Owen Peter Coaldrake (born 1951) is an Australian

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

and higher education administrator. He served as Vice-Chancellor of the

Queensland University of Technology The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a public university, public research university located in the city of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia. It has two major campuses, a modern city campus in Gardens Point, Brisbane, Gardens Point ...

between 2003 and 2017.

Early life

Peter Coaldrake was born Gregory Alan Naylor to a young mother Jeanette in Marrickville. He was adopted as the only child of

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

missionaries, Keith and Sheila Coaldrake. He was educated in

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from

James Cook University James Cook University (JCU) is a public university in North Queensland, Australia. The second oldest university in Queensland, JCU is a teaching and research institution. The university's main campuses are located in the tropical cities of Cair ...

and a

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

from

Griffith University Griffith University is a public university, public research university in South East Queensland on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of Australia. The university was founded in 1971, but was not officially opened until 1975. Griffith ...

Career

Coaldrake was appointed by Queensland Premier

Wayne Goss Wayne Keith Goss (26 February 1951 – 10 November 2014) was Premier of Queensland from 7 December 1989 until 19 February 1996, becoming the first Labor Premier of the state in over 32 years. Prior to entering politics, Goss was a solicitor, an ...

to be CEO of the Public Sector Management Commission.Universities Australia
He served as Vice-Chancellor of the

between 2003 and 2017, replaced by Margaret Sheil. He was Chair of

Universities Australia Universities Australia (formerly the ''Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee'') is an organisation founded in Sydney in May 1920, which attempts to advance higher education through voluntary, cooperative and coordinated action. After being ba ...

. Coaldrake's decision to close QUT's school of humanities and human services drew the wrath of staff and academic unions. "Many humanities staff see this as the Philistines at the gate." From 2011 to 2016, Coaldrake was the chair of the Queensland Heritage Council. Two notable listings added to the

Queensland Heritage Register The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. As ...

under his leadership were the Fantome Island Lock Hospital and Lazaret Sites and the

Queensland Cultural Centre The Queensland Cultural Centre (QCC) is a heritage-listed cultural center, cultural centre on Grey Street in South Brisbane, Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is part of the South Bank, Queensland, South Bank precinct locate ...

. Coaldrake was appointed an Officer of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

in 2011 for "distinguished service to higher education". In October 2017 Coaldrake became chair of the Queensland Performing Arts Trust. He was appointed chair of Jobs Queensland at the end of 2018. Since March 2019 Coaldrake has been a member of the Council of the University of Newcastle.

Publications

* Coaldrake, O.P. 1989 ''Working the System, Government in Queensland'' (University of Queensland Press) * Coaldrake, O.P. and Stedman, L. 1998. ''On the Brink. Australia's Universities Confronting their Future.'' (University of Queensland Press) * Coaldrake, O.P. and Stedman, L. ''Academic Work in the Twenty-First Century'' (DETYA, Occasional Paper Series 99-4).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Coaldrake, Owen Peter 1951 births Living people Officers of the Order of Australia Vice-chancellors of the Queensland University of Technology James Cook University alumni Griffith University alumni