Vale John Burke (1942–2023) A Tribute to a Man who Contributed Much to Australian Telecommunications, TelSoc, and to All of his Communities
Main Article Content
Keywords
John Burke, Obituaries, Australian telecommunications, First Nations, TelSoc
Abstract
John Burke was a long-term member of TelSoc, a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of this Journal, and Convenor of TelSoc’s Broadband Futures Group. His sudden and unexpected death on 24 August 2023 was received with shock and great sadness by his colleagues in many fields, including in TelSoc and the ex-Telstra diaspora. This tribute focusses on John Burke’s substantial contribution over a long period to the telecommunications sector, but provides some indication of the other work that he did over his 81 years for the various communities of interest of which he was part. John believed in the power of informed communities to take action to improve society in terms of equitable outcomes and opportunity, and persistently acted on that principle.
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References
Adams, P., Inglis, S., & Proctor, J. (2022). The Broadband Futures Forum: Regional Connectivity and Shared Infrastructure in NSW and New Zealand. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 10(3), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v10n3.616
Barr, T. (ed.). (1987). Challenges And Change: Australia’s Information Society. Oxford University Press, 1987. See chapter by Burke, J. P., The Impact of Technology.
Barr, T. (2023). Email from Professor Trevor Barr, now Emeritus Professor at Swinburne University in Melbourne, to the author dated 2 December 2023.
Burke, J. (n.d.). John Burke [author biographical statement]. Available at https://telsoc.org/journal/author/john-burke
Burke, J. P. (2022). From John to Family (unpublished). (Comment: this document was prepared by John Burke for his children. The author sourced the copy held by his daughter, Anna Burke. The document was prepared in recent years, and was presented to his children in 2022.)
Campbell, L. H., & Milner, M. (2019). NBN Futures Forum: Discussing the future ownership of Australia’s National Broadband Network. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 7(3), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v7n3.202. Held at RMIT, Melbourne, on 31 July 2019.
Campbell, L. H. (2019). The NBN Futures Forum: Realising the User Potential of the NBN. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 7(4), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v7n4.228. Held at RMIT, Melbourne on 22 October 2019.
Campbell, L. H. (2020). The NBN Futures Forum: Learning from International Experience. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 8(1), 49–57. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v8n1.251. Held at RMIT, Melbourne, on 25 February 2020.
Campbell, L. H., Smith, A. C., & Brooks, P. (2020). The NBN Futures Forum: Social and Economic Benefits of Broadband for Digital Inclusion and Telehealth. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 8(3), 18–32. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v8n3.346. Held online on 18 August 2020.
Campbell, L. H. (2021a). The Broadband Futures Forum: Regional and Rural Broadband Access —City standards in 10 years? Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 9(2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v9n2.400. Held online on 24 March 2021.
Campbell, L. H. (2021b). The Broadband Futures Forum: The Rise of 5G and the NBN. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 9(3), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v9n3.432. Held online on 25 May 2021.
Campbell, L. H. and Mithen, J. (2021). The Broadband Futures Forum: Affordability of Broadband Services. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 9(4), 127–137. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v9n4.468. Held online on 25 August 2021.
Communications Law Centre. (1996). Telstra Consumer Consultative Council. (UNSW), Communications Update, 58. Communications Law Centre (UNSW). Available at http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/CLCCommsUpd/1996/58.pdf. This publication provides a more detailed description of how the Telstra Consultative Consumer Council was structured and operated.
Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation. (2011). Corporate Body: Commission for the Future (1985 - 1998). Available at https://www.eoas.info/biogs/A002176b.htm
Holmes, J. R., Burke, J. P., Campbell, L. H., & Hamilton, A. (2020). Towards a National Broadband Strategy for Australia, 2020-2030. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 8(4), 192–269. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v8n4.371. Held online on 24 November 2020.
Mathews, I. (1973). Learning exchanges provide the bridge to knowledge. Education Age, Age, Melbourne, 4 December 1973.
Neighbourhood Houses Victoria. (2022). Our history. Neighbourhood Houses Victoria. Available at https://www.nhvic.org.au/history. The neighbourhood house movement in Victoria had its origins in the late 1960s, and has grown in strength and diversity, indicating a demand for services and courses developed locally at the time and since.
Pritchard-Kelly, R., & Costa, J. (2022). Low Earth Orbit Satellite Systems: Comparisons with Geostationary and Other Satellite Systems, and their Significant Advantages. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 10(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v10n1.552. Held online on 11 August 2021.
Richards, N. (2023). Vale John Burke. Australian Communities Foundation, 2 October 2023. Available at https://communityfoundation.org.au/about/news-and-media/vale-john-burke
Singh, S. (2023). Email to the author dated 15 December 2023. Professor Supriya Singh, formerly Deputy Director of CIRCIT and now Adjunct Professor, Department of Social Inquiry, La Trobe University, prepared the content and much of the text of the section on CIRCIT.
Slaughter, R. A. (1999). Lessons from the Australian Commission for the Future: 1986–98. Futures, 31(1), 91–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-3287(98)00114-1
Smith, S. (ed.). (2000). In the Consumer Interest – a selected history of consumer affairs in Australia 1945-2000. Society of Consumer Affairs Professional in Business (Australia), Melbourne. It has a chapter entitled Telecommunications: Consumers on the Line that refers to the Telstra Consumer Consultative Council and John Burke.
TelSoc Broadband Futures Group. (2021). Assessing Australia’s Progress Towards a National Broadband Strategy at December 2021. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 9(4), 149–177. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v9n4.472
TelSoc Broadband Futures Group. (2023). Assessing Australia’s Progress towards a National Digital Communications Strategy at December 2022. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 11(1), 29–43. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v11n1.717
Ward, G. B. (2023). Private email from Graeme Ward to the author dated 26 October 2023.
Waters, P., & Koch, A. (2022). The Broadband Futures Forum: The Australian Broadband Advisory Council Agri-Tech Expert Working Group Report. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 10(1), 23–33. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v10n1.553. Held online on 21 October 2021.
Barr, T. (ed.). (1987). Challenges And Change: Australia’s Information Society. Oxford University Press, 1987. See chapter by Burke, J. P., The Impact of Technology.
Barr, T. (2023). Email from Professor Trevor Barr, now Emeritus Professor at Swinburne University in Melbourne, to the author dated 2 December 2023.
Burke, J. (n.d.). John Burke [author biographical statement]. Available at https://telsoc.org/journal/author/john-burke
Burke, J. P. (2022). From John to Family (unpublished). (Comment: this document was prepared by John Burke for his children. The author sourced the copy held by his daughter, Anna Burke. The document was prepared in recent years, and was presented to his children in 2022.)
Campbell, L. H., & Milner, M. (2019). NBN Futures Forum: Discussing the future ownership of Australia’s National Broadband Network. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 7(3), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v7n3.202. Held at RMIT, Melbourne, on 31 July 2019.
Campbell, L. H. (2019). The NBN Futures Forum: Realising the User Potential of the NBN. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 7(4), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v7n4.228. Held at RMIT, Melbourne on 22 October 2019.
Campbell, L. H. (2020). The NBN Futures Forum: Learning from International Experience. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 8(1), 49–57. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v8n1.251. Held at RMIT, Melbourne, on 25 February 2020.
Campbell, L. H., Smith, A. C., & Brooks, P. (2020). The NBN Futures Forum: Social and Economic Benefits of Broadband for Digital Inclusion and Telehealth. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 8(3), 18–32. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v8n3.346. Held online on 18 August 2020.
Campbell, L. H. (2021a). The Broadband Futures Forum: Regional and Rural Broadband Access —City standards in 10 years? Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 9(2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v9n2.400. Held online on 24 March 2021.
Campbell, L. H. (2021b). The Broadband Futures Forum: The Rise of 5G and the NBN. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 9(3), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v9n3.432. Held online on 25 May 2021.
Campbell, L. H. and Mithen, J. (2021). The Broadband Futures Forum: Affordability of Broadband Services. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 9(4), 127–137. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v9n4.468. Held online on 25 August 2021.
Communications Law Centre. (1996). Telstra Consumer Consultative Council. (UNSW), Communications Update, 58. Communications Law Centre (UNSW). Available at http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/CLCCommsUpd/1996/58.pdf. This publication provides a more detailed description of how the Telstra Consultative Consumer Council was structured and operated.
Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation. (2011). Corporate Body: Commission for the Future (1985 - 1998). Available at https://www.eoas.info/biogs/A002176b.htm
Holmes, J. R., Burke, J. P., Campbell, L. H., & Hamilton, A. (2020). Towards a National Broadband Strategy for Australia, 2020-2030. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 8(4), 192–269. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v8n4.371. Held online on 24 November 2020.
Mathews, I. (1973). Learning exchanges provide the bridge to knowledge. Education Age, Age, Melbourne, 4 December 1973.
Neighbourhood Houses Victoria. (2022). Our history. Neighbourhood Houses Victoria. Available at https://www.nhvic.org.au/history. The neighbourhood house movement in Victoria had its origins in the late 1960s, and has grown in strength and diversity, indicating a demand for services and courses developed locally at the time and since.
Pritchard-Kelly, R., & Costa, J. (2022). Low Earth Orbit Satellite Systems: Comparisons with Geostationary and Other Satellite Systems, and their Significant Advantages. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 10(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v10n1.552. Held online on 11 August 2021.
Richards, N. (2023). Vale John Burke. Australian Communities Foundation, 2 October 2023. Available at https://communityfoundation.org.au/about/news-and-media/vale-john-burke
Singh, S. (2023). Email to the author dated 15 December 2023. Professor Supriya Singh, formerly Deputy Director of CIRCIT and now Adjunct Professor, Department of Social Inquiry, La Trobe University, prepared the content and much of the text of the section on CIRCIT.
Slaughter, R. A. (1999). Lessons from the Australian Commission for the Future: 1986–98. Futures, 31(1), 91–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-3287(98)00114-1
Smith, S. (ed.). (2000). In the Consumer Interest – a selected history of consumer affairs in Australia 1945-2000. Society of Consumer Affairs Professional in Business (Australia), Melbourne. It has a chapter entitled Telecommunications: Consumers on the Line that refers to the Telstra Consumer Consultative Council and John Burke.
TelSoc Broadband Futures Group. (2021). Assessing Australia’s Progress Towards a National Broadband Strategy at December 2021. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 9(4), 149–177. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v9n4.472
TelSoc Broadband Futures Group. (2023). Assessing Australia’s Progress towards a National Digital Communications Strategy at December 2022. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 11(1), 29–43. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v11n1.717
Ward, G. B. (2023). Private email from Graeme Ward to the author dated 26 October 2023.
Waters, P., & Koch, A. (2022). The Broadband Futures Forum: The Australian Broadband Advisory Council Agri-Tech Expert Working Group Report. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 10(1), 23–33. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v10n1.553. Held online on 21 October 2021.
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Published
Dec 27, 2023
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How to Cite
Holmes, J. (2023). Vale John Burke (1942–2023): A Tribute to a Man who Contributed Much to Australian Telecommunications, TelSoc, and to All of his Communities. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 11(4), 199–211. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v11n4.913
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Author Biography
Jim Holmes, Incyte Consulting
Director of Incyte Consulting.
