Welcome to

The Pearcey Foundation

The Pearcey Foundation is a non-profit organisation founded in 1998 in memory of a great Australian ICT pioneer Dr Trevor Pearcey. The Foundation operates broadly across the Australian Information Communication Technologies (ICT) sector, from celebrating achievements through national and state awards, to being involved in debate and public policy on critical national issues such as productivity, the digital economy and national infrastructure.

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Pearcey 2024

Another year of exciting award programs, dynamic thought leadership discussions, a galvanizing Oration and a range of events and programs to celebrate our Australian ICT heritage and inspire our youth to a future in ICT.

Checkout the calendar on our events page or follow the links below for these flagship events.

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This is our 26th year of awards, focussed exclusively on outstanding individuals drawn from across our vast geography.

We present 11 awards each year and have done so for a long time - recognising over 170 Australian ICT luminaries and entrepreneurs, as highlighted on this website.

Heritage Projects - many activities including publication of an Australian IT history book, preservation of museums, and submission of an IEEE milestone for CSIRAC.

Pearcey 2023 Highlights

Pearcey National Awards

Hall of Fame - Aidan Tudehope, David Tudehope, Richard White Medal - Aidan Tudehope, David Tudehope, Jordan Green, Wayne Fitzsimmons National Entrepreneur - Didier Elzinga

Pearcey Oration

2023 Pearcey Oration @Melbourne Connect Michelle Simmons AO - 2023 Pearcey Orator Kelly Hutchison - Steps Down as Deputy Chair after 10 years

Pearcey Day@Scienceworks


Australia 4.0


NSW Innovation Ecosystem EOY Lunch

Mark Coure MP Richard White, Founder Wisetech & Pearcey Hall of Fame 2023 Pearcey NSW Innovation Ecosystem Lunch 2023

Ada Lovelace Day

The Pearcey Foundation has always championed an inclusive approach to life and to the ICT sector in particular. Our programmes promote inclusion by reaching across boundaries created by dscriminatory bias and by holding out the ICT heros and heroines we recognise with our awards as exemplars to our youth and to the broader community.

One of our favourite efforts is the celebration of Ada Lovelace Day. In 2023, we are pleased to have partnered with the
Monash University Faculty of Information Technology.

Latest News

Mar 5, 2024

Jeff Whittle Obituary

Jeff Whittle AO FACS passed away on 5th February 2024 at the age of 93. His legacy is profound and not only in IT. He was made an Officer (AO) of the general division of the Order of Australia for "Distinguished service to the information technology sector and the mining industry, particularly through the development of industry standard computer programs for strategic mine planning and optimisation”.

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Jan 26, 2024

Jordan Green Awarded AM

The Pearcey Foundation's own Board member and Secretary, Jordan Green, was awarded an AM in the Australia Day 2024 Honours List. Jordan was recognised for his significant service to business, particularly through Angel investing, and to professional associations.

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Nov 19, 2023

Vale Ariel Liebman

Professor Ariel Liebman was a key supporter of Australia 4.0. He worked at the intersection of ICT and the future renewable grid. Ariel was going to moderate one of the Australia 4.0 sessions but, since he was to be overseas at the time, he arranged for other colleagues to assist. Sadly, Ariel passed away after a brief illness on November 9th 2023 and will be sorely missed by his family, friends and colleagues.

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Awards

The Pearcey Foundation's annual awards recognise and celebrate outstanding individuals in Australian ICT. 

National Awards • State AwardsNominations

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The Heritage Project

The Pearcey Foundation intends to extend the Heritage Project well beyond Phase One (the book) – with the aim to become ‘the’ central repository – hosting a ‘virtual museum’ of Australia’s computing artefacts, documents and oral histories from key players. 

The Project 

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Kind Words

     

    Australians have all too often seen themselves as observers rather than participants in the digital revolution, but that does not do justice to our history. The Pearcey Foundation plays a very important role in highlighting the real contributions Australians have made in the past, and in so doing will help inspire the next generation of Australian digital innovators.


    Charlie Day
    Former CEO, Innovation and Science Australia



     

    The Pearcey Foundation’s project to document Australia’s achievements in the computer age is a critically important endeavour. A central repository, that documents the central role of our universities and CSIRO and the individual contributions of academics and entrepreneurs, will be an essential resource for future policy makers and for students, research workers and entrepreneurs.


    Alex Zelinsky AO
    Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Newcastle



     

    Australians are a nation of storytellers. Stories make us laugh and they make us cry, they remind us who we are and they inspire us, and let us celebrate our successes and failures. Australia has much to celebrate when it comes to the digital age, from pioneering work in computer science through to innovative cloud services. The Pearcey Foundation Heritage Project will be an inspiration to future generations of Australians.


    Founder
    Australian Ocean Lab and Former Engineering Director, Google Australia



Initiatives

The Pearcey Foundation is actively involved in many initiatives to help promote and accelerate the Australian ICT industry. 

Thought Leadership • Australia 3.0Australia 4.0 •  ICT HeritagePearcey Institute

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In memory of

Dr Trevor Pearcey

The Pearcey Foundation Inc. was established in 1998 to raise the profile of the Australian Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Industry and profession. It was created in the memory of one of the greatest pioneers of the Australian ICT industry, Dr Trevor Pearcey.

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