Memorial Lectures

Two Memorial Lectures are co-hosted by the New England Branch of the Australasian Agricultural & Resource Economics Society and the UNE Business School.

John Dillon Memorial Lecture

John Louis Dillon (1931-2001) was an agricultural economist of international stature. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 1952 from the University of Sydney. He then worked in shearing sheds in western NSW and as a dairy sharefarmer in the Berrigan district, before joining the NSW Department of Agriculture. In 1956, John was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to Iowa State University where he completed a PhD in agricultural economics. When John returned to Australia, he initially worked for CSIRO, ANU and the University of Adelaide. At the age of 33, John was appointed Foundation Professor of Farm Management at UNE and he spent the remainder of his academic career based in Armidale. John performed significant leadership roles at UNE and an unprecedented number of international agricultural research centres. He published more than 200 scholarly works and was the recipient of numerous awards, medals, fellowships and honorary doctorates. In 1997, John was invested as an Officer in the Order of Australia for services to agricultural economics and international development economics. John was renowned for his incisive approach to tough problems, humility, honesty, courtesy, mischievous humour, bright trouser suspenders and jangling finger rings! (Source: Anderson, Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2002, 46:1)

Jack Makeham Memorial Lecture

John (Jack) Patrick Makeham was one of Australia's most colourful agricultural economists, dominating Australian farm management from the 1950s to the 1990s. Following war service, Jack obtained an honours degree in agricultural science from The University of Melbourne. He initially worked for the Victorian Department of Agriculture, before establishing one of Australia’s first agricultural consulting practices. Jack came to UNE in 1967, and for the next 30 years made a significant contribution to the training of agricultural economists in the areas of farm management and agricultural extension. Jack is especially remembered for his ten books on farm management, which have become enduring classics. All over the world there are farmers and students whose lives have been deeply enriched and vastly improved by knowing Jack Makeham. (Source: Malcolm and Piggott, Australian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 1996, 40:3)