AustLit

H. C. Coombs was an economist and public servant committed to supporting higher education, the Arts and Aboriginal rights. He was educated at Perth Modern School and the University of Western Australia. He was awarded a scholarship to complete a PhD on central banking at the London School of Economics in 1932.

Coombs joined the Commonwealth Bank in 1934 and the federal Treasury in 1939. In 1942 he was placed in charge of organising Australia's wartime rationing policy and during the years 1943 to 1949 he was director general of postwar reconstruction. His higher education policy led to the creation of the Australian National University. He subsequently served as Governor of the Commonwealth Bank (1949-60) and the Reserve Bank (1960-68) and advised Prime Ministers from Curtin through to Whitlam. He became chancellor of ANU from 1968-76 and chaired the Australian Council of the Arts from 1968-74. He also chaired the Australian Council of Aboriginal Affairs from 1968 to 1976. In 1972 he was the Australian of the Year.