Dr Stephen English

I am a farmer's son from Yorkshire, England. I first visited UNE for two months in 1971 on an English Speaking Union working visit scheme between the second and third years of my Agricultual Science degree at Nottingham. I was invited back to study for a PhD and spent five very enjoyable years at UNE residing in Earle Page College for a year and then in Austin College for four years. After completing my PhD, I had roles as a Research Fellow and Tutor. I then joined the corporate world and worked for Reed Irrigation which became Hardie Irrigation (and is now Toro) in the Middle East, all across Australia and the USA. I was very fortunate to be given some amazing opportunities during this time. I also initiated and chaired the organising committee of the Fourth International Micro-Irrigation Congress in our Bicentennial year. I did a multitude of different things in the 1990's and then started an e-Commerce business to link irrigation dealers with suppliers. Technically it was a success but not commercially so we closed it down like many others at that time.

At 50 years old, I obtained some relevant qualifications and changed careers into IT and worked in local government for 14 years. When I resigned from there, I became an owner builder and renovated an 1890's home to be our new home using the skills I had acquired over 30 years of dabbling in real estate. I now have time for grandparent duties, to volunteer at church and to pursue other interests including managing our self-managed Super Fund. I still get to go skiing for two weeks in Australia every year.

I had a great time on campus and I was the only person in 1973 that rode a bicycle on campus! I was able to develop my interests in computer programming which I used in my PhD and which led to my lifelong interest in IT. It cost me $6 (probably $50 in today's money) to call my parents in England for three minutes which I did every few months.

My supervisor was Professor Jim McWilliam and he was very supportive of me as a 22 year old single guy with no relatives in Australia. I have maintained contact with him through the years and we caught up in person seven years ago which was a great experience. Dr Richard Smith was also very supportive of me during this time and his high energy was contagious! Dr Glen Simpson, a lecturer in Soil Science at the end of my period there helped me get my first job in irrigation and he moved to Adelaide and we have been lifelong friends ever since!

People have asked me over the years why, when I had a PhD, was I not working in a University, CSIRO or an Agriculture Department. My answer has always been that my PhD taught me how to problem solve and think outside the square which are skills I have used in everything that I have done.

I have lived in South Australia continuously since 1984. I married Kay in 1989 and, with our three children, we have travelled around the world and around Australia and I have yet to find a better place to live! Our children are now all grown up.