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

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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

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

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Blaazer, D.P. (2002). "Percival Evert Russell Vanthoff (1894–1967)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 16. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. 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