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HOLD FOR RELEASE . • INTERN rior'\JAL BANK FOR RECONS'TRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT 1818 H STREET. N.W., WASHINGTON 25, D. C. TELEPHONE: EXECUTIVE3-6360 Public Disclosure Authorized For Release SUBJECT: Sir Leslie Melville joins Wednesday, November 7, 1962 Development Advisory Service Sir Leslie Melville, the distinguished Australian economist, will join the Development Advisory Service of the World Bank early :in 1963. The Service is a corps of experts available to serve as economic and financial advisers to the governments of the less developed member countries of the Bank, particu" Public Disclosure Authorized larly in the preparation and execution of economic development programs. The Service was established in 1961 as part of the Bank 1 s policy of enlarging its activities in technical assistance and development training • Sir Leslie Melville was born in Marsfield, New South Wales, in 1902, and • has long been one of Australia's leading economic and financial experts. His most recent post was Chairman of the Australian Tariff Board. From 1953-61 he was Vice Chancellor of the Australian National University. His connection Public Disclosure Authorized with the World Bank began at the Brett.on Woods Conference in 1944, when the Bank's .Articles of Agreement were drawn up. He acted as Vice President of the Conference and was also Chairman of the Australian Delegation. Subsequently he served from 1950-53 as E!x:ecutive Director representing Australia and South Africa on the Boards of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Sir Leslie's experience as a financial adviser began in the early '30s at the Imperial and World Economic Conferences, which he attended as Financial Public Disclosure Authorized Adviser to the Australian Delegations. Thereafter he was adviser to the Australian Treasury and to the Commonwealth Bank. From 1947 to 1950 he saw service in the UN as Chairman of the Subcommission on Employment and Economic • Stability. .

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Sir Leslie Melville: His Contribution to Central Banking in Australia1
SirReserve Leslie Melville:Bank of His Australia Contribution Bulletin to Central Banking in Australia April 2002 Sir Leslie Melville: His Contribution to Central Banking in Australia1 The following is the text of the Inaugural Sir Leslie Sir Leslie Melville was born on 26 March Melville Lecture delivered by the Governor, 1902, studied economics at Sydney University Mr IJ Macfarlane, at the Australian National (while also studying as an actuary), and University, Canberra on 22 March 2002. obtained his first job in 1924 as Public Actuary for South Australia. In 1929, aged I would like to start by thanking the twenty-seven, he was appointed Inaugural Vice-Chancellor – Ian Chubb – for inviting Professor of Economics at Adelaide me to give this address. We at the Reserve Bank University. In March 1931, he was appointed were wondering what we could do to as the Economist to the Commonwealth commemorate Sir Leslie Melville’s centenary, Bank, a position he held until 1950 when he so the invitation now gives the two became Australia’s Executive Director at the institutions – the Reserve Bank and the International Monetary Fund and World Australian National University – the Bank. During his central banking years he was opportunity to pay tribute jointly to Sir Leslie a prolific writer on economic matters, both in his home city, and most importantly in his academic and practical, and contributed presence. significantly to economic debate in Australia My address today will not be a biography and overseas. In 1953, he left the of Sir Leslie because there are already several Commonwealth Bank to take up an excellent biographical essays available and, I appointment as Vice-Chancellor of the am pleased to say, a full-length book is Australian National University.
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Earle Page and the Imagining of Australia
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