On Wednesday, October 19, Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Centenary of Anzac, Warren Snowdon announced the appointment of the Anzac Centenary Advisory Board.
The high-quality board includes journalist and author, Peter FitzSimons, and business and community leader, Kathryn Greiner.
Finding the right mix of people has been an important consideration, and the Government is delighted to announce the 21-person board that will lead the planning and development of the Anzac Centenary commemorations taking place from 2014 to 2018.
Those who have accepted positions on the Board have a great deal of experience in their relevant fields, and bring an outstanding range of diversity to the Centenary of Anzac preparations.
16 highly capable and professional Australians, along with 4 ex-officio members, have been selected to join Chair, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston AC AFC (Retd) on the Board.
Sandy Hollway brings a range of expertise to the role as previous CEO and Board Member of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. Professor Margaret Gardner, Vice-Chancellor of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, will bring her knowledge of the education sector to assist the Board in developing educational programs for the Centenary period.
Our enduring Anzac relationship with New Zealand will be remembered with the New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia, His Excellency Major General (Retd) Martyn Dunne, as one of four ex-officio members.
The Board will progress the work of the National Commission on the Commemoration of the Anzac Centenary, which handed its recommendations to the Government earlier this year.
We have established the Board to provide high-level, strategic advice to the Government. It will engage with community and business sectors to develop a program of commemorative activities in the years leading into the commemorative period and throughout the Anzac Centenary program from 2014 to 2018 for the Government to consider.
It is important that the Centenary creates an enduring legacy to educate future generations about the Anzac legend and carry forward the values it embodies.
The Board will be supported by six advisory groups which will focus on the areas of education and curriculum, military and cultural history, business, youth, engagement with state, territory and local government and ceremonial and commemorative issues.
Mr Snowdon has asked the Ex-Service Organisations Round Table to support the activities of the Board by actively contributing to the development of the Anzac Centenary Program.
The Ex-Service Organisations Round Table comprises 14 national ex-service organisations and is chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Secretary Ian Campbell PSM will be one of 4 ex-officio members on the Board.
These appointments will see through the planning and development of the Centenary commemorations until the end of 2018.
The Board is planning to meet for the first time later in October 2011.
The Members of the Anzac Centenary Advisory Board are:
Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston AC AFC (Retd)
Former Chief of the Defence Force
Chair Anzac Centenary Advisory Board
Mrs Kathryn Greiner AO
Chair of Australian Hearing; Chair of Biotechcapital Ltd; Member of the Schools Funding Review Panel
Mr James Strong AO
Chair of Woolworths
Professor Christine Charles
Chair of the Resources Technology Innovation Centre
Mr Sandy Hollway AO
Former CEO and Board Member of the Sydney Organising Committee for the 2000 Olympic Games
Professor Margaret Gardner AO
Vice-Chancellor and President Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Mr Peter FitzSimons AM
Journalist and Author
Ms Liz Ellis AM
Former Australian Netball Captain; Sports Broadcaster; Board Member of the Australian Sports Commission
His Honour Judge Rauf Soulio LLB GDLB
Chair of the Australian Multicultural Council
Dr Jackie Huggins AM FAHA
Adjunct Professor in the School of Social Work and Human Services at the University of Queensland
Professor David Horner AM
Official Historian of Australian Peacekeeping, Humanitarian and Post-Cold War Operations
Mr Luke Bowen
Executive Director Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association
Rear Admiral Davyd Thomas AO CSC RAN (Retd)
Former Deputy Chief of Navy
Major General Brian Howard AO MC ESM (Retd)
National Presidentof the Royal Australian Regiment Association
Brigadier Bill Rolfe AO (Retd)
Former Services Member of the Repatriation Commission
The Hon Con Sciacca AO F.A.I.C.D
Former Minister for Veterans’ Affairs
The Hon Sandy Macdonald
Former Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and former Senator for NSW
Ex-officio members:
Mr Ian Campbell PSM
Secretary, Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Air Marshal Mark Binskin AO
Vice Chief of the Defence Force
Rear Admiral Ken Doolan AO RAN (Retd)
National President of the Returned and Services League of Australia
His Excellency Major General (Retd) Martyn Dunne
New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia