Neville de Mestre with Professor Neumann, his Vice-Chancellor Professor Harry Messell (right) and Dean Professor Peter Poole (left) after the presentation of the BH Neumann Award - Bond University, March 1995. Professor Poole is one of Australia's leading pioneers in the field of computing, and, with a career spanning over forty years and three continents, he has given outstanding service to his country and the State of Queensland - not only in academia and the IT industry - but also to the community at large. He was Melbourne University's first professor of computer science. When he got the job, he was allowed to buy "a computer". He chose an Interdata 832, with one megabyte of memory, worth $200,000. He was the boss of Robert Elz, and they were why the first Australian network link came to Melbourne University. For more on this history, click here. Professor Peter Poole started his career as a science teacher at Mackay State High School. To advance his career, he went to study at the University of Sydney with Professor Harry Messel where he programmed the first digital computer installed in an Australian University, the SILLIAC. Over the years he has: contributed to the development of techniques for constructing portable and adaptable systems software with Professor William Waite from the University of Colorado. established an international link to the USA which provided the first international gateway for electronic mail for the Australian research community chaired the Information Technology Policy Advisory Committee at the University of Melbourne for the use of IT in research - which set the standard for all universities was the principle author of a book entitled 'Unix by Example' was a major contributor to the establishment of the Gold Coast Information Technology Forum and the Nerang Electronic Village has achieved a PhD in Physics In addition, Professor Poole, has held a number of high profile positions over the years including: Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Colorado Foundation Chair of Computer Science at the University of Melbourne Assistant Vice-Chancellor Information Technology, University of Melbourne Dean of the School of Information Technology, Bond University Australian representative on the International Federation of Information Processing - Technical Committee 2 Chair of the Discipline Research Strategy for Information technology in Australia Working Party Chairman of the Board of Directors of KE Software Pty Ltd, a software company selling in USA, Canada, Japan, S-E Asia, and Europe which was founded by Professor Poole in the early 1980's Director of OntheNet, the largest ISP on the Gold Coast As well, Professor Poole has been a voluntary Judge of the Qld IT&T Awards for the past 6 years, and has been a member of the IT&T Awards Advisory Council He is an Australian representative on the International ICT Awards The IT&T Awards Judging Panel and Advisory Council have presented an annual award to an outstanding individual who has achieved significant success and made a remarkable contribution to the IT&T industry. In 1999 the IT&T Awards Advisory Council has acknowledged the contribution of an individual from the academic arena - Professor Peter Poole. Professor Peter Poole accepts the Premier's Individual Contribution Award from Deputy Premier of Queensland, The Hon Jim Elder Asia-Pacific IT&T Awards Dec 1999