Frank Henderson (public servant)

Frank Henderson
Assistant Administrator (Economic Affairs)
In office 1966–1969
Official Member of the Member of the House of Assembly
In office 1964–1969
Succeeded by
Official Member of the Member of the Legislative Council
In office 1959–1964
Director of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries
In office 1958–1966
Personal details
Born	8 March 1911 Broken Hill, Australia
Died	21 July 1969(1969-07-21) (aged 58) Port Moresby, Papua and New Guinea

Frank Cotter Henderson OBE (8 March 1911 – 21 July 1969) was an Australian agriculturalist and public servant. He held senior positions in the government of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea and served as an official member of the Legislative Council of Papua and New Guinea and House of Assembly of Papua and New Guinea.

Biography[]

Henderson was born in 1911 in Broken Hill.^[1] After graduating from the University of Sydney with an agricultural science degree, he moved to the Territory of New Guinea in 1936 to become an Agricultural Officer.^[2] He initially worked at Kerevat, before being transferred to Talasea. He married Joyce in 1938.^[2] Following the Japanese invasion, he helped evacuate civilians, sailing from Talasea to Cairns in Australia. He subsequently served in the RAAF.^[2]

He returned to New Guinea after the war, focussing on the development of cocoa plantations.^[2] In 1951 he was appointed head of the Division of Plant Industry, moving to Port Moresby the following year. In 1958 he was appointed Director of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries. He became an official member of the Legislative Council the following year,^[1] and was appointed to the new Member of the House of Assembly following the 1964 elections. He was promoted to Assistant Administrator (Economic Affairs) in 1966, also becoming Leader of Government Members in the House of Assembly.^[2]

Henderson was made an OBE in 1967. He died in Port Moresby in July 1969 at the age of 58.^[2]

References[]