Background
Norman Oakes was born on 24 February 1926 in Wallsend, New South Wales, Australia, the son of John Oakes and Florence Bobb.
Norman Oakes was born on 24 February 1926 in Wallsend, New South Wales, Australia, the son of John Oakes and Florence Bobb.
He attended Newcastle Boys" High School and thereafter studied economics at the University of Sydney.
Joining the NSW Public Service on 21 July 1941. During the Second World War Oakes enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force, serving from 1944 to 1946. Eventually joining the NSW Treasury in 1960, he rose to become the head in 1977 as Under Secretary and Comptroller of Accounts, the last to serve under that title.
In 1987 the Royal Australian Institute of Public Administration named him as one of their National Fellows.
After his retirement in 1986 Oakes served as a Commissioner of the City of Sydney from its dismissal by the Unsworth Government on 6 April 1987 to 31 December 1988.
After the war Oakes rose to be Registrar-General of NSW Births Deaths and marriages and a member of the Public Service board.