Speeches
Friday, 06 February 2026
Farewell Dinner for Professor David Lloyd, Vice Chancellor and President, University of South Australia
Rod and I are honoured to be with you tonight to thank and pay tribute to Professor David Lloyd.
The presence of you all is testament to the esteem in which David is held.
This evening, we celebrate and thank David for his leadership of the University of South Australia as its third and final Vice Chancellor and President, for co-leading the creation of Adelaide University, and for driving the reputation of South Australian tertiary education at the state, national and international level.
I first met David in 2013 in Beijing when I was Ambassador to China and he was newly appointed as the Vice Chancellor of UniSA.
At that meeting David mentioned to me, just in passing really, that he was the youngest Vice Chancellor of any university in Australia (“now” I thought to myself, but I have since discovered that “ever” is correct).
(I was not, by the way, the youngest Australian ambassador to China. That was our first ambassador, Stephen Fitzgerald, appointed in 1972 at the age of 32).
Almost ten years later, when I met him again this time as Governor at a Hawke Lecture he pointed out, ever so softly, that he was still the youngest Vice Chancellor – and if I might say, he still has a very bright future ahead of him!
Australia’s higher education sector remains one of the strongest in the world, and David has played a key role in making and keeping it so.
Vice Chancellors need to work closely with other university leaders, including the Chancellor, have good relationships with political and business leaders, forge strategic partnerships, and have an enlightened vision for the future.
At their best, and perhaps most influentially, Vice Chancellors inspire students.
David has achieved all that with distinction.
When David started with UniSA in 2013, he brought with him – in addition to charm and boundless energy - a strong background in university leadership roles, and a firm vision for an institution where equity and excellence were complementary, not mutually exclusive.
In the years that followed, I admired David’s commitment to positioning UniSA as ‘Australia’s university of enterprise’, and his success in doing so.
As Vice Chancellor, he embedded innovation, industry collaboration and real-world impact into the heart of the university’s mission.
UniSA's recognition as the number one young university in Australia for industry collaborations reflects his vision of education deeply connected to the needs of our economy and community.
Creating opportunities for students from all backgrounds has been a defining aspect of his tenure.
Under David’s leadership, a UniSA degree was made possible for thousands of students from non-English speaking backgrounds, for students with disabilities, and for students who were the first in their families to go to university.
I was also pleased to see David lead the delivery of South Australia’s first Reconciliation Action Plan for a university, followed later by a ‘stretch’ plan.
Friends
This time last week, at the State Dinner to celebrate the establishment of the new Adelaide University, I remarked upon the frequency with which I had seen David and his University of Adelaide counterpart Professor Peter Høj in the past 12 months.
Alongside Peter, David’s commitment to the creation of a new university was demonstrated by the amount of community engagement he undertook, and his dedication to the Co-Vice Chancellor partnership.
Nothing like this has been attempted before in our state or nation, and has resulted in the establishment of Australia’s first new major university of the 21st century.
Adelaide University can now draw on the strengths of UniSA, alongside those of the University of Adelaide, while forging new opportunities in research, teaching, and service to our community.
I hope David is able to take great satisfaction in this.
David, Rod and I extend our very best to you and Penny and your family for all your future endeavours.
You have served the University of South Australia, and the South Australian community, with distinction.
Your legacy will be evident in the work of Adelaide University, in the reputation of our state’s tertiary sector and in UniSA’s alumni, for many years to come.
I’ve attended your graduation ceremonies. I have seen the respect and affection with which the graduating students looked you in the eye, and I know they always will.