Skip to main content

Kōrero: State services and the Public Service Commission

State services leadership

  • Public service commissioners

    1913–1946

    Established under the Public Service Act 1912

  • Chairs of Public Service Commission

    1946–1962

    Established under the Public Service Amendment Act 1946

  • Chairs of State Services Commission

    1963–1989

    Established under the State Services Act 1962

  • State services commissioners

    1990–present

    Established under the State Sector Act 1988

  • January 1913–April 1920
    Donald Robertson
  • May 1920–February 1923
    William Morris
  • June 1923–June 1935
    Paul Verschaffelt
  • August 1936–December 1938
    Thomas Mark and John Boyes
  • December 1938–June 1941
    Thomas Mark
  • October 1941–September 1946
    John Boyes
  • November 1946–March 1953
    Richard Campbell
  • April 1953–September 1958
    George Bolt
  • October 1958–December 1966
    Allan Atkinson
  • January 1967–December 1970
    Adrian Rodda
  • January 1971–December 1974
    Ian Lythgoe
  • February 1975–March 1981
    Robin Williams
  • April 1981–March 1986
    Mervyn Probine
  • April 1986–May 1987
    Roderick Deane
  • May 1987–December 1989*
    Donald Hunn
  • January 1990–April 1997
    Donald Hunn
  • May 1997–April 2004
    Michael Wintringham
  • May 2004–June 2008
    Mark Prebble
  • July 2008–July 2016
    Iain Rennie
  • July 2016–current
    Peter Hughes

* Chair of the State Services Commission became known as the chief commissioner from 1 April 1988.

The public service commissioner, a position created in 1913, became known as chairman of the Public Service Commission in 1946 and chairman of the State Services Commission in 1963. The position became state services commissioner in 1990 and reverted to public service commissioner in 2020. This table lists the public service and state services commissioners. 

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Alan Henderson, The quest for efficiency: the origins of the State Services Commission. Wellington: State Services Commission, 1990, pp. 393–395; State Services Commission

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Mark Prebble, State services and the Public Service Commission – Role of central agencies, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/diagram/33067/state-services-leadership (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Mark Prebble, i tāngia i te 5 June 2012.

Comments

Mel
10 May 2016
hi guys Note for future updating - new state services commissioner is to be Peter Hughes from 4 July 2016 Cheers Mel