This year, the Pearcey Foundation was created and held its first inaugural events.
Multimedia Victoria as Principal Sponsor
In addition to their initial establishment support of the Pearcey Foundation, Multimedia Victoria, Department of State Development, has agreed to be Principal Sponsors for the Victoria State Pearcey Award. The Award will be presented at the Annual Dinner of the Australian Computer Society at Lorne in Victoria on 20th March 1999.
Australian Government support for the Pearcey Foundation
The Federal Department of Communications Information Technology and the Arts will be the principal sponsor for the 1999 Pearcey Medal.
The letter of confirmation from Mr Neville Stevens, Secretary of the Department, states: "The Department is highly supportive of the Pearcey Foundation's objectives and views a highly recognised Australian prize for individual achievement in the information technology field as a useful mechanism to increase the profile of Australia's IT sector" Mr Michael Sutton, General Manager - Information and Communications Industries Development, has been nominated as the Department's representative.
Pearcey Board member to head Supercomputing Partnership
Professor John O'Callaghan has been appointed Executive Director of the Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing (APAC). APAC is aimed at ensuring that Australia is in the top 10 countries in supercomputing capacity. Its peak facility, to be established in Canberra at the Australian National University, will be at least five times larger than any system currently available in Australia.
Tony Benson joins the Board
Well known IT figure Tony Benson has now joined the Pearcey Foundation Board. Tony has just stepped down from his role as General Manager, Information Industry Development for NCR, after what is probably a record 39 years with that company. Tony has a long history of service to the IT community, both through the AIIA where he has represented NCR as an Alternate Director on the AIIA Board, and the Australian Computer Society, in which he is an honorary Fellow. He is a director of Grouputer Corporation and the software developer SoftBlocks.
NSW Government support
With the help of Tony Benson, and last years Pearcey Medallist, Peter Jones, we are very pleased that the NSW Office of Information Technology has recently agreed to become the Principal Sponsor for the NSW State Pearcey Award.
Inaugural 1999 Victorian Award
Pearcey Foundation Secretariat
In order to ensure continued attention to our growing areas of interest, We are pleased to advise that a separate office facility has now been established for the Pearcey Foundation, and that Ms Sandi Kraft has been appointed as part-time administrator, commencing 1 March 1999.
Sandi has spent the last four years with the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA), with responsibility for administration, IT management, and conference management issues. During this time, Sandi assisted with the technical co-ordination of the award process for the Nation Builders Awards, organised in conjunction with Minter Ellison. She has also just completed an engagement with the Age newspaper, among other things helping to co-ordinate the "Quill" and "Perkin" awards for excellence in journalism.
Prime Minister becomes Pearcey Foundation Patron
Prime Minister of Australia, Rt Hon John Howard, has agreed to become the Honorary national patron of the Pearcey Foundation.
NSW Minister Kim Yeadon pledges support for the NSW Pearcey Award
Minister Yeadon agreed to continue to support the Awards in the year 2000. In his letter he says "I fully support the awards and the opportunity they give to recognise young local talent in the information industries"
Inaugural 1999 NSW Award
Inaugural 1999 Pearcey Medal
