H.C. Coombs Lecture - 1998

The 1998 Coombs Lecture includes a tribute to the late H.C. Coombs, who died on 29 October 1998.

Her Excellency Ms Sue Boyd Australian Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam delivered the 1998 H.C. Coombs lecture with an address entitled "Enterprise: The Challenges for Australia in Asia".

She speaks of the challenge for Australia is how to manage relations with the countries of Asia. In the dynamically changing and growing region, how do we ensure that we all, as Team Australia, manage to achieve what is best for our country and our citizens?

She asks “What are Australia’s interests in Asia? And how do we work effectively with Asian countries?” and discusses the areas of social responsibility and education as challenges Australia can capitalise on the advance interests in the region and how Australian business can develop these opportunities and harness these experiences for Australia and the regions benefit.

About Dr Sue Boyd

Dr Boyd was born in Calcutta, India, and lived in Germany, Ireland, Egypt, Cyprus, and Britain before migrating to Australia in 1966.

She has a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma in Education from the University of Western Australia.

In 1970 the then Ms Boyd joined the then Department of External Affairs, one of only two women in her entry class.

Ms Boyd was Australian Ambassador to Vietnam from 1994 until 1998. She was Australia's Consul-General in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China from 1998-1999 and then the High Commissioner to the Republic of Fiji from 1999 until 2003.

Before these postings she has served in Australian diplomatic missions in Bangladesh, Portugal, East Berlin, and the Australian Mission to the United Nations in New York.

The University of Western Australia awarded her an honorary Doctor of Letters in 2002.

Dr Boyd returned to Perth in 2003. She has been on a variety of commercial, not-for-profit and educational boards and has lectured at both the University of Western Australia and Murdoch University.

She was inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame in 2015.

In 2022, Dr Boyd was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for significant services to international relations, to tertiary education, and to women’s affairs.

The University of Western Australia. (2021, August 20). Holders of honorary degrees. https://www.web.uwa.edu.au/university/history/honorary#

WA Women’s Hall of Fame. (2015). 2015 Inductees. http://www.wawomenshalloffame.com.au/index.php/wa-womens-hall-of-fame-inductees-2015/

UWA Publishing. (2022). Sue Boyd. https://uwap.uwa.edu.au/collections/sue-boyd

Boyd, S. (1998, March 11). Enterprise: The challenges for Australia in Asia [Conference Presentation]. Herbert Cole Coombs Annual Lecture, Scarborough, WA, Australia.