Sir Eric
Neal worked as an engineer before becoming a board member of several companies including Boral, John Fairfax Ltd and BHP. Sir Eric was well regarded for his management skills and was recognised for his corporate leadership. He became Chief Commissioner of Sydney in the late 1980s and was the first businessman to be appointed to the office of Governor of South Australia in 1996.
Sir Eric has been recognised for his significant contribution to Australian business. He received a knighthood in 1982 and was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1988. In 1992 he was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. He was named Australian Business Magazine's Businessman of the Year in 1987.
While serving as the Governor of South Australia, Sir Eric led trade missions to the Shan Dong province of China, Malaysia, Sweden and the United States of America.
Following his retirement as Governor in 2001, Sir Eric was Chancellor of Flinders University until 2010. He was chair of the South Australian Government Road Safety Advisory Council between 2003 and 2011 and has chaired the South Australian Veterans' Advisory Council since 2009.
Picture - Sir Eric Neal donating books to the UniSA Library, UniSA Library