[2] Pritchett served in World War II and then before joining the Commonwealth Public Service in 1945 as a Cadet in the Department of External Affairs.
[1] His first overseas post was to Indonesia, during the country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands.
[1] In 1965, Pritchett was appointed Australia High Commissioner to newly independent Singapore.
[3] In 1973, Pritchett was recruited to the Defence Department by his former boss in External Affairs, Arthur Tange.
[1][8] In January 1984 Pritchett was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his public service.