{{Short description|Australian public servant}} {{For |the Welsh lawn bowler|Gwyn Howells (bowls)}} {{Use Australian English|date=April 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Gwyn Howells | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|CB}} | image = | image_size = | caption = | office1 = Director-General of the Department of Health | term_start1 = 1 September 1973 | term_end1 = 31 December 1982 | birth_name = Birmingham, England | birth_date = {{Birth date|1918|05|13|df=y}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{Death date and age|1997|07|26|1918|05|13|df=y}} | death_place = | occupation = Public servant | years_active = | website = | parents = | siblings = | spouse = Simone (née Maufe)<br />(m. 1941–1997; his death) | alma_mater = University of London | children = }}
'''Gwyn Howells''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|CB}} (13 May 1918{{spaced endash}}26 July 1997) was a senior Australian public servant, best known for his time as Director-General of the Department of Health.
==Life and career== Howells was born on 13 May 1918 in Birmingham, England.<ref name=RACP>{{citation|url=https://www.racp.edu.au/page/library/college-roll/college-roll-detail&id=48|title=College Roll: Howells, Gwyn|publisher=The Royal Australian College of Physicians|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150124173808/http://www.racp.edu.au/page/library/college-roll/college-roll-detail%26id%3D48|archive-date=24 January 2015|first=C.|last=Evans|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name=MunksRoll>{{citation|url=http://munksroll.rcplondon.ac.uk/Biography/Details/2287|title=Gwyn Howells|publisher=Royal College of Physicians London|first=Cyril|last=Evans}}</ref> He studied at the University of London.<ref name=MunksRoll/>
He joined the Department of Health in 1966, as first assistant director-general in charge of the tuberculosis division.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110739102|first=Gay|last=Davidson|date=24 July 1973|newspaper=The Canberra Times|title=Two new heads soon|page=1}}</ref>
Howells was appointed Director-General of Health in 1973.<ref name="NAA CA 17">{{citation|title=CA 17: Department of Health, Central Office|url=http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/SearchOld.asp?Number=CA+17|publisher=National Archives of Australia|accessdate=4 April 2015|archive-date=12 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200312203538/https://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/DumpSession.asp?C=Initialise.inc&S=Open%20P_RECORDSEARCH_SERVICE%20SQLSERVER_ODBC&E=%5BMicrosoft%5D%5BODBC+Driver+17+for+SQL+Server%5D%5BSQL+Server%5DIncorrect+syntax+near+%27207.241%27.|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Davidson>{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110753827|title=Health Department's new head looks to the future|first=Gay|last=Davidson|date=26 October 1973|newspaper=The Canberra Times|page=2}}</ref> He left the position on 31 December 1982, five months ahead of his official date of retirement.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130829937|title=Changes at the top in Health|date=17 November 1982|page=7|first=Jack|last=Waterford|author-link=Jack Waterford|newspaper=The Canberra Times}}</ref>
Howells died on 26 July 1997.<ref name=RACP/>
==Awards== In the 1979 Queen's Birthday Honours Howells was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath for service as Director-General of the Department of Health.<ref>{{citation|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1064274|title=Search Australian Honours: HOWELLS, Gwyn, The Order of the Bath - Companion (Civil)|publisher=Australian Government|work=itsanhonour.gov.au|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404022415/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1064274&search_type=quick&showInd=true|archive-date=4 April 2015}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-gov}} {{s-bef|before=William Refshauge}} {{s-ttl|title=Director-General of the Department of Health|years=1973–1982}} {{s-aft|after=Lawrie Willett}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howells, Gwyn}} Category:1918 births Category:1997 deaths Category:Australian Companions of the Order of the Bath Category:People from Birmingham, West Midlands Category:Secretaries of the Australian Government Health Department Category:British emigrants to Australia
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