CPA Annual Research Lecture
The CPA Australia - University of Melbourne Annual Research Lecture
The CPA Australia - University of Melbourne Annual Research Lecture is acknowledged, among the university's many disciplines and extensive public programs, as its longest-running continuous annual research-lecture series. The operative word is ‘continuous’. The few lecture series with longer histories have all experienced hiatuses at some stage, whereas since its inception in 1940, the annual accounting research lecture has been held without fail, a tribute to the commitment of the key personnel in the two organisations. What has now emerged is that it is almost certainly the world’s most-enduring annual accounting lecture series. Thus the lecturers over the years, together with the university and CPA Australia (and its forerunner bodies), can consider themselves as joint ‘world record holders’.
(Extract from Wisdom from the Podium A History of the CPA Australia - University of Melbourne Annual Research Lecture by Geoff Burrows (Melbourne University Publishing, 2008, page 1).
Annual Research Lectures Endowed by CPA Australia:
Annual Research Lectures Endowed by the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants:
| Year | Speaker | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Russell Lundholm, University of British Columbia | Reporting on the Past - A New Approach to Improving Accounting Today |
| 1998 | Peter D. Easton, University of Notre Dame | The Use of Financial Accounts for Corporate Valuation Purposes |
| 1997 | W. Peter Day, Lumina Ltd | The Future for Accounting Standards in Australia |
| 1996 | Keith Houghton, The University of Melbourne | Opportunistic Accounting Policy Choice and Distressed Companies - A Nightmare for the Profession? |
| 1995 | Margaret Abernethy AM, The University of Melbourne | Health Care in Victoria |
| 1994 | Barry H. Spicer, The University of Auckland | Experiments in Corporatization - Insights from the Transitions of New Zealand State-Owned Enterprises |
| 1993 | Warren P. Hogan, University of Technology Sydney | Market Value Accounting in the Finance Sector |
| 1992 | Ken T. Trotman, The University of New South Wales | The Impact of Analytical Review Research on Audit Practice |
| 1991 | Robert E.G. Nicol, The University of Melbourne | The Dividend Puzzle - An Australian Solution |
| 1990 | Keith Houghton, The University of Melbourne | Business Failure - Symptoms and Solutions |
Annual Research Lectures Endowed by the Australian Society of Accountants
| Year | Speaker | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Bernard Marks, The University of Melbourne | The Corporate Tax Labyrinth - Simplicity and Complexity |
| 1988 | Ron Weber, The University of Queensland | Paradise Lost? Information Technology and the Accounting Profession |
| 1987 | Robert H. Chenhall, Monash University | Management Accounting - The Research Challenge |
| 1986 | Richard G. Humphry, Australian Stock Exchange | Forces for Change in the Public Sector Resourse Management - The Role of Accountants |
| 1985 | Jean St G. Kerr, The University of Melbourne | Owners' Equity - Concept and Practice |
| 1984 | Malcolm C. Miller, The University of New South Wales | The Direction and Structure of Financial Reporting in Australia - Learning from the Accomplishments and Failure in the US |
| 1983 | T.J. Valentine | The Financing Factor and Company Financing - Campbell and After |
| 1982 | Robert R. Officer | Valuation Problems in an Inflationary Environment |
| 1981 | D.R. Rickard | Perceptions of Profit |
| 1980 | D. Steele Craik | A Perspective in Government Auditing - Past, Present and Future |
| 1979 | F.K. Wright | Is There a Science of Cash Management? |
| 1978 | Murray C. Wells, The University of Sydney | Is it Futile to Impose Accounting Standards? |
| 1977 | John D. Balmford | Accounting Standards - Development and Prospects Since 1972 |
| 1976 | W. Winiata | Developments in International Finance |
| 1975 | M.S. Henderson | The Management of Liabilities |
| 1974 | R.C. Clift | Accounting Information and the Capital Market |
| 1973 | M.S. Cohen | Publication of Financial Forecasts |
| 1972 | S.A. Zeff | Forging Accounting Principles in Australia |
| 1971 | G.W. Beck | Accountants - As Others See Us |
| 1970 | Philip Brown, The University of Western Australia | Those Half-Yearly Reports |
| 1969 | Louis Goldberg | Company Auditors Reports - Some Aspects of their Function in Communication |
| 1968 | G.G. Meredith | Analysis of Capital Investments Under Risk and Uncertainty |
| 1967 | Reginald S. Gynther | Accounting for Price Changes Theory and Practice |
| 1966 | B.J. McMahon | The Effects of EDP on Accounting in Victoria |
| 1965 | W.J. Stewart | The Measurement and Reporting of Company Performance |
| 1964 | John McBain Grant | The Cost of Capital |
| 1963 | A.D. Barton | Company Takeovers in Australia, 1953-1963 |
| 1962 | K.B. Stonier | The Influence of Electronic Data Processing upon the Accountants, Accounting Thought and Practice |
| 1961 | E.B. Smyth | Profitability and the Conventional Applications of the Rate of Return Concept |
| 1960 | T.R. Johnston | The Role of Financial Reporting in a Partially Controlled Economy |
| 1959 | R.K. Yorston | Reporting Financial Information to Employees |
| 1958 | Louis Goldberg | Assumptions in Discussion on Depreciation |
| 1957 | R.J. Chambers | The Implications of Asset Revaluations and Bonus Share Issues |
| 1956 | R.L. Mathews | Government Actions and Social Accounting |
| 1955 | W.J. Vatter | The Fund Theory of Accounting |
| 1954 | S.R. Brown | Accounting and the Law |
| 1953 | M.E. Murphy | Correlation of Accounting and Economics |
Annual Research Lectures Endowed by the Commonwealth Institute of Accountants
| Year | Speaker | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | K.C. Keown | Working Capital and Its Importance in Company Finance |
| 1951 | R.L. Mathews | New Horizons in Accounting |
| 1950 | R.J. Chambers | Relationship between Accounting and Financial Management |
| 1949 | F.S. Bray | Social Accounting |
| 1948 | L.A. Braddock | Accounting Profits and Taxable Income |
| 1947 | Ronald A. Irish | Evolution of Corporate Accounting |
| 1946 | W.D. Scott | Differential Costs |
| 1945 | A.A. Fitzgerald | Theory and Practice in Accounting for Commodity Stocks |
| 1944 | N.S. Young | Matching of Costs and Income |
| 1943 | L.A. Schumer | Revaluation of Cost Accounting |
| 1942 | J.A.L. Gunn | On the Margin of Accountancy |
| 1941 | A. Clunies Ross | Accounting Concepts in Australian Legislation |
| 1940 | A.A. Fitzgerald | Field for Research in Accountancy |
References:
Wisdom from the Podium A History of the CPA Australia - University of Melbourne Annual Research Lecture by Geoff Burrows (Melbourne University Publishing, 2008).
Several lectures were summarised in “Insights” published by the Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Melbourne under the editorship of Joe Isaac and more recently, Geoff Burrows. These articles are as follows:
2007 Stewart Leech, The use and misuse of intelligent systems in accounting: the risk of technology dominance. Insights Vol. 4 (November 2008): pp. 37–41.
2009 Mary Barth, Research that Informs the standard-setting process. Insights Vol. 7 (April 2010): pp. 37–43.
2010 Miklos Vasarhelyi, The coming age of continuous assurance. Insights Vol. 9 (April 2011): pp. 23–29.
2011 Annette Kimmitt and Adam Wood, The sustainability of the audit profession: a practitioner’s perspective. Insights Vol. 11 (April 2012): pp. 13–19.
2012 Naomi Soderstrom, Sustainability reporting: past, present and trends for the future. Insights Vol. 13 (April 2013): pp. 31–37.
2013 W. Robert Knechel, Audit quality and regulation. Insights Vol. 15 (April 2014): pp. 66–72.
2014 David Tweedie, Changing the image of the profession: economic reality in accounting and the increasing value of the audit. Insights Vol., 17 (June 2015): pp. 5–13.
For more information, please contact caip-info@unimelb.edu.au.