James Houston

James Houston was born in Sydney in 1932, the son of an unemployed labourer. He studied Arts and Education at the University of Sydney before pursuing a career as a teacher of foreign languages in Australia, Britain and Germany. On return to Australia he became a member of the Commonwealth Public Service in Canberra where, based on Australia-wide field research, he pioneered the concept of multiculturalism, serving within several Departments and agencies. Ordained an Anglican Minister later in...See more

James Houston was born in Sydney in 1932, the son of an unemployed labourer. He studied Arts and Education at the University of Sydney before pursuing a career as a teacher of foreign languages in Australia, Britain and Germany. On return to Australia he became a member of the Commonwealth Public Service in Canberra where, based on Australia-wide field research, he pioneered the concept of multiculturalism, serving within several Departments and agencies. Ordained an Anglican Minister later in life, he served in a poor, multicultural parish and also in various ministries across the Churches, embodying a distinctive Christian interpretation of his enthusiasm for a multicultural Australia. Jim is married to Marjorie. They have four adult children and four grandchildren. They live in Melbourne. He was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2001. See less