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This warm and lively biography provides insight not just into the life of Alf Pollard, but also into Australian life from the 1920s right through to the 1990s. Born almost 100 years ago in Melbourne, Alf Pollard spent most of his childhood on Norfolk Island where his family leased a banana plantation. Despite having virtually no education in his early years, Pollard’s tenacity and natural intelligence saw him top the state in the NSW Leaving Certificate and graduate from university with honours. He later gained a Masters degree and a PhD, and at age 23 became one of the youngest people ever to qualify as an actuary. A brilliant businessman, Pollard became Deputy General Manager of the MLC in 1954, aged just 37, but was later controversially embroiled in the scandalous H.G. Palmer affair that led to his forced resignation from the MLC in January 1966. He was later appointed as the Foundation Professor in Economic Statistics at Macquarie University, where he founded the first university actuarial program in the world. Pollard received many awards during his lifetime, including an Order of Australia, NSW Father of the Year and a prestigious Doctor of Science degree. He served on the boards of many companies, and helped save both the Sydney Eisteddfod and the Wesley Mission from bankruptcy.
John is a scholarly researcher with an international reputation, publishing 24 books and over 120 papers in refereed journals and conference proceedings, along with more than 1000 other articles in newspapers and magazines. He was recently awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for University Teacher of the Year.
Foreword by the Honourable John W. Howard OM AC
The Actuaries Institute
Preface
Background
The Adventure Begins
Early Times on Norfolk Island
Life on the Land
School Days
University
In the Office
The War Years
Back at MLC
Climbing up the Corporate Ladder
Opportunity Knocks
The Darkest Times
Life after Macquarie
Work, Sports, Church, Arts, Music
Natures Masterpiece - bringing up children
The Golden Years
The Passing of a Beloved Wife and Mother
The Death of an Icon
A warm and lively biography providing insight not just into Pollards life, but also into Australian life from the 1920s right through to the 1990s
"Alf Pollard contributed in his profession, in business, remarkably in academic life and to his community, but most importantly, he gave the greatest gift that any man or woman can give to a nation: the wonderful example of a fine, loving and united family. This will always be his greatest contribution to Australia." Â The Honourable John W. Howard, former Prime Minister of Australia