Interview with John Dawkins AO [RDA 1968]

Abstract

John Dawkins AO graduated from the Roseworthy Agricultural College in South Australia in 1968 with a Roseworthy Diploma of Agriculture (RDA). Although John hailed from Western Australia, his family connections at Gawler River and the scope of the three year diploma at Roseworthy attracted him to enrol at Roseworthy. He then went on to study Economics in Western Australia and later entered Australian politics. From his early days in tertiary study, John was attracted to leadership, committee work and he was President of the Student Representative Council in 1967. It was a natural progression into Student Unions, Labour Unions and later Federal Politics culminating in becoming the Federal Treasurer in the Keating Government. John’s Roseworthy experience equipped him for his time as Trade Minister when he conceived of and led the Cairns Group of Agricultural Exporting Countries that successfully campaigned for fairer trade in agricultural commodities and improved markets and returns for Australian farmers.