History of the ESA
The Economic Society of Australia (The Society) was established in 1925, with seven branches across Australia and New Zealand and a Central Council.
D.B. Copland, a Professor of Commerce at University of Melbourne, played a key role in the formation of the society. Professor Copland sought to establish good relations with the business community and was noted for his interest in the application of economic theory to practical problems.
At the time the Society formed, it opposed declarations of policy and instead focused on open discussion and the encouragement of economic debate on affairs of the time. This stance continues today, with the Society being a forum for professional discussion rather than an advocacy group.
You can read the story of how the Society came about from the Wiley archive article written in November 1923 – The Economic Society – its Origin and Constitution click here for more.
Past ESA Central Council Presidents
|
1925 |
- |
1928 |
|
Professor D B Copland |
|
1928 |
- |
1930 |
|
Mr C H Wickens |
|
1930 |
- |
1932 |
|
Mr E C Dyason |
|
1932 |
- |
1935 |
|
Professor L F Giblin |
|
1935 |
- |
1937 |
|
Professor R C Mills |
|
1937 |
- |
1939 |
|
Professor J B Brigden |
|
1939 |
- |
1946 |
|
Mr L G Melville |
|
1946 |
- |
1947 |
|
Dr Roland Wilson |
|
1947 |
- |
1949 |
|
Professor F R E Mauldon |
|
1949 |
- |
1951 |
|
Professor L F Giblin |
|
1951 |
- |
1952 |
|
Professor T F Hytten |
|
1952 |
- |
1954 |
|
Professor C G F Simkin |
|
1954 |
- |
1955 |
|
Mr G A Weller |
|
1955 |
- |
1957 |
|
Professor Wilfred Prest |
|
1957 |
- |
1958 |
|
Professor H W Arndt |
|
1958 |
- |
1959 |
|
Professor S J Butlin |
|
1959 |
- |
1961 |
|
Professor T W Swan |
|
1961 |
- |
1962 |
|
Professor P H Karmel |
|
1962 |
- |
1964 |
|
Sir John Crawford |
|
1964 |
- |
1965 |
|
Professor D Cochrane |
|
1965 |
- |
1967 |
|
Professor G G Firth |
|
1967 |
- |
1968 |
|
Professor F W Holmes |
|
1968 |
- |
1969 |
|
Professor J E Isaac |
|
1969 |
- |
1972 |
|
Professor R C Gates |
|
1972 |
- |
1974 |
|
Professor N T Drane |
|
1974 |
- |
1977 |
|
Professor G C Harcourt |
|
1977 |
- |
1980 |
|
Professor W M Corden |
|
1980 |
- |
1984 |
|
Professor J W Nevile |
|
1984 |
|
1987 |
|
Professor F H Gruen |
|
1987 |
- |
1990 |
|
Mr J D S MacLeod |
|
1990 |
- |
1993 |
|
Mr F Argy |
|
1993 |
|
1996 |
|
Mr B Fraser |
|
1996 |
- |
1999 |
|
Professor R Gregory |
|
1999 |
- |
2001 |
|
Dr D McTaggart |
|
2001 |
- |
2004 |
|
Professor P Lewis |
|
2004 |
- |
2007 |
|
Professor N Norman |
|
2007 |
- |
2013 |
|
Professor B Chapman |
|
2013 |
- |
2019 |
|
Dr M Butlin |
|
2019 |
- |
2022 |
|
Ms D Wood |
|
2022 |
- |
Present |
Catherine de Fontenay |