra Times. 13 December 1961. p. 14.
  4. CA 50: Department of Works [II], Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 27 April 2014
  5. CA 52: Department of Works and Housing, Head Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 27 April 2014
  6. CA 61: Department of Works [III], Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 27 April 2014
  7. "Mr. Louis Loder: Man from Snowy River". Gippsland Times. 12 May 1949. p. 7.
  8. "New Works Chief Appointed". The Canberra Times. 14 October 1961. p. 12.
  9. "Search Australian Honours: LODER, Louis Francis", itsanhonour.gov.au, Australian Government, archived from the original on 27 April 2014
  10. "Search Australian Honours: LODER, Louis Francis", itsanhonour.gov.au, Australian Government, archived from the original on 27 April 2014
  11. Louis Loder Street, ACT Government Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate, archived from the original on 28 April 2014
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