McFarlane, Charles Archibald Biography 1991

McFARLANE, Charles Archibald
CBE [Commander of the Order of the British Empire] 1960
Retired Director-General, NZ Post Office
Born Auckland, 21 June 1902, married Alice Evelyn Gofton, daughter of John Gofton, 1932
Education: Native Schools (Primary); private secondary education: Canterbury University, BCom 1933; Victoria University, DPA 1941; ACA, FNZIPA (Life Member), FNZIM
Assistant Director, Army Education, Welfare Service 1943-46 (Major), Director 1946-47 (Lieutenant Colonel), Royal NZ Signals Corps 1955-58 (Colonel Commandant)
Joined NZ Post as telegraph boy, Waipiro Bay, 1918, qualified Morse Telegraphist 1920, stationed at Ponsonby, Weber, Napier until 1923; Administration, Head Office Wellington 1924-1929, Accountant Engineer’s Office, Christchurch 1929-34, Executive posts in Head Office, Wellington,1934-43, Administration posts 1947-54, Director-General 1954-61 (retired); NZ Representative, Universal Postal Union conferences, Brussels 1952, Ottawa 1957, International Telecommunications Union conference, Buenos Aires 1952, joint ITU-ECAFE, Tokyo 1959; Chairman, NZ Broadcasting Corporation, 1965-69; Chairman, NZ Savings Committee,1967-73; Director, Standard Telephones and Cables Pty Ltd, Sydney, 1961-80; Chairman, Standard Telephones and Cables (NZ) Ltd,1968-80; Resident Director for NZ, Australian Standard Cables Pty Ltd, 1964-80; Principal, NZ Administration Staff College, 1967-71; One-man Commission of Inquiry into conditions of employment of Railway shift workers (‘McFarlane Report’) 1961,1980; Chairman, NZ Post Employers Association,1964-67; Chairman, Town Milk Appeal Committee,1966; Chairman of Confederation of Shipowners Federation, Seaman’s Union (‘McFarlane Conference’), preliminary to establishment of Marine Council, 1968-71; contracted for Min of Labour various ad hoc assignments as Chairman, Arbitrator, Mediator, in industrial disputes, 1961-80; Chairman, Post Office Appeal Board, 1975-80
Recreations: genealogy, reading, bowls, gardening
Address: 41 Colway Street, Ngaio, Wellington