Margaret May (McPherson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Saturday, 6 June 2009 Bond University celebrated 20 years of educating local, national and international students at the Robina campus in my electorate of McPherson. This is truly a milestone anniversary. In 1986 a small group of political and industry leaders decided to build Australia’s first private university—truly a bold vision. The risky decision, which would in time be considered really a historic decision, and their survival-against-all-odds attitude has helped forge Bond University’s international reputation. When one of the key founders, Alan Bond, was interviewed about why he wanted to build a private university he said:

What I really think we need in this country is a university that could take a person such as myself, with some obvious flair and entrepreneurial capabilities, and provide a framework that would teach them not to make the mistakes I made … without destroying the flair.

That framework has certainly been put in place with a unique learning experience that is unparalleled anywhere in Australia. In 1989 Bond University welcomed its first 322 students at its brand-new state-of-the-art campus. Those students had an education experience of the highest international standards under the tutelage of Australia’s leading academics.

In 2007 I was joined by Peter Costello at Bond University to announce a $2.5 million contribution to establish the Bond University Clinical Education and Research Centre at Robina Hospital. This grant from the Commonwealth government’s capital development pool provided a clinical teaching and research facility for Bond’s medical, physiotherapy and other health students. This contribution was in addition to the $4.5 million support previously provided by the coalition in government and announced by then Prime Minister John Howard for Bond’s $20 million health sciences and medicine building in 2006. The medical program is providing a first-class environment for the training of tomorrow’s medical professionals. In the 2008 Good Universities Guide Bond earned the most five-star ratings of any university in Australia.

I also would like to take this opportunity today to put on record my thanks to retiring Bond University Chancellor Trevor Rowe. He is a great friend. Trevor really has made a significant contribution to the success of Bond University during his six-year tenure. I have enjoyed a close working relationship with him and all the staff at Bond University. Trevor has certainly led Bond through a period of incredible growth. He is to be congratulated for his vision and commitment to the success of Bond University. I also look forward to working very closely now with the incoming chancellor, Dr Helen Nugent. I offer my congratulations to all at Bond—the teachers, the professors and the students—involved in the 20-year anniversary celebrations.