Vale Professor Cliff Walsh
The staff of the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies (SACES) would like to acknowledge the passing of Emeritus Professor Cliff Walsh on the evening of the 7th of July in Melbourne.
Cliff was born in England (1946), his principal career-track was in the University system, initially at ANU, then at Monash University and he was appointed a Professor of Economics at the University of Adelaide in 1979 and served as Chair of the Department for a number of years. Subsequently, he held appointments as Professor of Economics and Director of the Federalism Research Centre from 1988 until 1992 at ANU and as Professor of Economic Studies and Executive Director of the SA Centre for Economic Studies from 1992-2001. He was the key presenter to our Corporate Members of the bi-annual Economic Briefing report.
He was a prolific author and aside from his various responsibilities within the University system Cliff was at one time:
- Principal Economic Advisor (full-time) to Prime Minister Malcom Fraser and advisor (part-time) to State Premiers;
- An Associate Commissioner for several Productivity Commission Inquiries;
- A member of numerous Committees of Inquiry for the Commonwealth and State governments;
- A member of an Expert Group for the European Commission and an advisor to the World Bank;
- A Commissioner on a Commission of Audit into South Australia’s public sector policies, programs and finances;
- A member of the quasi-judicial Australian Competition Tribunal; and
- An advisor/consultant on many projects for governments, public sector agencies and private sector organisations.
His list of Committees, Productivity Inquiries, state and national advisory appointments and much more is proof and testimony to his deep knowledge of economic theory and economics in practice in the real world. He was an exceptionally gifted advisor and immensely skilled in the art of public policy.
SACES acknowledges his passing and his contribution to economics and the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies.