Events - Coates Oration

Previous Orations Speakers

2024 Coates Oration - Grantlee Kieza

The 2024 Coates Oration featured author and journalist Grantlee Kieza speaking on one of his recent books ‘Sister Viv’, Sister Vivian Bullwinkel. The oration was attended by over 150 people and the Oration dinner by 95 people. Grantlee Kieza detailed the life of Sister Bullwinkel, focussed especially on her childhood, the years of training, and her early nursing experience. The horrific experiences of the 21 Australian nurses caught up in the Bangka Island massacre were described, emphasizing the bravery and resilience of Sister Viv. A brief overview was then given of her career in nursing, including Sister Viv’s role in organizing the rescue of Vietnamese orphaned babies and children from Saigon in 1975.

Ballarat-born Grantlee Kieza OAM is the author of more than 20 critically-acclaimed best-selling books including biographies of great Australian figures such as Vivian Bullwinkel, John Monash, Banjo Paterson and Hudson Fysh, the founder of Qantas.

Grantlee’s father came to Ballarat in 1950 as part of the large post-war Polish migration, but his mother was descended from a Scottish family who arrived on the Victorian goldfields in the 1850s.

His first home was on Humffray Street, where his grandfather had established a dairy farm in the 1920s after serving with the railway engineers on the Western Front in World War 1.

Grantlee was an award-winning journalist for major Australian newspapers in Brisbane and Sydney for four decades.

He held senior editorial positions at The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and The Courier-Mail and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his writing, as well as three Queensland Media Awards and two Australian Sports Commission Awards.

In 2018 he was inducted into the Australian Boxing Hall of Fame for both his sports-writing and his work as an assistant trainer for some of Australia’s greatest fighters including world champion Jeff Fenech.

He currently lives in Brisbane with his wife Colleen.

At the 2024 Oriation Grantlee Kieza spoke about Sister Vivian Bullwinkel.

At the age of 26 in 1942 Vivian Bullwinkel was the lone survivor the massacre at Bangka Island when Japanese soldiers marched a group of nurses into the water of the remote beach to be executed.

Having survived this horror, Vivian was to spend the following three years as a prisoner-of-war, helping many others to survive.

Following the war Vivian returned to a distinguished career in nursing, working tirelessly in the service of others.
2023 Coates Oration - Misty Jenkins AO

Professor Jenkin's Oration was entitled: The power of the immune system: From humble beginnings to personalised approaches to treating cancer.

Misty Jenkins is a NHMRC fellow and laboratory head in the Immunology Division at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research. Misty leads the immunotherapy program within the Brain Cancer Centre and is dedicated to discovering novel immunotherapy targets for high grade gliomas in adults and children. Her research focusses on the development of novel chimeric antigen receptor T cells for brain cancer. Her group also uses cutting edge two-photon microscopy combined with mouse models of brain cancer to investigate the tumour microenvironment and uncover unique biology of brain tumours.
2022 Coates Oration - Laureate Professor Peter Doherty

Presented the 2022 Coates Oration on Wednesday, November 16 at Federation University Australia, Ballarat. The address was entitled ‘In times of crisis: from Coates to COVID and Climate Change’. The presentation can be viewed from the link on this website's home page. The address was attended by over 200 people and additonal online viewers.
2020 - 2021 - Cancelled due to Coronavirus Pandemic
2019 Coates Oration - Her Excellency, the Governor of Victoria, The Honourable Linda Dessau AC

The Governor spoke of the multi-dimensional talents and interests exhibited by Sir Albert Coates (surgeon, soldier, teacher, orator) and linked this to a review of the idea that "we need people whose knowledge spans a significant number of subjects. People able to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems. We need more polymaths." The oration explored this theme from perspectives of ensuring children's education spanned both the arts and sciences, noting ideas put forward by CP Snow in the fifties. She cited Leonardo da Vinci as a grand example of a polymath and argued for the opportunities in the future for education and career paths to benefit from a different perspective on how we learn and what we learn as children and as adults. The full text can be read at the Governor's website. (www.governor.vic.gov.au/all-speeches)
2018 Coates Oration - Sir Angus Houston

The 2018 Oration was presented by Sir Angus Houston AK, AFC (Ret'd) on the subject of 'Leadership Matters'. Sir Angus Houston is a distinguished Australian leader who served as Chief of the Defence Force from 2005-2011 and has continued to serve the nation in many leadership roles, particularly the national responses to the MH370 and MH17 disasters.
2017 Coates Oration - The Hon. Tim Fischer AC

One Hundred Years Ago Who Won World War One? Tim Fischer suggested eight key people (plus one) who played a part in bringing World War 1 to an end. With each individual, their contribution was described. Arthur Currie and the CEF, John Monash and the all-volunteer AIF, Munitions Minister Churchill and the new tanks, but not so much the late on parade Yanks. Included in the presentation was a brief biography of Sir John Monash and the argument for his posthumous elevation to Field Marshall.
2016 Coates Oration - Lt. General David Morrison AO (Retired)

Lt. General David Morrison AM was the presenter of the 2016 Coates Oration held on Monday, October 10th, 2016. He spoke on gender equity and cultural diversity issues in the context of the Australian Army and his own process of developing greater awareness of the importance of these issues in the defence forces. He discussed his work in beginning the process of cultural change in the army and described the challenges that exist in bringing about change. Some 220 people attended the oration, making this the best attended event to date.
2015 Coates Oration - Dr. Lachlan Grant

The 2015 Coates oration was held on Thursday, October 22nd. The speaker was Dr. Lachlan Grant, Historian, Australian War Memorial who spoke on "Voices from the Past: recovering memories of POWs for The Changi Book, 70 years on. Over 100 people attended to hear the moving testimony of Changi prisoners who wrote of their experiences whilst in the POW camp. A highlight of the talk was the film footage taken at the camp in the days after it was liberated in 1945. The Changi Book can be purchased from the Australian War Memorial online shop.
2014 Coates Oration - Lt. General Ken Gillespie AC DSC CSM (Retired)

The 2014 Oration was presented by Lt. General Ken Gillespie AC DSC CSM (Retired). Lt. General Gillespie retired as Chief of Australa's Army in 2011 and currently chairs the Commonwealth Government's Centenary of ANZAC Committee. He spoke on "Serving Australia: the ANZAC Legacy of Albert Coates", reflecting on what makes genuinely great Australians and issues surrounding the commemoration of the ANZAC centenary. An audience of over 100 people attended the oration, held at the School of Mines Campus of Federation University Australia.
2013 Coates Oration - Dr. Rosalind Hearder

The 2013 Coates Oration was presented by Dr. Rosalind Hearder on Thursday, October 24th. Dr. Hearder spoke on "Coates and Co., Australian Doctors in Japanese Captivity during the Second World War." The Oration was presented in the Court House Theatre, SMB Campus, University of Ballarat, Lydiard Street South, Ballarat. As in previous years the Oration was followed by the Oration Dinner with an audience of around 100 people. The dinner commenced at 7.30pm and was held at the Old Gaol Union Building, SMB Campus, University of Ballarat.
2012 Coates Oration - Lynette Silver

The Coates Oration was presented this year by Lynette Silver on Thursday, October 25th at the Brewery Theatre, SMB Campus, University of Ballarat at 6.00pm. The presentation was entitled "Beyond the Call".
2011 Coates Oration - Prof. Mark Hogarth

This year's oration was held at the University of Ballarat on Thursday, November 10th at 6.00pm. The speaker was Prof. Mark Hogarth, Burnett Institute. He spoke on "Medical research and 21st century biotechnology. A triumph over adversity?".
2010 Coates Oration - Professor Bruce Waxman

The speaker at the 2010 Oration was Associate Professor Bruce Waxman. The topic of the oration was "Triumphs and disasters: journeys of a Surgeon's life"
2009 Coates Oration - Dr Lynn Hemmings

Dr Lynn Hemmings delivered the 2009 Oration at the Brewery Theatre, SMB Campus, University of Ballarat on November 12th. Her presentation focussed on an oral history project that involved 20 of the 43 nurses who served in the Vietnam War. The near capacity audience was spellbound by the presentation which featured extensive quotations from the nurses about their experiences and the impact these had on their lives.
2008 Coates Oration - Major General Steve Gower

The 2008 speaker was Major General Steve Gower, Director of the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. The Oration was delivered at the School of Mines Campus of the University of Ballarat on Tuesday, November 25th, 2008.
2006 Coates Oration - Professor Kwong Lee Dow AM

Professor Kwong Lee Dow AM "Contrasting education in the Time of Albert Coates with Education Today."
2004/2005 Coates Oration - Professor Geoffrey Blainey AC

Professor Geoffrey Blainey AC "Australia in Peril: Pearl Harbour to the Coral Sea."
2003 Coates Oration - John E H Edwards MMus, BA

John E H Edwards MMus, BA "Ethics, Morality and Other Things."
2002 Coates Oration - Professor Robin Sharwood AM

Professor Robin Sharwood AM - "Finding the Way"
2001 Inaugural Orator - Professor Bruce Barraclough FRACS

Professor Bruce Barraclough FRACS - "Sir Albert Coates - A Life"