Celebrating a global leader

CELEBRATING a global leader

The Hon. Warwick Smith AO LLB was the recipient of the 2018 Peter Sculthorpe Alumnus Award. Named after eminent Australian composer and Old Launcestonian Peter Sculthorpe, the award was created in 2015 to honour a member of our School community who has made a significant achievement within their field of endeavour. The award is also intended to inspire the next generation, providing opportunities for current students to meet, interact with and learn from the award recipient.

Mr Smith (1972) is the fourth alumni to be honoured, joining former Australian diplomat Peter FitzGerald, leading scientist Professor Derek Denton and journalist Indira Naidoo.

The former Member for Bass visited the School to be presented with the award, spending time meeting with Junior and Senior Campus students, prefects and staff. In an interview during his visit with The Examiner newspaper he said, ‘The values of equality, curiosity and community that the School promotes to its students have remained, despite the impact of technology and the internet’.

After leaving school Mr Smith studied law, political science and history at the Australian National University and also graduated with a Bachelor of Law from the University of Tasmania. He entered federal politics in 1984 as the Member for Bass, going on to hold the portfolios of Local Government, Family Services, Sport and Territories during the years of the Howard government. He served as Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Since leaving parliament he has occupied a variety of roles within the corporate sector.

In 2008, Mr Smith was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the Parliament of Australia, the telecommunications industry, the promotion of international trade and tourism, and philanthropy. This year he was awarded an AO for distinguished service to Australia-China business and financial relations, to education, and to the community. He was recently appointed as Chairman of the National Foundation of Australia-China Relations and Chairman of the China Leadership Group of the Business Council of Australia.

The Hon. Warwick Smith AO LLB visited Launceston Grammar in 2018 to be presented with the Peter Sculthorpe Alumnus Award by Headmaster Richard Ford.