 In February 1967, Ennor was appointed Secretary of the Australian Government Department of Education and Science.He served as secretary of the science department for over ten years, in the Department of Science (I), the Department of Science and Consumer Affairs, and the Department of Science (II)

He also served for a short period as Acting Secretary of the Department of Education when the Whitlam Government split the Department of Education and Science into two.Hugh Ennor died on Friday 14 October 1977 in Canberra, aged 65.