Bill Farmer

William John Farmer (born 10 June 1947) is a retired senior Australian public servant and policymaker, best known for his time as Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs and for his career in the Australian diplomatic service. Background and early life Bill Farmer graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours and from the London School of Economics with a Master of Science in Economics. Career Farmer started his public service career in the Department of External Affairs in 1969. His early Australian Public Service roles saw him serving in Cairo, London and Suva. He was Deputy Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations in New York 1984–1987; Australian Ambassador to Mexico, the Central American Republics and Cuba 1987–1989; Australian High Commissioner in Papua New Guinea 1993–1995 and in Malaysia 1996–1997; and Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 1997–1998. Between 1998 and 2005, Farmer was secretary of the Australian immigration department. The department was first known as the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs when he was appointed, and later called the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. In 2001, he also held the concurrent appointment of secretary of the short-lived Department of Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs.