[1][2] He was the great-grandchild of William Calvert, a free settler to Tasmania who had arrived on the island in 1832.

[1] As a Rhodes Scholar, he went on to attend the University of Oxford, attaining a doctorate in mathematics.

[7] In October 1993, after nearly two years as a staffer in then Prime Minister Paul Keating's office, Calvert was appointed Australian Ambassador to Japan.

During his time as Secretary of the department, Calvert made significant contributions to the Doha Development Round trade negotiations and helped to secure a deal to launch negotiations for a free trade agreement between Australia, New Zealand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (since concluded).

[12] He resigned from both boards in November 2007 due to illness, after a medical diagnosis of aggressive cancer.