18 Facts About Leslie Melville

Sir Leslie Galfreid Melville was a renowned Australian economist, academic and public servant.

Leslie Melville helped form Australia's central banking system and gave his voice in international economic forums in the years following World War II.

Leslie Melville played an important role in the early years of the Australian National University, serving as its Vice-Chancellor between 1953 and 1960.

In 1929, aged only 27, Leslie Melville became the Foundation Professor of Economics at the University of Adelaide.

Leslie Melville represented Australia at the 1932 Ottawa Imperial Trade Conference, after the Prime Minister Joseph Lyons had revoked Sir Robert Gibson's directive for him not to attend.

Leslie Melville attended the World Economic Conference in London in 1933.

Leslie Melville became a prolific writer on economic matters, contributing greatly to economic debate both at home and internationally.

Leslie Melville's economic thinking was often out of kilter with his colleagues: he advocated exchange rate fluidity when most were arguing for the status quo.

In 1944 Leslie Melville led the Australian delegation to the Bretton Woods Conference, which laid the foundations for the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Leslie Melville handled himself most impressively, was clear, cogent and never unreasonable, put his point forcibly yet moderately, yet achieved.

Leslie Melville had quite a difficult task and accomplished it supremely well.

In 1950 Leslie Melville became Australia's Executive Director of both the World Bank and the IMF.

When H C Coombs was appointed Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, he paid tribute to Melville by advising the government and others that the best man for the job had been overlooked.

Leslie Melville nevertheless served three terms as a Board Member of the Reserve Bank.

When Leslie Melville retired, Coombs wrote to him: In the years you were with the Bank, you made a contribution to the theory and practice of central banking which is without equal in the world.

In 1966 Leslie Melville was appointed Chairman of the Commonwealth Grants Commission, remaining in this post until 1974.

Sir Leslie Melville celebrated his 100th birthday on 26 March 2002 at Canberra's Commonwealth Club, which he had helped found.

Leslie Melville died a month later, on 30 April 2002.