While in Washington, in April 1973, the Black September group painted slogans on the wall of his house and fired several shots through the windows.
In 1980 he returned to Wellington to become Head of the Prime Minister's Department, where he served under both Rob Muldoon and David Lange's administrations.
In the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM), for public services, lately as Secretary of Defence.
[2] In 2000 he chaired the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group, which advised the Papua New Guinea Government on the reconstruction of its armed forces.
Hensley published numerous articles on Asian and Pacific Affairs, including "Palm and Pine" a history of New Zealand's relations with Singapore, in "New Zealand and South East Asia"; and "A Crisis of Expectations – UN Peacekeeping in the 1990s: A Participants Point of View", edited by Ramesh Thakur and Carlyle A. Thayer.