Scientists top quality field

Western Australia’s medical research sector is again flying the flag for the state at a national level.

Following in the footsteps of high-profile scientists Dr Fiona Stanley and Dr Fiona Wood, the state’s 2005 Nobel Prize winning team of Professor Barry Marshall and Dr Robin Warren are the WA winners of the 2007 Australian of the year award.

They also are contenders for this year’s national title, to be announced later this month.

Another to feature  prominently in the news last year was iiNet founder and director Michael Malone.

Named WA Business News 1st Amongst Equals in the annual 40under40 Awards, Mr Malone had little time to celebrate his achievement as he sought to guide his company through a rocky period. iiNet posted a $60 million net loss for the 2005-06 financial year.

On a more positive note, Rewards Group founder Dr Andrew Rado was named the Ernst & Young western region young entrepreneur of the year for his boutique consultancy, which provides diversified agribusiness investment products for the Australian market.

John Poynton AM, co-founder and executive chairman of merchant bank Azure Capital, was chosen as Western Australia’s citizen of the year for industry and commerce for 2006.

Several major individual accolades were awarded in the field of academia, with historian Emeritus Professor Geoffery Bolton AO winning the WA Australian of the year award for his contribution to the community.

The former Murdoch University chancellor has written 13 books while contributing to many others, and is an internationally renowned scholar.

Mining engineer Emeritus Professor Ifan Jones received an Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday honours, for services to the mining industry and community in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, as well as contributing to research and education.

Among other achievements, Professor Jones was instrumental in ensuring the Western Australian School of Mines, where he was principal from 1976 to 1991, was retained in Kalgoorlie.

Organisations within the state’s public sector were recognised at the premier’s awards, with the Department of Fisheries taking out the award for excellence in public sector management, following its effective research and management program protecting pink snapper populations in the Shark Bay region.

The public sector also received recognition in a major business award, with WA Police Assistant Commissioner of corruption prevention and investigation, Barbara Etter, named the WA Telstra businesswoman of the year.

At the national Telstra business awards, Brett Muller and Tim Newton’s process simulation consultancy Simulus was the category winner for businesses with between five and 20 employees, in recognition of the development of their company to a business with international projects and an office in Brazil.

On the local front, Nambeelup compost manufacturers Custom Composts won the WA regional small business of the year award, while Galvin Engineering won a WA family business award for family businesses in their third generation.