Our History

SERVING THE INDUSTRY FOR 100 YEARS

PLA has been servicing and advocating for the parks and leisure industry since 1926.

It originally formed as the Victorian Tree Planters Association and then in the 1950’s & 60’s expanded its focus around parks and recreation administration nationally, becoming the Royal Australian Institute of Parks and Recreation in the 70’s that continued supporting the industry until merging with the Australian Leisure Institute in 1998 to form Parks and Leisure Australia.

The Australian Leisure Institute had its origins in the Municipal Recreation Officer Association of Victoria in 1980, then changed to the Local Government Recreation Association of Victoria in 1985 when the Frank Stewart Awards began. It became the Australian Leisure Institute in 1993 when the Local Government Recreation Association of Victoria merged with the Institute of Swimming and Recreation Centre Managers.

Parks and Leisure Australia also incorporated Environs Australia given the alignment of purpose and this strengthen Parks and Leisure Australia support of the environmental and sustainability sector.

Over this time, there have been significant contributions made by many individuals and attached is a list of the previous presidents and honorary award winners that have reflected these contributions.

100 Years of Parks & Leisure: Historical Timeline

Previous Organisation Names

  • Victorian TreePlanters Association (1926–55)
  • Institute of Park Administration of Victoria (1955–62)
  • Institute of Parks Administration of South Australia (1956–62)
  • Australian Institute of Park Administration (1962–66) and Australian Institute of Parks and Recreation (1966–77)
  • Royal Australian Institute of Parks and Recreation (1977–98)
  • Australian Leisure Institute (1993–98), preceded by the Municipal Recreation Officers Association of Victoria (1980–85) and Local Government Recreation Association of Victoria (1985–93)
  • Parks and Leisure Australia (PLA) (1998 – present day)
PRESIDENTS
1926-34
Councillor William Cockbill
1934-38
James Railton
1938-47
Councillor William Warner
1947-65
John Stanley (Jack) Owens - Melbourne City Council
1965-68
TR Noel Lothian OBE - Director Adelaide Botanic Gardens
1968-69
RTM Pescott – Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
1969-71
David Shoobridge - ACT
1971-72
Frank Keenan MBE – Director Parks, Gardens & Recreation, City of Melbourne
1972-73
WR Watson – Assistant Director Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney
1973-74
Val B Ellis – Director Adelaide Parks & Gardens
1974-75
Gordon R Shearwood- WA
1975-76
Jim H Sullivan – Director Melbourne Zoological Gardens
1976-77
John E Gray - National Capital Development Commission, ACT
1977-78
WA Bill Goodman - Launceston Council, TAS
1978-79
Ray J Steward – Director Parks & Recreation, Brisbane City Council, QLD
1979-81
WR Watson – Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, NSW
1981-82
Dr Paul Wycherley OBE - Director Kings Park Perth, WA
1982-83
Ken Trafford – Toowoomba City Council, QLD
1983-84
Ted Gleeson - TAS
1984–85
Barry Nielsen - QLD
1985-86
Laurie Withers – Hume City Council, NSW
1986-88
John Mortimer, NSW
1988-89
Peter Luff
1989-90
Peter Nicholls, SA
1990-92
Graham Mustow, Vic
1992-93
Tom Crossen, Tas
1993-94
Richard Clarkson, Qld
1994-96
Kerry Geale, Wagga Wagga CC, NSW
1996-97
Andrew Taylor SA
1997-98
Phil Gale, WA
1998-1999
Phil Gale – WA (PLA)
1999-2002
Martin Doulton – Vic/Tas
2002-2003
Steven Few – WA
2003-2006
Steven Bourke – NSW/ACT
2006-2009
Steve Mason – WA
2009-2012
Bruce Fordham – Vic/Tas
2012-2015
Kevin Lowe – SA
2015-2016
Kristen Jackson – Vic/Tas
2016-2019
Marty Lambert – Qld
2019-2021
Paul Jane – Vic
2021-2024
Les Munn – NSW
2024-present
Kristin Davies – VIC
HONORARY LIFE FELLOWS
1966
Ben Bone
1967
James Sullivan
1969
Noel Lothian, Alex Wilkie
1970
Bill Halligan
1971
Frank Keenan, Richard Pescott
1974
David Shoobridge
1976
Jack Firth
1977
George Vafiopolous, Warwick Wilson
1978
John Gray, Gordon Shearwood
1985
Richard Clough, Jack Owens, Tom Wood
1986
Ian Frencham
1989
Bill Goodman
1991
Val Ellis
FRANK STEWART AWARDEES
1985
Laurie Boyd
1986
Rob Ewart
1987
Ric Thompson
1988
Garry Henshall
1989
Peter Butler
1990
Michael King
1991
Helen Hayes
1992
Greg Maddock
1993
Jim Harley
1997
Ken Marriott & Helen Croxford
1998
Peter Fitchett
1999
John Senior Neville Byrne
2000
Francis Lobo
2001
Andrew Taylor
2002
Martin Doulton
2003
Peter Nicholls
2004
Sarah-Jo Mason
2005
Les Dennis David Aldous
2006
Tony Veal
2007
Stephen Wearing
2008
Stephen Bourke
2009
Sally Jeavons
2010
Anne Binkley
2011
John Brandenburg
2012
John Wood
2013
Bruce Fordham
2014
Cathy Kiss
2015
Andrew Smith
2016
Not Awarded
2017
Penny Davidson
2018
Kevin Lowe
2019
Kristen Jackson
2020
Martin Lambert
2021
Nick Cox
2022
Suzanne Suter
2023
Dr John Tower
2024
Paul Jane
2025
Les Munn
CONFERENCES
1927
Ballarat
1928
Melbourne
1929
Melbourne
1930
Bendigo
1931
Melbourne
1932
Melbourne
1933
Melbourne
1934
Western District Vic
1935
Melbourne
1936
South Gippsland
1937
Melbourne
1938
Travelling: Melbourne→Healesville→Mansfield→Bright→Albury→Wangaratta→Benalla→Seymour→Melbourne
1939
Melbourne
1940
Western District Vic
1941
Melbourne
1942-43
Not held (WW2)
1944
Melbourne
1945
Ballarat
1946
Travelling: Bendigo→Kerang→Ballarat
1947
Melbourne
1948
Adelaide
1949
Melbourne
1950
Not held
1998
Melbourne
1999
Adelaide
2000
Gold Coast
2001
Sydney
2002
Melbourne
2003
Perth
2004
Brisbane
2005
Hobart
2006
Olympic Park
2007
Townsville
2008
Melbourne
2009
Darwin
2010
Glenelg
2011
Fremantle
2012
Newcastle
2013
Melbourne
2014
Cairns
2015
Sydney
2016
Adelaide
2017
Gold Coast
2018
Melbourne
2019
Perth
2020
Virtual Conference
2021
Virtual Conference
2022
Melbourne
2023
Adelaide
2024
Brisbane
2025
Hobart

PRESIDENTS

Victorian TreePlanters Association (1926-55)
Institute of Park Administration of Victoria (1955-62)
Institute of Parks Administration of South Australia (1956-62)
Australian Institute of Park Administration (1962-66) and Australian Institute of Parks and Recreation (1966-77)
Table Header
1926-34
Councillor William Cockbill
1934-38
James Railton
1938-47
Councillor William Warner
1947-65
John Stanley (Jack) Owens – Melbourne City Council
1965-68
TR Noel Lothian OBE – Director Adelaide Botanic Gardens
1968-69
RTM Pescott – Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
1969-71
David Shoobridge -ACT
1971-72
Frank Keenan MBE – Director Parks, Gardens & Recreation, City of Melbourne
1972-73
WR Watson – Assistant Director Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney
1973-74
Val B Ellis – Director Adelaide Parks & Gardens
1974-75
Gordon R Shearwood -WA
1975-76
Jim H Sullivan – Director Melbourne Zoological Gardens
Royal Australian Institute of Parks and Recreation (1977-98)
Table Header
1976-77
John E Gray – National Capital Development Commission, ACT
1977-78
WA Bill Goodman -Launceston Council, TAS
1978-7
Ray J Steward Director Parks & Recreation, Brisbane City Council, QLD
1979-81
WR Watson – Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, NSW
1981-82
Dr Paul Wycherley OBE -Director Kings Park Perth, WA
1982-83
Ken Trafford – Toowoomba City Council, QLD
1983-84
Ted Gleeson -TAS
1984-85
Barry Nielsen – QLD
1985-86
Laurie Withers – Hume City Council, NSW
1986-88
John Mortimer – NSW
1988-89
Peter Luff
1989-90
Peter Nicholls – SA
1990-92
Graham Mustow – VIC
1992-93
Tom Crossen – TAS
1993-94
Richard Clarkson – QLD
1994-96
Kerry Geale -Director Parks & Community Services Wagga Wagga City Council, NSW
1996-97
Andrew Taylor – SA
1997-98
Phil Gale – WA
Australian Leisure Institute (1993-98), preceded by the Municipal Recreation Officers Association of Victoria (1980-85) and Local Government Recreation Association of Victoria (1985-93)
Table Header
1993-94
Liz Beardall
1994-96
Sarah-Jo Mason
Parks and Leisure Australia (PLA)

Refer to website

HONORARY AWARDS

VTA Life Members, AIPR and RAIPR HONORARY LIFE FELLOWS
Table Header
1928
Alex Bruce
1966
Ben Bone
1967
James Sullivan
1969
Noel Lothian OBE, Alex Wilkie
1970
Bill Halligan
1971
Frank Keenan MBE, Richard Pescott
1974
David Shoobridge
1976
Jack Firth
1977
George Vafiopolous, Warwick Wilson
1978
John Gray, Gordon Shearwood
1989
Bill Goodman
1991
Val Ellis
1985
Richard Clough, Jack Owens, Tom Wood
1986
Ian Frencham
ALI Frank Stewart Awardees
Table Header
1985
Laurie Boyd
1986
Rob Ewart
1987
Ric Thompson
1988
Garry Henshall
1989
Peter Butler
1990
Michael King
1991
Helen Hayes
1992
Greg Maddock
1993
Jim Harley
1997
Ken Marriott
PLA Frank Stewart Awardees

Refer to the website