Annual General Meeting and Annual Dinner
Annual General Meeting and Annual Dinner
The Economic Society of Australia (WA) held its Annual General Meeting and Annual Dinner on 27 August 2025 at the University Club of Western Australia.
Outgoing President John Roberts delivered the President’s Address. 2025 has been a very significant year for the Society, which is celebrating its 100th year. The ESA will later this year publish a history of the Society by Dr Alex Millmow commemorating the anniversary.
Branch membership is holding up, and the Society has hosted or is planning to host a series of high-profile speakers in 2025.
John announced that he is stepping down as President this year, though will remain on Council. The meeting expressed its thanks for his five years of service as President.
The following were elected as office bearers or Council members of the branch:
Alison Preston: President
Riko Stevens: Vice-President, Treasurer
Nicky Cusworth: Secretary
Sheldon Brown: Student Representative
Mehardeep Kaur: Student Representative
David Christmas: Council Member
Alan Duncan: Council Member
Paula Gadsby: Council Member
Anusha Mahendra: Council Member
John Roberts: Council Member
Cassandra Winzar: Council Member
Yanrui Wu: Council Member
The WA Branch also recognises people who have made a substantial contribution to economics in WA and to the Society through the Austin Holmes Award and Life Membership of the Society respectively. This year the Branch has awarded Life Membership to Emeritus Professor Harry Bloch in recognition of his significant contribution to the Society over many years. The Austin Holmes Award has been awarded to Professor Alison Preston for her outstanding contribution to the economics profession in Western Australia through her extensive research and policy formulation in labour economics and the Australian labour market.
Each year the Society also awards prizes to leading economics students from WA universities, and these are presented at the annual dinner. This year’s prize winners (for their performance in 2024) were:
Top Graduating Student in the Bachelor of Commerce (Economics) at Curtin University: Rhys Budge
Top Graduating Student in Economics Honours in the Bachelor of Commerce or Advanced Commerce at Curtin University: Ryan Kirby
Top Student in First Year Economics at Edith Cowan University: Henry Wilson
Top Student in First Year Economics at Murdoch University: Frankie Perrot
Best Student in First Year Economics at the University of Notre Dame Australia: Olivia Clifton/Zoe Lenka
Best Student in Third Year Economics at the University of Notre Dame Australia: Jack Mitchell
Top Student in First Year Micro- and Macro-Economics at the University of Western Australia: Matthew Vinci
Top Graduating Student in Honours or Master of Economics at the University of Western Australia: Catherine Calder
Alison Preston is awarded the Austin Holmes Prize by President John Roberts
Harry Bloch is awarded life membership by President John Roberts
