Towering figure of business and public service, Sir Eric Neal to turn 100

One of the towering figures of Australian business and public ­service, former Boral chief ex­ecutive Eric Neal AC, will celebrate his 100th birthday on Sunday.

Businessman and public servant Eric Neal with former ABC chair Ita Buttrose.

One of the towering figures of Australian business and public ­service, former Boral chief ex­ecutive Eric Neal AC, will celebrate his 100th birthday on Sunday – with former prime minister John Howard leading an ­Adelaide-bound entourage for his centenary celebrations.

Widely regarded as a modern Australian business pioneer, Sir Eric emerged from modest beginnings in the working class Port Adelaide suburb of Largs Bay to became a titan of industry, studying as an engineer at the SA School of Mines before running Boral and serving on the boards of BHP, AMP, Westpac, John Fairfax Holdings and Coca-Cola.

His commitment to public service saw him fill diverse roles ­including governor of South Australia, commissioner of Sydney during the 1988 bicentennial celebrations and an eight-year stint as chancellor of Flinders University when he was aged in his 80s.

Sir Eric Neal was chancellor of Finders University. Picture: Mark Brake

Speaking exclusively to The Weekend Australian, Sir Eric credited much of his longevity to his wife of 72 years, Lady Thelma “Joan” Neal, his lifelong companion with whom he had two sons, and who passed away last year aged 91.

Sir Eric met Lady Joan when she was working as a demonstration cook for the SA Gas Company at the Royal Adelaide Show in 1949, where he had been called upon to repair a faulty gas stove. Upon seeing her he said to a mate: “I’ve not seen her before but I’ll marry her one day,” which he did at St Peters Church in Glenelg the following year.

“I’ve had a wonderful life,” Sir Eric told The Weekend Australian. “I put it down to good genes, a long and happy marriage and taking things quietly.”

Sir Eric Neal with Lady Joan Neal when the couple celebrated 60 years of marriage in 2010.

Sir Eric’s celebrations at the Adelaide Club will be attended John Howard, Meriton founder Harry Triguboff, Sir Eric’s nephew and godson, veteran journalist David Koch, and friends from across politics including former SA Liberal premier Dean Brown and MLC Legh Davis, with one of his successors as SA governor – former DFAT secretary Frances Adamson – also speaking in his honour.

Mr Triguboff told The Weekend Australian that companies such as Meriton would not be the success they are today without the support of Sir Eric.

“He is a great fellow,” Mr Triguboff told The Weekend Australian. “We have been friends for about 40 years. When we first got to know each other my company was very small. Boral was very important for me. In those days we used to meet quite often and give each other a lot of advice. He wanted to know more about the market. I wanted to know more about the technical aspects of construction. We depended on each other and became great friends, not just with him but his late wife.

“When they kicked out the Sydney Council and he ran the city as commissioner I think I got more approvals in that period than ever. I wish they could put him back in charge of all the councils.”

David Koch.

Koch said his Uncle Eric had been sustained by a lifelong interest in the education and development of young people. “I had a mate who did the Boral graduate management program when he was younger and he absolutely loved him,” Koch said.

“When he was chancellor of Flinders and living in North Adelaide he would take the student bus all the way down to the university in Adelaide’s south so he could talk to the students on the way.

“I see this same interest with my own kids. The connection he has with young people has helped keep him young.”

From a diverse career, Sir Eric cites his proudest moment as a simple one. “I have a few proud achievements, I suppose, but the thing that stands out most for me and which I remember most is simply walking down Collins St in Melbourne to attend my first BHP board meeting,” he said.

“I thought that was a proud accomplishment for the boy from Largs Bay who became an engineer to attend his first meeting at BHP.”

Legh Davis. Picture: Matt Loxton

Legh Davis said the appointment of Sir Eric as governor by Dean Brown’s Liberal government in 1996 was a pivotal moment for SA as he was the first vice-regal appointee who came from business, not politics or the military. Sir Eric used the role to act as a de facto trade commissioner for SA, leading delegations to China, Sweden, Malaysia, the US and UK and playing a vital yet discreet role promoting SA as a business destination.

“I was responsible for bringing quite a few businesses to SA but I never talked about it because that was really the role of government,” Sir Eric said. “I had to be careful not to intrude on any political role but I played my part behind the scenes as a facilitator.

“I remember one night we had a dinner at Government House with the managing director of BHP. This was about 20 years ago when they had opened their head office here in Adelaide. The managing director said at the dinner table: “Sir Eric, we owe it to you that we have this office in Adelaide,” and I said: “Please, quietly, quietly, there are some politicians at the table and they deserve the credit.”

John Howard told The Weekend Australian that he had counted Sir Eric as a friend since meeting him during his days at Boral when his political career was in its infancy.

“Eric has had what you might call a stellar career both in business and public service. He was a very successful governor of SA and a great supporter of many philanthropic causes. He is a great all-rounder, to use an expression from the game I love,” Mr Howard said.

“He is a person who took the advice of Dr Johnson in that he has always kept his friendships in good repair.”