2017-18 RI President Ian Riseley from Australia unveiled the commemorative plaque for his tree – an Australian native Ficus Platyoda (Native Fig) also known as desert fig or rock fig endemic to Central and Northern Australia.
Ian was President of Rotary International in 2017-18. He became the 5th Australian (and 3rd Victorian) to be RI President. Ian' presidential theme was Rotary: Making a Difference. "We know that we can do more together than we could ever hope to do alone."
Ian is a chartered accountant and principal of Ian Riseley and Co., a firm he established in 1976 having worked in large accounting firms and corporations.
Riseley, a member of the Rotary Club of Sandringham since 1978, has been active in various school boards, a member of the Community Advisory Group for the City of Sandringham, and involved in Sea Scouts and sporting groups, as well as honorary auditor or adviser for a number of charitable organisations.
In a distinguished career, he has been Treasurer and Director of RI, Rotary Foundation Trustee for 4 years as well as a member and Chair of numerous RI and Foundation committees.
Riseley’s honours include the AusAID Peacebuilder Award from the Australian government in recognition of his work in East Timor, the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the Australian community, the Distinguished Service Award and the Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World from The Rotary Foundation. As a lifelong environmentalist, Ian has led Rotary International's added global focus on Protecting the Environment to make the world a better place. In 2023, Ian was made an Honorary Member of the Rotary Club of Melbourne.
Ian and his wife Juliet live on seven hectares at Moorooduc, where they practice their personal philosophy of sustainable and organic living.
