The Hon Rob Borbidge OA – ‘Stay engaged, stay passionate’: Reflections on a life of leadership & community service
Episode description (38 mins)
If not for a bold tax reform way back in the 1970s, the life and career of the Hon Rob Borbidge AO - and by extension the political history of Queensland – might have played out very differently. Growing up on a sheep farm in Victoria, it was the abolition of Queensland death duties that directly led to his family’s decision to pull up stumps and move to the Gold Coast, where Rob was elected to the state seat of Surfers Paradise - a role he fulfilled with distinction for over 20 years - eventually becoming the 35th Premier of Queensland in 1996. With reflections on his early formative years, the spark that got him started in politics, his community work with LifeFlight Australia and Destination Gold Coast, the nature of leadership and the importance of giving back, this is an inspiring conversation with one of Queensland’s most respected elder statesmen.
About Rob
The Hon Robert Borbidge AO was the 35th Premier of Queensland and served as the state member for Surfers Paradise from 1980 to 2001. Since his resignation from the Queensland Parliament in 2001 he has held a number of Board positions. In 2006 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia and awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Griffith University. He is also former Chair of the Board of Advice for the Institute for Glycomics at Griffith University. From 2013 until 2024, Rob served as Chair of LifeFlight Australia, one of the world's largest not-for-profit aero medical and rescue providers. In July 2023 he was appointed Chair of Experience Gold Coast by Gold Coast City Council.
