Eric Neal

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix= The Honourable

| name= Sir Eric Neal

| honorific-suffix= {{postnominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AC|CVO|FTSE}}

| image= Sir Eric Neal in Adelaide, South Australia 2016.jpg

| caption= Neal in 2016

| order= 32nd Governor of South Australia

| term_start= 22 July 1996

| term_end= 3 November 2001

| monarch= Elizabeth II

| premier= Dean Brown (1996)
John Olsen (1996–2001)

| predecessor= Dame Roma Mitchell

| successor= Marjorie Jackson-Nelson

| order2= Chief Commissioner of Sydney

| term_start2= 26 March 1987

| term_end2= 31 December 1988

| predecessor2= Doug Sutherland
as Lord Mayor

| successor2= Jeremy Bingham
as Lord Mayor

| order3 = Councillor of the Sydney County Council
for the 1st Constituency

| term_start3 = 25 November 1987

| term_end3 = 2 January 1990

| predecessor3 = Jack Calpis

| successor3 = Council abolished

| birth_name = Eric James Neal

| birth_date= {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1924|6|3}}

| birth_place= London, England

| death_date=

| death_place=

| nationality= Australian

| occupation = Academic administrator, banker, manufacturing executive.

| spouse = {{marriage|Joan Bowden|1950|28 February 2023|end=died}}

| children = 2

}}

Sir Eric James Neal (born 3 June 1924) is an Australian retired academic administrator, banker, and manufacturing executive. He is a former Commissioner of Sydney (1987–1988), Governor of South Australia (1996–2001) and Chancellor of Flinders University (2002–2010).

Career

Neal trained as an engineer at the South Australian School of Mines (now part of the University of South Australia), and became a successful businessman. The peak of his career was fourteen years as CEO of Boral. He was also a Director of John Fairfax Holdings, BHP, Coca-Cola Amatil and AMP and Chairperson of Westpac and Atlas Copco Australia.

In 1984, Neal was listed as one of Australia's 125 best remunerated business executives by Australian Business magazine.{{Cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article116388074|title=Hawke not in accord on top salaries|work=Canberra Times|date=3 Feb 1984|via=Trove|access-date=2016-06-03}} In 1992, journalist Andrew Cornell described him as a "tough, frequently autocratic businessman."{{Cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article126946368|title=WESTPAC SHAKEOUT Neal's rise and fall both rapid|work=The Canberra Times|date=2 Oct 1992|page=6|via=Trove|access-date=2016-06-03}}

Neal has chaired various government advisory bodies and served as National Chairman, Duke of Edinburgh's Award (1984–92), President of the Order of Australia Association (1989–92), Chair of the Opera Foundation (1990–96). He was Chief Commissioner of the City of Sydney (1987–88) and a member of the Senate of the University of Sydney.{{Citation needed|date=October 2016}}

Neal was appointed Governor of South Australia in 1996, and became the first person from the business community to take up residence in Government House, Adelaide. He held the position until 2001, after which he served as Chancellor of Flinders University from 2002 until 2010.{{Cite journal |last=Clark |first=N |date=2009 |title=Reflections from the helm [Profile of Chancellor of Flinders University, company director and former state Governor of South Australia, Sir Eric Neal.] |url=https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/ielapa.200911268 |journal=Company Director |volume=25 |issue=9 |pages=16–19 |via=Informit}}

=Defence sector=

Neal is a former Honorary Air Commodore of the City of Adelaide Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force and Honorary Colonel of the Royal South Australia Regiment. He is also an honorary life member of the Returned & Services League of Australia.{{Cite web|url=http://anzaccentenary.sa.gov.au/about/veterans-advisory-council/ |title=Veterans Advisory Council {{!}} 100 years of Anzac for SA |date=2016-05-01 |access-date=2016-10-04 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501111853/http://anzaccentenary.sa.gov.au/about/veterans-advisory-council/ |archivedate=2016-05-01 }}

In 1981, Neal was appointed to a committee tasked with reviewing Australia's Higher Defence Organisation. In 1992 he was awarded the United States Department of Defence Medal for Distinguished Public Service for his contribution in Chairing the Council that organised Australian events commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea.

In 2009, Neal commenced his final role in public office, serving as Chair of the Veterans Advisory Council in South Australia. This culminated in the opening of the Memorial Walk in Kintore Avenue. Neal retired from the position in 2016,{{Cite web|url=http://www.premier.sa.gov.au/index.php/martin-hamilton-smith-news-releases/585-appointment-of-veterans-advisory-council-chair|title=Appointment of Veterans' Advisory Council Chair|last=Hamilton-Smith|first=Martin|date=2016-05-24|website=www.premier.sa.gov.au|publisher=Government of South Australia|access-date=2016-10-04|archive-date=5 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005111955/http://www.premier.sa.gov.au/index.php/martin-hamilton-smith-news-releases/585-appointment-of-veterans-advisory-council-chair|url-status=dead}} concluding 76 years in private and public sector employment.

Community

Neal was appointed (1984–1992) as National Chair of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award – Australia and as an International Trustee of the Award from 1987 to 1997.[http://www.dukeofed.org.au] He and his wife, Lady Joan Neal AM were World Fellows of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award International Association.{{Cite web |title=World Fellow – Dukeofed |url=https://dukeofed.com.au/supporting-us/world-fellow/ |access-date=2023-03-05 |language=en-US}}

Honours

He is a Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors[http://www.companydirectors.com.au Directors] Australian Institute of Company Directors
He is one of only nine Honorary Fellows of the Australian Institute of Building[http://www.aib.org.au/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=AIB/ccms.r?PageId=10065 AIB Honorary Fellows] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140126060308/http://www.aib.org.au/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=AIB/ccms.r?PageId=10065 |date=26 January 2014 }}, Australian Institute of Building
The Sir Eric Neal Library at the University of South Australia was opened in his honour in 2001.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thomsonrossi.com.au/projects/unisa-sir-eric-neal-library/|title=UniSA Sir Eric Neal Library {{!}} Thomson Rossi|website=www.thomsonrossi.com.au|access-date=2016-06-03}}
A caricature of Eric Neal was donated to the National Portrait Gallery by the artist, Joe Greenberg, in 2001.{{Cite web|url=https://www.portrait.gov.au/people/eric-neal|title=Sir Eric Neal AC CVO, National Portrait Gallery|website=www.portrait.gov.au|access-date=2019-11-21}}
Flinders University named its Engineering Building after him.{{Cite web|url=https://studentvip.com.au/flinders/main/maps/74873|title=Engineering – Sir Eric Neal Building|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=2017-10-10|archive-date=10 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010155258/https://studentvip.com.au/flinders/main/maps/74873|url-status=dead}}
On 17 April 2007, Sir Eric Neal accepted the offer of the Adelaide University Soccer Club Blacks invitation to become the club's patron.
First Principal Patron of the [http://www.adelaide.edu.au/menshealth Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men's Health] at the University of Adelaide.
Honorary doctorates from the University of Sydney, University of South Australia (1996){{Cite web|url=http://w3.unisa.edu.au/blueprint/buildings/ericneal.asp|title=Sir Eric Neal Library|website=w3.unisa.edu.au|access-date=2016-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403221821/http://w3.unisa.edu.au/blueprint/buildings/ericneal.asp|archive-date=3 April 2016|url-status=dead}} and Flinders University.
Patron of the Port Adelaide Football Club.
Gold Distinguished Service Medal, The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award – Australia (2016)[http://www.duekofed.com.au Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, Australia]{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

class="wikitable"
80px	Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)	1988[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/871188 It's an Honour] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129122955/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/871188 \|date=29 January 2019 }} – Companion of the Order of Australia
80px	Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)	1992[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1134632 It's an Honour] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526114325/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1134632&search_type=quick&showInd=true \|date=26 May 2011 }} – Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
80px	Knight Bachelor	1982[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1083571 It's an Honour] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526114248/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1083571&search_type=quick&showInd=true \|date=26 May 2011 }} – Knight Bachelor{{Cite web\|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article126901976\|title=Killen, Court head knighthood list – The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 – 1995) – 12 Jun 1982\|newspaper=Canberra Times \|date=12 June 1982 \|via=Trove\|access-date=2016-06-03}}
80px	Knight of the Order of St John	1996
80px	Centenary Medal	2001[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1121199 Duke of Edinburgh Award] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526114332/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1121199&search_type=quick&showInd=true \|date=26 May 2011 }} – Distinguished Service Medal
80px	Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service	1992
80px	Distinguished Service Medal – Gold	2016[https://dukeofed.com.au/about-us-2/honour-roll/distinguished-medal-recipients/ It's an Honour] – Centenary Medal

Personal life

Neal was born in London, England and migrated with his family to Adelaide in February 1927.{{Citation | author1=Neal, Eric | author2=Donovan, Peter Francis | title=Interview with Sir Eric Neal | publication-date=2004 | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/230486476 | access-date=7 June 2024}} He became engaged to Joan Bowden in 1949,{{Cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55780533|title=DOUBLE EVENT AT PARTY|work=The Mail|location=Adelaide|date=8 Oct 1949|via=Trove|access-date=2016-06-03}} they were married at St Peter's Church, Glenelg in 1950{{Cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55780533|title=Family Notices|work=The Advertiser|location=Adelaide|date=2 Mar 1950|via=Trove|access-date=2020-02-29}} and their first son was born in 1951 in Broken Hill.{{Cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article141157104|title=BABIES|work=Barrier Daily Truth|location=Broken Hill, NSW|date=7 Feb 1951|via=Trove|access-date=2016-06-03}} A second son was born in 1963 in Ballarat.{{Citation needed|date=October 2016}} Lady Thelma 'Joan' Neal AM DstJ died in Adelaide on 28 February 2023.{{Cite web |title=Funeral Service for Lady Thelma 'Joan' Neal AM DstJ |url=https://www.berryfunerals.com.au/notices-services/thelma-joan-am-dstj-neal |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=www.berryfunerals.com.au}}

Neal played football with the Adelaide University Soccer Club from 1946 to 1949 and eventually became the club's patron.{{cite web | url=http://adelaideunisoccerclub.com/about/history/ | title=History }}

He turned 100 on 3 June 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.kva.se/nyheter/torsten-wiesel-100-ar-av-hojdpunkter//|title=Torsten Wiesel, 100 år av höjdpunkter|date=3 June 2024|language=sv}}