On Friday 15 November 2013 something important happened in the discreet and exclusive corridors of University House at Melbourne University.
About 22 august persons filed into the Karagheusian room. Were they diplomats? Politicians? Officials of some sort maybe?
No, much more important, they were the senior doyens of the instrumentation, controls and automation industry, gathering to meet, reflect and celebrate 70 years of the IICA and to congregate for the first time as the honorary fellows and senior members of the profession.
From around Australia they had come, in good spirits, some despite poor health. As the raconteur retold the stories of their lives and achievements, some common themes emerged.
Had it not been for this group of senior fellows, much of Australia’s infrastructure and the major projects that we rely on every day would never have come into existence. During their careers, they had exercised considerable influence in moving from individual instruments to sophisticated digital computer control technologies.
Many of the members of the group had worked with each other over the years despite changes to the companies they worked for, highlighting the importance of individual integrity above all else.
And despite the mighty challenges that they had faced, they showed that keeping a sense of humour is a prerequisite to being a senior member of the profession!
The most pressing concern that the IICA fellows expressed was the future of the instrumentation, automation and controls industry.
They discussed how we might encourage new entrants into the industry and pass on the knowledge and skills that the senior members of the profession had accumulated.
Without exception, they expressed a desire to mentor and promote the instrumentation, control and automation industry to new entrants, and welcome them to a career which can obviously be filled with excitement, challenge and importance.
Together, the fellows showed how the power of connection can make us more than the sum of our parts.
Do you know a young person looking for an intriguing career? Someone who is looking to go beyond electrical or chemical engineering?
We would love to hear from them and connect them into our fellows fraternity to explore the exciting opportunities that instrumentation, controls and automation can bring.
Email admin@iica.org.au
Here is a selection of images from the lunch event:
