Dear
If you attended our
McIlwraith Lecture this year you will already know that we are looking or nominations for next year's lecturer, and may have already given us a suggestion.
If not, you can still nominate a lecturer by
following the link to this survey. But you might be wondering what the McIlwraith Lecture is all about.
The lecture is held each year to celebrate someone who has shown individual initiative and innovation, and contributed to the progress of this state, whether commercially, or in terms of community well-being.
So far we've had three businessmen and a public servant. And we're putting it into your hands to determine who the next lecturer will be.
Sir Thomas McIlwraith was a colonial statesman who was premier of Queensland three times. He was one of the fathers of federation, and died in 1900, the year before it occurred (although by this stage he was opposed). His memory was erased by his political opponents, and apart from McIlwraith Avenue at Norman Park, and Denver Beanland's excellent book
The Queensland Caesar, nothing much remains.
His long-term opponent, Sir Samuel Griffith, has taken all the limelight, but Griffith is what we today would call "left-wing" and McIlwraith was on the "right", believed in free markets, was entrepreneurial and stands for many of the values this institute does.
So our lecture is a commemoration of his legacy and a celebration of the values that contribute to true progress.
This year's lecturer was Sir Leo Hielscher, and you can see below how tremendously successful his lecture was. Which makes it even more important to choose a great lecturer next year. So please
go to the survey and make your nomination.
Photos of this year's lecture are on our Facebook site, and also on our website. Sir Leo's speech is
up here, and I've summarised the media we received (including a front page on
The Australian)
here. Facebook is hosting a
photo album.
I'd like to thank Sir Leo, for his considered, and provocative, thoughts. I'd also like to thank David Drake who organised our system of table captains, and Richard Roberts, who rounded up the former treasurers and arranged the certificate of appreciation.
Our organising committee was David Drake, Richard Roberts, Maggie Forrest, Joseph O'Brien and Jenny Noble. Table captains were Joseph O’Brien, David Drake, Lyn Brazil, Errol Oates, Peter Dunning, David Edwards, Paul Everingham, Richard Roberts, Sean O’Mara, Christian Rowan, James Power. The success of the function, particularly the 161 guests who attended, is all down to these people.
We'd also like to thank our sponsors Morgans and De Bortoli wines.
If you're not already an AIP member, you might be interested in joining (click here). And who knows, you may even want to be a table captain next year (if so email me graham.young@aip.asn.au).
Look forward to your ideas for next year.
Regards,
GRAHAM YOUNG
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
