Percival Evert Russell "Van" Vanthoff OBE (12 January 1894 – 30 July 1967) was a senior Australian public servant. He was Director-General of the Postmaster-General's Department from May until December 1958.

Van Vanthoff
Director-General of the Postmaster-General's Department
In office
21 May 1958 – 31 December 1958
Personal details
Born
Percival Evert Russell Vanthoff

(1894-01-12)12 January 1894
Cobram, Victoria
Died30 July 1967(1967-07-30) (aged 73)
Richmond, Melbourne, Victoria
NationalityAustralia Australian
SpouseRuby Ella Shanks (m. 1924)
OccupationPublic servant

Life and career edit

Van Vanthoff was born in Cobram, Victoria on 12 January 1894 to parents Isaac and Mary Jane Vanthoff.[1]

In World War I, Vanthoff served in the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force.[1]

He was appointed Director-General of Posts and Telegraphs, heading the Postmaster-General's Department, in May 1958.[2] 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.[1] Vanthoff retired in December 1958.[1]

Vanthoff died on 30 July 1967 in Richmond, Melbourne.[1]

Awards edit

In January 1955 Vanthoff was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e Blaazer, D.P. (2002). "Percival Evert Russell Vanthoff (1894–1967)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 16. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Archived from the original on 25 November 2014.
  2. ^ CA 9: Postmaster-General's Department, Central Administration, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 25 November 2014
  3. ^ "Search Australian Honours: VANTHOFF, Percival Evert Russell", itsanhonour.gov.au, Australian Government, archived from the original on 25 November 2014
Government offices
Preceded by Director General of the Postmaster-General's Department
1958
Succeeded by
Mervyn Stradwick