Roy Clare
Encyclopedia
Roy Alexander George Clare (b. 30 September 1950, Hammersmith
, London) was Chief Executive of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
2007-2011. The MLA is due to close down in April 2012 as part of a UK government initiative.
In April 2011 he was appointed director of the Auckland War Memorial Museum
in New Zealand, replacing interim director Sir Don McKinnon
.
, South Africa, where he attended St George's Grammar School.
He joined the crew of Royal Navy
ship HMS Ganges
in 1966, aged 15, as a Seaman
and rose to be appointed Rear Admiral
, a NATO appointment, in 1999 before leaving the service in 2000.
During his naval career he studied at the Britannia Royal Naval College
, Dartmouth (passing out in 1972 as the winner of that year's Queen's Sword of Honour), the Royal Naval Staff College, Greenwich, and the Royal College of Defence Studies
. He was Military Assistant to the Minister of State for the Armed Forces
and, later, the Assistant Director of Navy Plans (Ships).
His commands included the minehunter
HMS Bronington
(also First Lieutenant, 1975-77 to the Prince of Wales and then Commanding Officer 1980-81), the destroyer
s HMS Birmingham
(1987-89) and HMS York
, and the aircraft carrier
HMS Invincible
(1996-97). He was Captain
of 3 Destroyer Squadron in 1991-92 and between 1998-99 was Commodore
of the Britannia Royal Naval College, where he was responsible for preparing new entrant officers for their careers. While Commodore at the College he founded the Britannia Museum, opening the college to the public for the first time.
between 2000 and 2007 he oversaw a series of exhibitions, including Elizabeth, Skin Deep and Nelson & Napoleon. He instigated SeaBritain 2005, a partnership with Visit Britain and sixty other organisations to commemorate the bicentenary of Admiral Nelson's victory in the Battle of Trafalgar
.
He also led a major re-structuring of collections management, including the creation of a comprehensive inventory, improved conservation facilities and a partnership project with Chatham Historic Dockyard
to display and store models of ships. He initiated the £16 million Time & Space project to restore buildings at the Royal Observatory, create new galleries and education spaces, build a 120 seat planetarium - the Peter Harrison Planetarium
- and generally upgrade the visitor facilities. The refurbished Royal Observatory was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in May 2007.
During this time he was also Director of Queens House, the Caird Library and the Royal Observatory, Greenwich
. From 2001 to 2007 he was also chairman of a leadership working-group established by the National Museum Directors' Conference and call the Greenwich Forum.
He was a Trustee of the historic vessel HMS Bronington between 1989 and 99, after she was decommissioned from the Royal Navy; he was also vice=president of the Bronington Trust between 1999-2002. Between 2005 and 2007 he was a member of the board of Creative and Cultural Skills (a Sector Skills Council for museums) and he has been a member of the board of the Qualifications and Curriculum Devlopment Agency since 2009.
From 2007 he has been chief executive of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, of which he had been a board member during the previous year.
Clare has also been chairman of Living Places, a grouping of UK cultural agencies which aims to foster the benefits of cultural and sporting opportunities in the community. The five agencies involved in the project as at February 2011 are the Arts Council England
, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
(CABE), English Heritage
, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and Sport England
.
He has edited a book, HMS Bronington: A Tribute To One Of Britain's Last Wooden Walls And A Celebration Of The Ton Class, which was published in 1996.
In April 2011 he was appointed director of the Auckland War Memorial Museum
in New Zealand, replacing interim director Sir Don McKinnon
.
in 2007 "for services to museums" and in the same year he received an honorary Doctorate from the University of Greenwich
.
He was awarded the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977 and also the GSM in 1977 and in 1989. He was made a Freeman of the City of London in 2001, of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights
in 2002 and of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers
in 2004.
In 2001 he became a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute
; and he was a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation
between 2005 and 2008.
on the Royal Navy yacht Adventure
in the first Whitbread race round the world. He and his wife Sarah have a son and two daughters. Their home is in Essex on the Blackwater Estuary
where they keep a sailing boat. He is a Naval Member of the Royal Yacht Squadron
.
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, London) was Chief Executive of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council is a non-departmental public body in England and a registered charity with a remit to promote improvement and innovation in the area of museums, libraries and archives...
2007-2011. The MLA is due to close down in April 2012 as part of a UK government initiative.
In April 2011 he was appointed director of the Auckland War Memorial Museum
Auckland War Memorial Museum
The Auckland War Memorial Museum is one of New Zealand's most important museums and war memorials. Its collections concentrate on New Zealand history , natural history, as well as military history.The museum is also one of the most iconic Auckland buildings, constructed in the neo-classicist...
in New Zealand, replacing interim director Sir Don McKinnon
Don McKinnon
Sir Donald Charles "Don" McKinnon, ONZ, GCVO is a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand. He was the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations from 2000 until 2008.-Early life:...
.
Early life and naval career
He moved with his family from London to Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa, where he attended St George's Grammar School.
He joined the crew of Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
ship HMS Ganges
HMS Ganges
Two ships and a shore establishment of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Ganges after the river Ganges in India. was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line launched in 1782 and broken up in 1816. was an 84-gun second rate launched in 1821 and finally broken up in 1930. She is notable for being the...
in 1966, aged 15, as a Seaman
Seaman
Seaman is one of the lowest ranks in a Navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
and rose to be appointed Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
, a NATO appointment, in 1999 before leaving the service in 2000.
During his naval career he studied at the Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
, Dartmouth (passing out in 1972 as the winner of that year's Queen's Sword of Honour), the Royal Naval Staff College, Greenwich, and the Royal College of Defence Studies
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
. He was Military Assistant to the Minister of State for the Armed Forces
Minister of State for the Armed Forces
The Minister of State for the Armed Forces is a middle-ranking ministerial position, subordinate only to the Secretary of State for Defence, at the Ministry of Defence in Her Majesty's Government....
and, later, the Assistant Director of Navy Plans (Ships).
His commands included the minehunter
Minehunter
Minehunters are mine countermeasure vessels that actively detect and destroy individual naval mines. Minesweepers, on the other hand, clear mined areas as a whole, without prior detection of mines...
HMS Bronington
HMS Bronington (M1115)
HMS Bronington is a Ton-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy, launched on 19 March 1953. This mahogany-hulled minesweeper is one of the last of the "wooden walls" ....
(also First Lieutenant, 1975-77 to the Prince of Wales and then Commanding Officer 1980-81), the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s HMS Birmingham
HMS Birmingham (D86)
HMS Birmingham was a Type 42 destroyer laid down by Cammell Laird and Company, Limited, at Birkenhead on 28 March 1972, launched on 30 July 1973 by Lady Empson, wife of Sir Derek Empson and commissioned on 3 December 1976....
(1987-89) and HMS York
HMS York (D98)
HMS York is a Batch III Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy. Launched on 20 June 1982 at Wallsend, Tyne and Wear and sponsored by Lady Gosling, HMS York was the last Type 42 built. The ship's crest is the White Rose of York, and the "red cross with lions passant" funnel badge is derived from the...
, and the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
HMS Invincible
HMS Invincible (R05)
HMS Invincible was a British light aircraft carrier, the lead ship of three in her class in the Royal Navy. She was launched on 3 May 1977 and is the seventh ship to carry the name. She saw action in the Falklands War when she was deployed with , she took over as flagship of the British fleet when...
(1996-97). He was Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
of 3 Destroyer Squadron in 1991-92 and between 1998-99 was Commodore
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
of the Britannia Royal Naval College, where he was responsible for preparing new entrant officers for their careers. While Commodore at the College he founded the Britannia Museum, opening the college to the public for the first time.
Museums career
As Director of the National Maritime MuseumNational Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom and may be the largest museum of its kind in the world. The historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, it also incorporates the Royal Observatory, Greenwich,...
between 2000 and 2007 he oversaw a series of exhibitions, including Elizabeth, Skin Deep and Nelson & Napoleon. He instigated SeaBritain 2005, a partnership with Visit Britain and sixty other organisations to commemorate the bicentenary of Admiral Nelson's victory in the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
.
He also led a major re-structuring of collections management, including the creation of a comprehensive inventory, improved conservation facilities and a partnership project with Chatham Historic Dockyard
Chatham Historic Dockyard
Chatham Historic Dockyard is a maritime museum on part of the site of the former royal/naval dockyard at Chatham in Kent, England.Chatham Dockyard covered 400 acres and was one of the Royal Navy's main facilities for several hundred years until it was closed in 1984. After closure the dockyard was...
to display and store models of ships. He initiated the £16 million Time & Space project to restore buildings at the Royal Observatory, create new galleries and education spaces, build a 120 seat planetarium - the Peter Harrison Planetarium
Peter Harrison Planetarium
The Peter Harrison Planetarium is a 120-seat digital laser planetarium, situated in Greenwich Park, London and is part of the National Maritime Museum. It opened on May 25, 2007....
- and generally upgrade the visitor facilities. The refurbished Royal Observatory was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in May 2007.
During this time he was also Director of Queens House, the Caird Library and the Royal Observatory, Greenwich
Royal Observatory, Greenwich
The Royal Observatory, Greenwich , in London, England played a major role in the history of astronomy and navigation, and is best known as the location of the prime meridian...
. From 2001 to 2007 he was also chairman of a leadership working-group established by the National Museum Directors' Conference and call the Greenwich Forum.
He was a Trustee of the historic vessel HMS Bronington between 1989 and 99, after she was decommissioned from the Royal Navy; he was also vice=president of the Bronington Trust between 1999-2002. Between 2005 and 2007 he was a member of the board of Creative and Cultural Skills (a Sector Skills Council for museums) and he has been a member of the board of the Qualifications and Curriculum Devlopment Agency since 2009.
From 2007 he has been chief executive of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, of which he had been a board member during the previous year.
Clare has also been chairman of Living Places, a grouping of UK cultural agencies which aims to foster the benefits of cultural and sporting opportunities in the community. The five agencies involved in the project as at February 2011 are the Arts Council England
Arts Council England
Arts Council England was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bodies for England, Scotland and Wales. It is a non-departmental public body of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport...
, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment was an executive non-departmental public body of the UK government, established in 1999. It was funded by both the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Communities and Local Government.-Function:CABE was the...
(CABE), English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and Sport England
Sport England
Sport England is the brand name for the English Sports Council and is a non-departmental public body under the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
.
He has edited a book, HMS Bronington: A Tribute To One Of Britain's Last Wooden Walls And A Celebration Of The Ton Class, which was published in 1996.
In April 2011 he was appointed director of the Auckland War Memorial Museum
Auckland War Memorial Museum
The Auckland War Memorial Museum is one of New Zealand's most important museums and war memorials. Its collections concentrate on New Zealand history , natural history, as well as military history.The museum is also one of the most iconic Auckland buildings, constructed in the neo-classicist...
in New Zealand, replacing interim director Sir Don McKinnon
Don McKinnon
Sir Donald Charles "Don" McKinnon, ONZ, GCVO is a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand. He was the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations from 2000 until 2008.-Early life:...
.
Recognition
He was appointed CBECBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
in 2007 "for services to museums" and in the same year he received an honorary Doctorate from the University of Greenwich
University of Greenwich
The University of Greenwich is a British university located in the London Borough of Greenwich, London, England. The main campus is located on the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, a central location within the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site.-History:The history of the...
.
He was awarded the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977 and also the GSM in 1977 and in 1989. He was made a Freeman of the City of London in 2001, of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights
Worshipful Company of Shipwrights
The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London.The Shipwrights' Company has not, unlike other Livery Companies, ever received a Royal Charter; instead, it is considered incorporated "by prescription" because the body had for a long time used this title...
in 2002 and of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers
Worshipful Company of Clockmakers
The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Clockmakers were formed by a Royal Charter in 1631. Originally, no person was allowed to sell clocks unless they were a member of the Company. However, such requirements have since been relaxed and later...
in 2004.
In 2001 he became a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute
Chartered Management Institute
The Chartered Management Institute is a professional institution for managers, based in the United Kingdom.In addition to supporting its members, the organisation encourages management development, carries out research, produces a wide variety of publications on management interests, and publishes...
; and he was a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation
Royal Institute of Navigation
The Royal Institute of Navigation is a British institution devoted to the art and science of navigation established in 1947.Its aims are to bring navigators together, to develop navigational techniques and to increase public awareness of navigation. It is based in Kensington, London. It was...
between 2005 and 2008.
Personal life
A keen yachtsman, Clare was chief mateChief Mate
A Chief Mate or Chief Officer, usually also synonymous with the First Mate or First Officer , is a licensed member and head of the deck department of a merchant ship...
on the Royal Navy yacht Adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
in the first Whitbread race round the world. He and his wife Sarah have a son and two daughters. Their home is in Essex on the Blackwater Estuary
Blackwater Estuary
The Blackwater Estuary is the estuary of the Essex River Blackwater in south-east England.Oysters have been harvested from the estuary for more than a thousand years and there are remains of Anglo-Saxon era fish traps. At the head of the estuary is the town of Maldon, which is a centre of salt...
where they keep a sailing boat. He is a Naval Member of the Royal Yacht Squadron
Royal Yacht Squadron
The Royal Yacht Squadron is the most prestigious yacht club in the United Kingdom and arguably the world. Its clubhouse is located in Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom...
.