Investor Presentaiton
ALASTAIR SHIELDS, FCPA
Department of Land Resource Management
Member since 1984
I was born in the Northern Territory and have lived here all my life. When I left Darwin High School in 1980, I could have either gone down south to do a degree like many
of my friends, or look for what was available in the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory Government was advertising a Finance Officer in training position which
involved full-time study at the then Darwin Community College (now Charles Darwin University) towards a Bachelor of Business in Accounting, and part-time work within
the Northern Territory Government. I wasn't really ready to leave Darwin, so I applied for the position.
Ten new finance officers in training, including me, started in Northern Territory Treasury in February 1981. Most of us joined the Australian Society of Accountants (now
CPA Australia) as student members, and we started going to some of the professional development sessions. These were held mainly over lunch at a venue in town
somewhere. Looking back on it now, I realise that there was a very strong culture by the experienced members to provide support, coaching and mentoring for the
junior profession. That culture continues today.
After 3 years of study I completed my Bachelor of Business and became an Associate Member of CPA Australia. When the CPA program became available, it seemed to
be a natural choice to enrol in and complete the program. I am afraid that I was not always a terribly diligent student - I enjoyed the outdoor life, sailing and fishing, and
some of my CPA materials came on sailing and fishing trips so that I could sneak in a bit of study when things were quiet. I did the program with a fellow FCPA, sailor, and
amateur fisherman, Rex Schoolmeester. It helped having a like-minded person studying at the same time, and we helped to get each other motivated.
Although I went on to study law, and to pursue a career in the law, my focus has been commercial law, and my CPA designation has been very important in assessing
commercial aspects of the transactions I have worked on. It has also been of assistance to me as I have moved into managerial roles within the Northern Territory
Government. A number of years ago, I received my 20 year membership badge from CPA Australia, and, most recently, my 30 year badge. I wear these badges with
pride at the Annual CPA Australia Christmas Party.
50 years of CPA Australia in the Northern Territory is a significant milestone. It is great to think that there has been a strong network of support for accounting
professionals in the Northern Territory dating back to 1965. Darwin was a very small community then, and isolated from the rest of Australia and the world. We didn't
have the internet, email, fax machines or mobile telephones then, and so a local form of professional support would have been very important.
On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary, I think back to the individuals who were involved in the establishment of CPA Australia in the Northern Territory, and those who
have continued to support it through their efforts throughout the time. I think of some of the accounting professionals that I met when I first joined as a student
member, people like Reg Lowry, and Graham Backman who represented an earlier time in the Territory, when the Territory was much more of a frontier town. They also
tended to wear short sleeved shirts, shorts and long socks - a fashion that I am pleased to say was disappearing when I entered the workforce in 1980.
BE HEARD.
BE RECOGNISED.
CPA
AUSTRALIAView entire presentation