Ross Rolfe reflects on the relationship between premiers and universities, including Peter Beattie and Mike Ahern, and Peter Beattie's ability to convince the media of its importance. He describes the spread of Smart State-ism to other activities including 'clean coal' technologies, gas, coal seam methane, and aviation. He describes the failure in the synchrotron bid and the resulting initiative with Paul Greenfield of the University of Queensland to get federal funding for the AIBN.
Ross Rolfe comments that he studied history at the University of Queensland and then joined the graduate program of the Commonwealth Public Service in Canberra in the federal Department of Aboriginal Affairs. When the Queensland government changed in 1990 he moved to the equivalent department in Queensland, the Department of Family Services and Aboriginal and Islander Affairs.
Scott Prasser outlines Beattie's drive regarding Smart State and his involvement with the Vice-Chancellor at University of Queensland John Hay in the biotechnology project.
Ruth Matchett describes her education at St Aidan's Anglican Girls School at Corinda and gaining an honours degree in Social Work from UQ. Upon graduation she took up a position as social worker with the Ipswich Community Health Service. These community health services were an initiative of the Whitlam Government set up as multi-disciplinary teams. Federally funded but state run, the community centres were different in Queensland as they did not contain primary health care.
