["Hansard Chief", The West Australian, Friday 29 November 1946, page 15]
HANSARD CHIEF.
CANBERRA RETIREMENT.
Work of Mr. G. H. Romans.
CANBERRA, Nov. 28.
In the House of Representatives today, the Speaker (Mr. Rosevear) announced that Mr. G. H. Romans. the chief of the Hansard staff, would retire next Saturday. Recalling Mr. Romans's career as a journalist in Adelaide and Western Australia and on the West Australian Hansard staff, Mr. Rosevear said that he joined the Commonwealth Parliamentary reporting staff in 1914. and had now been reporting parliamentary debates for 45 years. Parliament was losing the services of a very esteemed officer. The Prime Minister (Mr. Chifley) paid a tribute to Mr. Romans's courtesy to members and the great efficiency of his staff. He had made speeches for them in Hansard far better than had been made in the House, and for that alone members were deeply grateful to him. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Menzies) said that Mr. Romans had brought to his work a notable background of scholarship and a deep knowledge of parliamentary institutions, as well as complete impartiality, all of which had earned him the friendship and respect of members. The Leader of the Country Party (Mr. Fadden) said that all members appreciated Mr. Romans's conscientiousness and tolerance. His work in Federal Parliaments over 32 years had been of outstanding merit. In the Senate the President (Senator Brown), the Leader of the Government (Senator Ashley), the Leader of the Opposition (Senator McLeay) and Senator Cooper (C.P., Qld.) for Country Party Senators, made complimentary references to Mr. Romans's services. Senator Ashley said that Mr. Romans had served with efficiency and distinction and his reporting had been accomplished to the satisfaction of everyone, which was more than could be said of the Press of today. Mr. Romans joined the W.A. Hansard staff in 1912 after serving in Perth on the "Morning Herald" and "The West Australian." He is 65 years old.
