Patrick O'Dea
Encyclopedia
Sir Patrick O'Dea, KCVO was a senior New Zealand
public servant who was well known as the organiser of royal tours of New Zealand.
and raised there. He was educated at Christian Brothers College
and entered the New Zealand Public Service in 1936.
. He worked in the Agriculture
, Industries and Commerce, and Internal Affairs
departments.
. O'Dea was involved in the organisation of six visits by the Queen to New Zealand. He was director of the 1970, 1974, 1977 and 1981 royal tours.
His royal tour duties saw him make several trips to Buckingham Palace in London to finalise forthcoming tour arrangements with the Queen's staff. On the later royal tours, O'Dea, who was appointed New Zealand secretary to the Queen in 1969, sailed on the royal yacht Britannia as a member of Her Majesty's household. He oversaw the introduction of "royal walkabouts", a risky business given some members of the royal household were apprehensive about this security-risk open approach. O'Dea was a very discrete man and was certainly not a man to let royal secrets out of the bag. Royal secrets from royal tours were taken by him to the grave.
by the Queen at the end of the 1974 royal visit. He was further honoured by the Queen after his 1978 retirement with an appointment to the royal household as an Additional Gentleman Usher
, a position he held until his death.
, where he is buried.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
public servant who was well known as the organiser of royal tours of New Zealand.
Early life
Patrick Jerad O'Dea was born in DunedinDunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
and raised there. He was educated at Christian Brothers College
Kavanagh College
Kavanagh College is a Catholic Secondary school in Dunedin, New Zealand. The school in its present form dates from 1989 but its origins as a secondary school go back to 1871....
and entered the New Zealand Public Service in 1936.
Public Service career
O'Dea was a public servant for more than forty years, interrupted by five years of military service in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He worked in the Agriculture
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (New Zealand)
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is the state sector organisation of New Zealand which deals with matters relating to agriculture, forestry and biosecurity...
, Industries and Commerce, and Internal Affairs
Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand)
The New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs is a state sector organisation whose roles include the issue of passports; administering citizenship grant applications, and lottery grant applications; enforcement of censorship and gambling law; registration of births, deaths, marriages and civil...
departments.
Royal tours
O'Dea left the Agriculture Department in 1949 and joined the Department of Internal Affairs, where he became the first research officer for the department. He soon became the royal tours specialist beginning with the 1953 tour of the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of EdinburghDuke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...
. O'Dea was involved in the organisation of six visits by the Queen to New Zealand. He was director of the 1970, 1974, 1977 and 1981 royal tours.
His royal tour duties saw him make several trips to Buckingham Palace in London to finalise forthcoming tour arrangements with the Queen's staff. On the later royal tours, O'Dea, who was appointed New Zealand secretary to the Queen in 1969, sailed on the royal yacht Britannia as a member of Her Majesty's household. He oversaw the introduction of "royal walkabouts", a risky business given some members of the royal household were apprehensive about this security-risk open approach. O'Dea was a very discrete man and was certainly not a man to let royal secrets out of the bag. Royal secrets from royal tours were taken by him to the grave.
Secretary of Internal Affairs
O'Dea headed the Department of Internal Affairs from 1967 to 1978. At the time of his retirement from that role, he was also Secretary of Civil Defence, Clerk of the Writs, Secretary for Local Government, Secretary for Recreation and Sport and Secretary to the Queen. O'Dea's management role for the 1981 tour was at the specific invitation of the Queen as he had retired from Internal Affairs in May 1978.Family
O'Dea and his wife, Jean Mary (née Mulholland) had four children: one son and three daughters.Honours
O'Dea was created a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian OrderRoyal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
by the Queen at the end of the 1974 royal visit. He was further honoured by the Queen after his 1978 retirement with an appointment to the royal household as an Additional Gentleman Usher
Gentleman Usher
Gentleman Usher is a title for some officers of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom. See List of Gentlemen Ushers for a list of office-holders.-Historical:...
, a position he held until his death.
Death
O'Dea died on 28 August 2010, aged 93, after a long retirement in WaikanaeWaikanae
Waikanae is a small town on New Zealand's Kapiti Coast. The name is a Māori word meaning "The waters of the yellow eyed mullet". Another settlement called Waikanae Beach exists near Gisborne on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand....
, where he is buried.