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The HonourableSir Eric NealAC CVO FTSE
Sir Eric Neal in Adelaide in 2016
32nd Governor of South Australia
In office 22 July 1996 – 3 November 2001
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Premier	Dean Brown (1996) John Olsen (1996–2001)
Preceded by	Dame Roma Mitchell
Succeeded by	Marjorie Jackson-Nelson
Chief Commissioner of Sydney
In office 26 March 1987 – 31 December 1988
Preceded by	Doug Sutherland as Lord Mayor
Succeeded by	Jeremy Bingham as Lord Mayor
Councillor of the Sydney County Council for the 1st Constituency
In office 25 November 1987 – 2 January 1990
Preceded by	Jack Calpis
Succeeded by	Council abolished
Personal details
Born	Eric James Neal (1924-06-03) 3 June 1924 (age 100) London, England
Nationality	Australian
Spouse	Joan Bowden ​ ​(m. 1950; died 2023)​
Children	2
Occupation	Academic administrator, banker, manufacturing executive.

Sir Eric James Neal (born 3 June 1924) is a British-born 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. In 1992, journalist Andrew Cornell described him as a "tough, frequently autocratic businessman." Not withstanding, he oversaw 14 years of consecutive and rising profits for shareholders and history has shown that his views and decisions made whilst on the Westpac Board were correct.

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.

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.

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.

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, 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. He and his wife, Lady Joan Neal AM were World Fellows of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award International Association.

Honours

• He is a Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
• He is one of only nine Honorary Fellows of the Australian Institute of Building
• The Sir Eric Neal Library at the University of South Australia was opened in his honour in 2001.
• A caricature of Eric Neal was donated to the National Portrait Gallery by the artist, Joe Greenberg, in 2001.
• Flinders University named its Engineering Building after him.
• 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 Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men's Health at the University of Adelaide.
• Honorary doctorates from the University of Sydney, University of South Australia (1996) and Flinders University.
• Patron of the Port Adelaide Football Club.
• Gold Distinguished Service Medal, The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award – Australia (2016)

	Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)	1988
	Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)	1992
	Knight Bachelor	1982
	Knight of the Order of St John	1996
	Centenary Medal	2001
	Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service	1992
	Distinguished Service Medal – Gold	2016

Personal life

Neal was born in London, England and migrated with his family to Adelaide in February 1927. He became engaged to Joan Bowden in 1949, they were married at St Peter's Church, Glenelg in 1950 and their first son was born in 1951 in Broken Hill. A second son was born in 1963 in Ballarat. Lady Thelma 'Joan' Neal AM DstJ died in Adelaide on 28 February 2023.

Neal played football with the Adelaide University Soccer Club from 1946 to 1949 and eventually became the club's patron.

He turned 100 on 3 June 2024.

References

1. "Hawke not in accord on top salaries". Canberra Times. 3 February 1984. Retrieved 3 June 2016 – via Trove.
2. "WESTPAC SHAKEOUT Neal's rise and fall both rapid". The Canberra Times. 2 October 1992. p. 6. Retrieved 3 June 2016 – via Trove.
3. Clark, N (2009). "Reflections from the helm [Profile of Chancellor of Flinders University, company director and former state Governor of South Australia, Sir Eric Neal.]". Company Director. 25 (9): 16–19 – via Informit.
4. ^ "Veterans Advisory Council | 100 years of Anzac for SA". 1 May 2016. Archived from the original on 1 May 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
5. Hamilton-Smith, Martin (24 May 2016). "Appointment of Veterans' Advisory Council Chair". www.premier.sa.gov.au. Government of South Australia. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
6. "World Fellow – Dukeofed". Retrieved 5 March 2023.
7. Directors Australian Institute of Company Directors
8. AIB Honorary Fellows Archived 26 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Australian Institute of Building
9. "UniSA Sir Eric Neal Library | Thomson Rossi". www.thomsonrossi.com.au. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
10. "Sir Eric Neal AC CVO, National Portrait Gallery". www.portrait.gov.au. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
11. "Engineering – Sir Eric Neal Building". Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
12. "Sir Eric Neal Library". w3.unisa.edu.au. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
13. Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, Australia
14. It's an Honour Archived 29 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine – Companion of the Order of Australia
15. It's an Honour Archived 26 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine – Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
16. It's an Honour Archived 26 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine – Knight Bachelor
17. "Killen, Court head knighthood list – The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 – 1995) – 12 Jun 1982". Canberra Times. 12 June 1982. Retrieved 3 June 2016 – via Trove.
18. Duke of Edinburgh Award Archived 26 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine – Distinguished Service Medal
19. It's an Honour – Centenary Medal
20. Neal, Eric; Donovan, Peter Francis (2004), Interview with Sir Eric Neal, retrieved 7 June 2024
21. "DOUBLE EVENT AT PARTY". The Mail. Adelaide. 8 October 1949. Retrieved 3 June 2016 – via Trove.
22. "Family Notices". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 2 March 1950. Retrieved 29 February 2020 – via Trove.
23. "BABIES". Barrier Daily Truth. Broken Hill, NSW. 7 February 1951. Retrieved 3 June 2016 – via Trove.
24. "Funeral Service for Lady Thelma 'Joan' Neal AM DstJ". www.berryfunerals.com.au. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
25. "History".
26. "Torsten Wiesel, 100 år av höjdpunkter" (in Swedish). 3 June 2024.

External links

• Sir Eric Neal Collection at the University of South Australia Library

v t e Governors of South Australia
Before Federation	Hindmarsh Gawler Grey Robe Young MacDonnell Daly Fergusson Musgrave Jervois Robinson Earl of Kintore Buxton Baron Tennyson
After Federation	Le Hunte Bosanquet Galway Weigall Bridges Hore-Ruthven Dugan Barclay-Harvey Norrie George Bastyan Harrison Oliphant Nicholls Seaman Dunstan Mitchell Neal Jackson-Nelson Scarce Le Adamson

• 1924 births
• Living people
• 20th-century Australian businesspeople
• 21st-century Australian businesspeople
• Australian bankers
• Australian men centenarians
• Australian chief executives
• Australian Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order
• Australian Knights Bachelor
• British emigrants to Australia
• Businesspeople in manufacturing
• Chancellors of Flinders University
• Companions of the Order of Australia
• Councillors of Sydney County Council
• Fellows of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
• Fellows of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
• Governors of South Australia
• People from South Australia
• Westpac people