Below are a selection of historical ECU presentations and lectures. The original audio recordings have been housed in the ECU archives building for many years, but a digitisation program is now underway so that the recordings can be made available to the public.
Some initial information about each lecture is available below with a link to more information as well as the audio recording of the lecture.
The Western Australian College of Advanced Education conducted the first Herbert Cole Coombs lecture in 1986 after deciding to have an annual public lecture on the theme of “Enterprise”. This theme reflected the College’s educational objectives and was intended that the lectures would be a prestigious community service, offering a forum for the pursuit of the entrepreneurial spirit, learning and knowledge.
Dr H.C. Coombs, as one of the institutions most famous Alumni, was asked if the series could be named after him. He agreed and attended the first lecture on October 9th, 1986, presented by Professor Dame Leonie Kramer.
Dr Herbert Cole “Nugget” Coombs was born in Kalamunda, Western Australia on 24 February 1906 and, after training as a teacher at the then Claremont Teachers Training College, went on to take a Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Arts degree at the University of Western Australia. He was awarded a Hackett studentship to the London School of Economics, where he completed a Doctorate in Philosophy with a thesis on central banking.
Joining the Commonwealth Bank as a junior economist, he was transferred to the Treasury in 1939. During the war, he was Director of Rationing and later Director-General of Post-War Reconstruction; during the forties he was Australia's delegate to international conferences on economic affairs.
He was Governor of the Reserve Bank from 1949 to 1968, when he retired to become Chairman of the Australian Council for the Arts, and Chairman of the newly established Council for Aboriginal Affairs. In that year he also became Chancellor of the Australian National University, a post he held until 1976.
Dr Coombs was deeply concerned with the problems of Aborigines in society, economic issues, and the environment - topics which are the subject of his numerous lectures and publications.
Dr Coombs was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in the first awards of the Order on the Queen's Birthday in 1975. However, he resigned from the Order in 1976 upon the introduction of the grade of knighthood to the Order.
Dr 'Nugget' Coombs' death on the 29th of October 1997 saddened all those whose lives he touched, both in his personal and professional lives. It was also the end of possibly the longest, broadest, and most distinguished career of public service by an Australian patriot dedicated to elevating the conditions of his fellow citizens.
More information on Leonie Kramer and a recording of her lecture are available here.
More information on John Dawkins and a recording of his lecture are available here.
Ross Garnaut is an economist whose career has been built around the analysis of and practice of policy connected to development, economic policy and international relations in Australia, Asia, and the Pacific. In his address Banking After Deregulation - Prudence, Accountability, and the Role of Regional Banks he speaks about money and banking, touching on the history on banking in Australia from the 1930’s to the lessons of the 1980’s that we should never have to learn again and looks at the future of banking and the ability to anticipate the problems before they emerge when the issues of today have passed into history.
More information on Ross Garnaut and a recording of his lecture are available here.
More information on Sabam Siagian and a recording of his lecture are available here.
In this address Janet Holmes a Court speaks about change – how to effect it; and how to bring about change that brings improvement of opportunities, that brings progress, that brings advancement for all without the process of bringing about that change resulting in damage for some.
Over three stories, she discusses her personal journey after the death of her husband; outlines the changes that have been introduced from Claremont Teachers College in 1902 to the amalgamation of the Colleges of Advanced Education to become Edith Cowan University and gives her interpretation of the changes that have been taking place over the previous 10 years or so.
More information on Janet Holmes a Court and a recording of her lecture are available here.
Sir Rod Eddington delivered the 1994 H.C. Coombs lecture titled “Australia as a part of Asia – a View from the North”. Australia's role in Asia was one that had been debated in political, academic, and business circles during the late 80’s and early 90’s. He looks to bring an outsider's view to that debate, albeit that this particular outsider is a committed Australian.
He discusses the change from European focus to a more Asian based one and poses the question -Where do we go from here? He further looks at what will our community look like in 30 years’ time and demonstrates the need for Australia to consider itself as a part of the Asian community and to strengthen its educational business and cultural links with that region.
More information on Rod Eddington and a recording of his lecture are available here.
The Honourable Justice Deirdre O’Connor delivered the 1995 H.C. Coombs lecture with an address titled “Bargaining - The Role of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission”.
Justice O’Connor came to the Industrial Relations Commission at a time of enormous change, and that change was to focus upon enterprise bargaining. In her address she discusses how there was a need to decentralise the system in order to achieve greater flexibility and therefore greater productivity as a result of economic structuring. This, together with a desire to force the pace of enterprise bargaining, led to the Industrial Relations Reform Act of 1993.
More information on Deirdre O'Connor and a recording of her lecture are available here.
More information on Roderick Carnegie and a recording of his lecture are available here.
More information on Kerry Stokes and a recording of his lecture are available here.
More information on Susan Boyd and a recording of her lecture are available here.
The 1999 H.C. Coombs lecture was delivered by John Longley, Chief Executive Officer of the H M Bark Endeavour Foundation. Mr Longley’s speech used his own story of challenge, education, opportunity, and passion to demonstrate the attributes of enterprise for him. This entertaining address holds a message in support of ECU’s objectives to deliver lifelong learning and access to all members of the community. "The University appreciates that providing a holistic education that combines both a strong academic program with the teamwork and networking skills that sports and recreation provides, is important in developing our students for the workforce" says Professor Millicent Poole, ECU's Vice-Chancellor.
More information on John Longley and a recording of his lecture are available here.