Reflections on 2014

摘要

This is my last column as National President and I am writing this after a most exhilarating week in Melbourne at Convention 2014. I am sure everyone who attended will comment that it was a great event, with many activities and highlights. The opening session where we had International Space Station astronauts Colonel Chris Hadfield (beaming in live from the USA) with Dr Andrew Thomas and Andrea Boyd on stage together presenting their experiences will be forever memorable. The welcome function at the historic Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne was also spectacular. The various conferences, forums, exhibitions and numerous other activities through the days of the conference meant that one had to plan the day to maximise the benefit. Significant announcements were made during the week with respect to reconciliation, diversity, sustainability, climate change, energy, infrastructure and tomorrow's engineers. Convention has provided a strong platform from which planning can take place to make the 2016 event in Brisbane an even better demonstration of Our Voice, Our Future.