About Tasman Heyes
Lived 1896 – 1980 (aged 83). Tasman Heyes was an Australian civil servant and public servant.
Sir Tasman Hudson Eastwood "Tas" Heyes (6 November 189625 June 1980) was a senior Australian public servant and policymaker. He was Secretary of the Department of Immigration between May 1946 and November 1961.
Life and career Tasman Heyes joined the Commonwealth Public Service in 1912 as a messenger in the Department of Defence.
In 1941, he was acting director of the Australian War Memorial, and oversaw the opening of the institution. He defended the White Australia policy, preferring British and Northern European immigrants, and people of "Aryan" stock. He was appointed a Knight Bachelor in January 1960 for service as Secretary of the Department of Immigration.
In 1962, Heyes was awarded the Nansen Refugee Award by the UN Refugee Agency, for his work as head of the Department of Immigration.
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Important facts
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Tasman Heyes?
Australian public servant (1896-1980)
When was Tasman Heyes born?
Tasman Heyes was born on 6 November 1896 in Kent Town.
When did Tasman Heyes die?
Tasman Heyes died on 25 June 1980 in Windsor.
What was Tasman Heyes's occupation?
Tasman Heyes was a civil servant and public servant.
What nationality was Tasman Heyes?
Tasman Heyes was Australian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Tasman Heyes. https://biography.guide/tasman-heyes/
MLA: "Tasman Heyes." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/tasman-heyes/.
Chicago: "Tasman Heyes." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/tasman-heyes/.
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