Sir Albert Coates Oration

Honouring Sir Albert Coates

The Sir Albert Coates Oration is a free public event held annually at Federation University's Mt Helen Campus to honour Sir Albert Coates. It was established in 2001 in collaboration with the Albert Coates Memorial Trust.

The Oration brings influential speakers to Ballarat to talk about Sir Albert's dedication, resilience and service to the community and inspire future generations to make a positive impact. This premier event is a chance to share stories and celebrate contributions that shape the future of health, education and service.

The Albert Coates Memorial Trust also supports the Albert Coates Memorial Scholarships.

Who was Albert Coates?

Born in Mt Pleasant, Ballarat, Albert Ernest Coates left school at age 11 to work as a butcher and apprentice bookbinder. During the First World War, he served as a medical orderly in Gallipoli. After returning to Australia in 1919, he worked nights in the postal service to support himself while he attended medical school. Within a year of graduating, he was appointed Acting Professor of Anatomy at the University of Melbourne.

At 46, Sir Albert volunteered for service in the Second World War. In 1942, he became a prisoner of war at Padang, Sumatra, and was later sent as a medical officer to Burma, where he played a vital role in saving hundreds of lives along the Thai-Burma Railway.

After the war, Sir Albert became a senior surgeon at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Stewart Lecturer in Surgery at the University of Melbourne. In 2006, the former Mt Helen Union Building at Federation University was named the Albert Coates Complex, and members of the Coates family attended the opening.

2026 Oration guest speaker

Ted Baillieu AO is a respected leader who served as Premier of Victoria and Minister for the Arts from 2010 to 2013. He represented Hawthorn in the Victorian Parliament for 15 years and led the Victorian Liberal Party.

Ted is an adjunct professor at Swinburne University and an honorary enterprise professor at the University of Melbourne. He has chaired national and state committees, including the National Institute of Circus Arts and the Australian Heritage Council. Ted is a life fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects and supports many community organisations as patron and advisor.

In 2020, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Swinburne University and in 2022 he was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia for his service to Victoria and international engagement.