Robert Broughton Lansdown (9 May 1921 – 6 May 2006) was a senior Australian public servant and policymaker. Life and career Bob Lansdown was born on 9 May 1921 in East Maitland. At the age of 14, he first joined the Australian Public Service, as a post office bicycle messenger in Strathfield. During World War II, Lansdown joined the Second Australian Imperial Force, serving in the Middle East and New Guinea. Lansdown first rejoined the Australian Public Service in 1950 as a Private Secretary in the Prime Minister's Department. In December 1972 Lansdown was appointed Secretary of the Department of Urban and Regional Development and he remained head of the department when it was transitioned to Department of Environment, Housing and Community Development. Between July 1979 and November 1980, Lansdown served as Secretary of the Postal and Telecommunications Department. He was the inaugural head of the Department of Communications when the Postal and Communications Department was abolished. In 1986, Lansdown retired from the public service. Awards and honours Lansdown was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for housing, environment and community development in 1977. In 1991 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for service to communications. In 2009, a street in the Canberra suburb of Casey was named Lansdown Crescent in Bob Lansdown's honour. References Australian public servants 1921 births 2006 deaths University of Sydney alumni Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Officers of the Order of Australia 20th-century Australian public servants Australian Army personnel of World War II