The Peter Wilenski Memorial Lecture

 

The Peter Wilenski Memorial Lecture is an annual event of the Australian Institute of Policy & Science wihch aims to highlight the contribution of public servants to critical current public affairs debate, without political prejudice.

 

Established in 1995, the Lecture commemorates Dr Peter Wilenski AC, a renowned public servant who served as a Director of the Institute from 1977 to 1984.

 

Notable speakers at the Peter Wilenski Memorial Lecture have included Justice Michael Kirby (High Court of Australia), the Hon. Gareth Evans (then Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs), Sir Gustav Nossal (Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) and Professor Robert Officer (Melbourne Business School).

 

Dr Peter Wilenski AC

 

Born in Poland, Wilenski came to Australia as a young child and later had a distinguished career in various positions as public servant, academic, ministerial adviser and diplomat. Wilenski's qualifications spanned medicine, science and political science. From 1972 to 1974 he was principal private secretary to Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and in later years was Foundation Professor of the Australian Graduate School of Management (1977—1981); Chairman of the Public Service Board (1983—1987); Secretary, Department of Transport and Communications (1987—1988); Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1989—1992) and Secretary to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (1992—1993).

 

Peter Wilenski died on 3 November 1994, aged 55. Paul Keating, then Prime Minister, in offering condolences in the Australian Federal Parliament, said of Wilenski that, "Much of what he did, which seemed radical to some at the time, has now been integrated into Australian life, especially in the areas of social justice and access and equity in Australian public administration." He added that Wilenski was, "... a person of many dimensions", and "... a public servant in the highest tradition of public service in this country ...".

 

More info on past speakers at Peter Wilenski Memorial Lectures