Van Vanthoff

{{Short description|Australian public servant (1894–1967)}} {{Use Australian English|date=November 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Van Vanthoff | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OBE}} | image = | image_size = | caption = | office1 = Director-General of the Postmaster-General's Department | term_start1 = 21 May 1958 | term_end1 = 31 December 1958 | birth_name = Percival Evert Russell Vanthoff | birth_date = {{Birth date|1894|01|12|df=y}} | birth_place = Cobram, Victoria | death_date = {{Death date and age|1967|07|30|1894|01|12|df=y}} | death_place = Richmond, Melbourne, Victoria | occupation = Public servant | years_active = | website = | parents = | siblings = | spouse = Ruby Ella Shanks (m. 1924) | alma_mater = | children = }}

'''Percival Evert Russell "Van" Vanthoff ''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OBE}} (12 January 1894{{spaced endash}}30 July 1967) was a senior Australian public servant. He was Director-General of the Postmaster-General's Department from May until December 1958.

==Life and career== Van Vanthoff was born in Cobram, Victoria on 12 January 1894 to parents Isaac and Mary Jane Vanthoff.<ref name=Blaazer>{{Cite Australian Dictionary of Biography|id2=vanthoff-percival-evert-russell-11910|url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/vanthoff-percival-evert-russell-11910|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141125091530/http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/vanthoff-percival-evert-russell-11910|archive-date=25 November 2014|year=2002|volume=16|url-status=dead|title= Percival Evert Russell Vanthoff (1894–1967)|first=D.P.|last=Blaazer}}</ref>

In World War I, Vanthoff served in the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force.<ref name=Blaazer/>

He was appointed Director-General of Posts and Telegraphs, heading the Postmaster-General's Department, in May 1958.<ref name="NAA CA 9">{{citation|title=CA 9: Postmaster-General's Department, Central Administration|url=http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/SearchOld.asp?Number=CA+9|publisher=National Archives of Australia|access-date=25 November 2014|archive-date=11 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200311101431/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> In the role, he oversaw development of an automatic teleprinter switching system for telegraphs, and worked to provide a six-tube coaxial cable between Sydney and Melbourne.<ref name=Blaazer/> Vanthoff retired in December 1958.<ref name=Blaazer/>

Vanthoff died on 30 July 1967 in Richmond, Melbourne.<ref name=Blaazer/>

==Awards== In January 1955 Vanthoff was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.<ref>{{citation|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1108448|archive-date=25 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141125091146/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1108448&search_type=quick&showInd=true|url-status=live|title=Search Australian Honours: VANTHOFF, Percival Evert Russell|publisher=Australian Government|work=itsanhonour.gov.au}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-gov}} {{s-bef|before=Giles Chippindall}} {{s-ttl|title=Director General of the Postmaster-General's Department|years=1958}} {{s-aft|after=Mervyn Stradwick}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vanthoff, Van}} Category:1894 births Category:1967 deaths Category:20th-century Australian public servants Category:Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire