Mervyn Probine

Mervyn Charles Probine CB FRSNZ (30 April 1924 – 17 April 2010) was a New Zealand physicist and public servant. He served as chairman of the State Services Commission between 1981 and 1986.

Mervyn Probine
CB FRSNZ
Chairman of the State Services Commission
In office
1981–1986
Prime MinisterRobert Muldoon
David Lange
Preceded byRobin Williams
Succeeded byRoderick Deane
Personal details
Born(1924-04-30)30 April 1924
Auckland, New Zealand
Died17 April 2010(2010-04-17) (aged 85)
Auckland, New Zealand
Spouse
Marjorie Walker
​
(m. 1949)​
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Leeds
Scientific career
FieldsBiophysics
ThesisMolecular structure and mechanical properties of plant cell walls in relation to growth (1959)

Early life and family

Born in Auckland on 30 April 1924, Probine was the son of Frederick Charles Probine and Annie Kathleen Probine (née Polson).[1] He married Marjorie Walker in 1949, and the couple went on to have two children.[2]

Career

Probine joined the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) as a draughtsman in 1942.[2] He graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Auckland University College in 1947 and a Master of Science from 1951 from Victoria University College,[3] and obtained a PhD in physics from the University of Leeds.[2] In 1967, he was appointed director of the Physics and Engineering Laboratory (PEL), and then ten years later, was promoted to assistant director-general of the DSIR.[2]

Probine joined the State Services Commission in 1979,[4] and was appointed chair of that body in 1981.[2] During his tenure, the Official Information Act 1982 was passed and the Equal Employment Opportunities Unit (EEOU) was established.[2] The EEOU was charged with promoting and monitoring access to employment opportunities in the New Zealand public service for ethnic minorities, women, and the disabled.[2]

Honours and awards

In 1964, Probine was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.[5] In the 1986 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath, in recognition of his service as chairman of the State Services Commission.[6]

Death

Probine died in Auckland on 17 April 2010.[2] His wife, Marjorie, died in 2023.[7]

References
  1. "Births". New Zealand Herald. 3 May 1924. p. 1. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  2. "Former State Services Commission boss dies". Stuff.co.nz. NZPA. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
  3. "NZ university graduates 1870–1961: P". Shadows of Time. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  4. Henderson, Alan (1990). The Quest for Efficiency:The Origins of the State Services Commission. State Services Commission. ISBN 0-477-05538-9.
  5. "List of all Fellows with surnames P–R". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  6. "No. 50362". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 31 December 1985. p. 29.
  7. "Marjorie Probine obituary". The New Zealand Herald. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  • Notable New Zealanders (1979, Paul Hamblyn, Auckland)
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