{{Short description|Australian public servant}} {{Use Australian English|date=March 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Bob Lansdown | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AO}} {{post-nominals|country=AUS|CBE}} | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | office1 = Secretary of the Department of Urban and Regional Development | term_start1 = 19 December 1972 | term_end1 = 22 December 1975 | office2 = Secretary of the Department of Environment, Housing and Community Development | term_start2 = 1 January 1976 | term_end2 = 30 November 1978 | office3 = Secretary of the Postal and Telecommunications Department | term_start3 = 10 July 1979 | term_end3 = 3 November 1980 | office4 = Secretary of the Department of Communications | term_start4 = 6 November 1980 | term_end4 = 1 February 1986 | birth_name = Robert Broughton Lansdown | birth_date = 9 May 1921 | birth_place = East Maitland | death_date = {{Death date and age|2006|05|06|1921|05|09|df=yes}} | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Public servant | known_for = | alma_mater = University of Sydney | spouse = }}

'''Robert Broughton Lansdown''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AO}} {{post-nominals|country=AUS|CBE}} (9 May 1921 – 6 May 2006) was a senior Australian public servant and policymaker.

==Life and career== Bob Lansdown was born on 9 May 1921 in East Maitland.<ref name="NAA CP 283">{{citation|title=CP 283: Robert Broughton LANSDOWN AO, CBE|url=http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/SearchOld.asp?Number=CP+283|publisher=National Archives of Australia|accessdate=17 March 2014}}</ref> At the age of 14, he first joined the Australian Public Service, as a post office bicycle messenger in Strathfield.<ref name=NewMan>{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110698295| title=Developing a one man band into a full department|date=16 February 1973|first=Bruce|last=Juddery|author-link=Bruce Juddery|newspaper=The Canberra Times|page=2}}</ref>

During World War II, Lansdown joined the Second Australian Imperial Force, serving in the Middle East and New Guinea.<ref name=NewMan/>

Lansdown first rejoined the Australian Public Service in 1950 as a Private Secretary in the Prime Minister's Department.<ref name="NAA CP 283"/>

In December&nbsp;1972 Lansdown was appointed Secretary of the Department of Urban and Regional Development and he remained head of the department when it was transitioned to Department of Environment, Housing and Community Development.

Between July 1979 and November 1980, Lansdown served as Secretary of the Postal and Telecommunications Department.<ref name="NAA CP 283"/> He was the inaugural head of the Department of Communications when the Postal and Communications Department was abolished.<ref name="NAA CP 283"/>

In 1986, Lansdown retired from the public service.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=6674|archivedate=11 January 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111231400/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=6674|title=Untitled|first=Robert|last=Hawke|author-link=Bob Hawke|date= 23 July 1985}}</ref>

==Awards and honours== Lansdown was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for housing, environment and community development in 1977.<ref>{{citation|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1065455|publisher=Australian Government|archivedate=17 March 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317101441/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1065455&search_type=quick&showInd=true|title=Search Australian Honours: LANSDOWN, Robert Broughton}}</ref> In 1991 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for service to communications.<ref>{{citation|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/885212|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317101521/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=885212&search_type=quick&showInd=true|archivedate=17 March 2014|publisher=Australian Government|title=Search Australian Honours: LANSDOWN, Robert Broughton}}</ref>

In 2009, a street in the Canberra suburb of Casey was named Lansdown Crescent in Bob Lansdown's honour.<ref name=Casey>{{citation|url=http://www.actpla.act.gov.au/tools_resources/place_search3?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkYyMDMuOS4yNDkuMyUyRlBsYWNlTmFtZXMlMkZQbGFjZURldGFpbHMuYXNweCUzRm9iamVjdElEJTNENjU2NDEmYWxsPTE%3D|title=Lansdown Crescent|publisher=ACT Government Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate|archivedate=27 February 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227095631/http://www.actpla.act.gov.au/tools_resources/place_search3?sq_content_src=+dXJsPWh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkYyMDMuOS4yNDkuMyUyRlBsYWNlTmFtZXMlMkZQbGFjZURldGFpbHMuYXNweCUzRm9iamVjdElEJTNENjU2NDEmYWxsPTE%3D|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{S-gov}} {{s-new|reason=''Department established''}} {{s-ttl|title=Secretary of the Department of Urban and Regional Development |years=1972 – 1975}} {{s-aft|after=Himself|as=Secretary of the Department of Environment, Housing and Community Development}} {{s-bef|before=Himself|as=Secretary of the Department of Urban and Regional Development}} {{s-ttl|title=Secretary of the Department of Environment, Housing and Community Development |years=1975 – 1978|rows=3}} {{s-aft|after=John Farrands|as=Secretary of the Department of Science and the Environment}} {{s-bef|before=Don McMichael|as=Secretary of the Department of the Environment}} {{s-aft|after=George Warwick Smith|as=Secretary of the Department of Housing and Construction}} {{s-bef|before=Alan Reiher|as=Secretary of the Department of Housing and Construction}} {{s-aft|after=Brian Tregillis|as=Secretary of the Department of Employment and Youth Affairs}} {{s-bef|before=Fred Green}} {{s-ttl|title=Secretary of the Postal and Telecommunications Department |years=1979 – 1980}} {{s-aft|after=Himself|as=Secretary of the Department of Communications}} {{s-bef|before=Himself|as=Secretary of the Postal and Telecommunications Department}} {{s-ttl|title=Secretary of the Department of Communications |years=1980 – 1986}} {{s-aft|after=Charles Halton}} {{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lansdown, Bob}} Category:1921 births Category:2006 deaths Category:University of Sydney alumni Category:Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Officers of the Order of Australia Category:20th-century Australian public servants Category:Australian Army personnel of World War II