BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//hacksw/handcal//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND:20180808T140000 UID:69dba37e6db9f DTSTAMP:20260412T235158 LOCATION:Sofitel Hotel Cnr Spring & Collins St Melbourne 3000 VIC DESCRIPTION: \; Tim Fischer was born at Lockhart\, NSW\, and educated at Boree Creek in the Riverina and Xavier College\, Melbourne. Mr Fischer served with the Australian Army 1 RAR from 1966-1969\, in both Australia and Vietnam\, before returning to the family farm at Boree Creek in southern NSW.  \;  \;In 1971 he was elected to the NSW Parliament. During his time in State Parliament\, Mr Fischer became National Party Whip and served on a number of Parliamentary Committees\, including the State &lsquo\;Staysafe&rsquo\; Committee. He resigned from State Politics in 1984 to seek pre-selection for the Federal Parliamentary seat of Farrer\, at the time based on Albury\, Corowa and Deniliquin\, from the ACT to the SA border. \;  \; Mr Fischer was subsequently elected Federal Member for Farrer and served in this role from 1984 to 2001. During this time he was Shadow Minister for Energy &\; Resources\, Shadow Minister for Trade\, Leader of the National\, and later Minister for Trade and Deputy Prime Minister in the Howard Government (1996 - 1999). He led the Official delegation to observe the East Timor Referendum in 1999. \;In Federal Parliament\, Tim Fischer strongly supported harmonized strict Gun Law Reform and also the World&rsquo\;s newest Transcontinental Railway\, Adelaide to Darwin where freight tonnage has increased greatly since its inception in 2004.  \; He retired from politics in 2001\, served as Chair Tourism Australia 2004 - 2007 and then first Rome resident Australian Ambassador to the Holy See 2009 - 2012. \; He was also appointed Special Envoy by the Australian Government to Bhutan\, Eritrea and South Sudan\, for a period of years. In his work and related roles\, he has visited over 84 countries.  \; In 2012 Tim Fischer was elected Vice Chairman of the Global Crop Diversity Trust or GCDT with Seed Vault in North Norway\, Chairman in 2018.  \;  \;Mr Fischer also has a range of business interests\, mainly with an export orientation. \; His hobbies include chess and trekking in KNP near Thredbo and the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. \; Mr Fischer has also held the following honorary positions: Chair of the Crawford Fund on International Agricultural Research\; Chair of the Australian Winemakers Foundation\; National Chair RFDS and National Patron of Frontier Services\; Patron of various charitable organizations.  \;Some of Mr Fischer&rsquo\;s previous commercial activities include the following: Consultant Deloittes\; Director AA Co.\, Ausmore Singapore &\; Asia Pacific Transport.  \;Tim is the author of three successful books (published by Allen &\; Unwin): Seven Days in East Timor Outback Heroes &\; Communities that Count (co author) Transcontinental Train Odyssey: The Ghan\, The Khyber\, The Globe His most recent writings include: Bold Bhutan Beckons (Co Author with Tshering Tashi) Trains Unlimited in the 21st Century (ABC Books) Holy See\, Unholy me: 1000 Days in Rome (ABC Books) Also his best seller book on WW 1 has been out since Nov 2014\, titled: &ldquo\;MAESTRO JOHN MONASH: Australia&rsquo\;s greatest Citizen General&rdquo\; Tim lives at &ldquo\;Grossotto&rdquo\; Mudgegonga VIC 3737\, with his wife Judy and two sons\, Harrison and Dominic and at times at Boree Creek\, NSW.  \; URL;VALUE=URI:http://rotaryclubofmelbourne.org.au/event/34853 SUMMARY:Tim Fischer AC\, Monash Medal Oration DTSTART:20180808T123000 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR