1999 H.C. Coombs Lecture
The 1999 H.C. Coombs lecture was delivered by John Longley, Chief Executive Officer of the H M Bark Endeavour Foundation.
Mr Longley’s speech used his own story of challenge, education, opportunity, and passion to demonstrate the attributes of enterprise for him. This entertaining address holds a message in support of ECU’s objectives to deliver lifelong learning and access to all members of the community.
"The University appreciates that providing a holistic education that combines both
a strong academic program with the teamwork and networking skills that sports and
recreation provides, is important in developing our students for the workforce" says Professor Millicent Poole, ECU's Vice-Chancellor.
About John Longley
John Longley was born in 1945 in England before emigrating to Australia in 1949 and attending Hale School. John started sailing aged 13 on the Swan River in Perth. After school he worked at MLC Insurance and when bored left to attend Claremont Teachers College.
Mr Longley taught at Bullsbrook Junior High School for three years until his bonded service ended and then went off to Europe to teach in London, taking up a teaching position with St Paul's School and spending summers sailing with Alan Bond on his yacht Apollo.
In between various international sailing events, John continued with his teaching career in England and later in Australia until 1979. In 1980 he left teaching to take up the full-time position of Project Manager for the America's Cup in Newport, Rhode Island. In addition to the managerial role, he also sailed as a member of the crew on Australia Il during its historic win.
On return form Newport, John was appointed General Manager of the America's Cup Defence 1987 Limited and after the completion of the unsuccessful defence of the Cup was contracted by Bond Corporation to initiate the Endeavour Replica Project. The project was to create a museum standard replica of Captain James Cook's ship of discovery HM Bark Endeavour.
He continued to manage the project until December 1990 when Bond Corporation decided it could no longer proceed. John and several members of the project staff continued to operate the project on a volunteer basis whilst seeking new support. This effort was rewarded with the establishment of H M Bark Endeavour Foundation in September 1991.
The remaining funds were successfully raised, and ENDEAVOUR was launched on 9th December 1993.
The ship has been an outstanding success in Australia and around the world having proven herself both at sea and as an international standard exhibit, she currently resides in Sydney at the Australian National Maritime Museum wharves and takes regular trips along the Australian coast.
John continues to follow his lifelong interest in sport, being a keen cyclist and windsurfer. In 1984 Mr Longley was made a member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his services to yachting. In 2011 he was the Western Australian Citizen of the Year (Sport).
Australian National Maritime Museum. (2022, April). HMB Endeavour. https://www.sea.museum/whats-on/our-fleet/hmb-endeavour
Celebrate WA. (2022). Western Australian Hall of Fame 2011 Winners. https://www.celebratewa.com.au/hall-of-fame/awards/2011/
Longley, J. (1999, April 20). Endeavour: The Starship Enterprise [Conference Presentation]. Herbert Cole Coombs Annual Lecture, Crawley, WA, Australia.
John Longley - Endeavour: The Starship Enterprise
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