John Hardy (aviator)

John Laurence Hardy AO (born 14 September 1942)[1][2] is an Australian aviator and businessman who founded the aviation company Airnorth in 1978 and Hardy Aviation in 1991. He was Administrator of the Northern Territory from November 2014 until October 2017.

The Honourable John Hardy AO
21st Administrator of the Northern Territory
In office 10 November 2014 – 30 October 2017
Governor General	Sir Peter Cosgrove
Preceded by	Sally Thomas
Succeeded by	Vicki O'Halloran
Personal details
Born	14 September 1942 Midland, Western Australia
Nationality	Australian
Spouse(s)	Marie Vincenette ​ (m. 1962)​
Alma mater	South Australian Institute of Technology
Occupation	Aviator, radiographer

Hardy was born at Midland Junction in Perth, Western Australia, and moved to Broken Hill at the age of six, where his father, Evan, was chief metallurgist at North Broken Hill mine.[3] He was schooled at Broken Hill High School.[4]

He moved to the Northern Territory in 1971 to work as a pilot in the South Australian and Territory Air Services, where he flew supplies from Darwin to the Indonesian island of Ceram for the American oil giant Gulf and Western's oil field there. When aviation work was not available, Hardy worked as a radiographer at Darwin Hospital in Larrakeyah.[5]

On 10 November 2014, Hardy was sworn in as Administrator of the Northern Territory by Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove.[6]

Honours

In 2012 Hardy was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to aviation in the Northern Territory, and to the community;[7] and in 2017 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the people of the Northern Territory, and as a patron and supporter of a range of aviation, health, emergency service and charitable organisations.[8]

References

1. Who's Who in Australia. ConnectWeb. 2015.
2. "Family Notices". The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 – 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 17 September 1942. p. 1. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
3. Robertson, Andrew (1 November 2014). "Former local is NT's new Administrator". Barrier Daily Truth. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
4. "Biography: His Honour the Honourable John Hardy OAM". Government House, Northern Territory. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
5. "John Hardy – Hardy Aviation: Staying on to help" (PDF). Business Stories. Northern Territory Department of Business. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
6. "John Hardy sworn in as new Administrator for the Northern Territory". ABC News. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
7. HARDY, John Laurence, It's an Honour, 11 June 2012.
8. "Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia" (PDF). Australia Day 2017 Honours List. Governor-General of Australia. 26 January 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.