Nick Politis AM (Class of 1960)
Nick Politis is an Australian businessman and Chairman of Sydney-based NRL team the Sydney Roosters. Politis ran and expanded WFM Motors Pty Ltd from March 1974, rebranding its marketing name as “City Ford” and transforming it into one of the largest Ford dealerships in Australia. The business has been sponsors of the Roosters since 1976, when the club set a new precedent of having major sponsors’ names appearing on their jerseys – making Politis the first sponsor in rugby league.
Dr Russell Stitz (Class of 1960)
Dr Russell Stitz is one of Australia’s most prominent and highly awarded clinicians. He is respected worldwide for his leadership in the development of innovative healthcare solutions during his time spent in medical roles such as President of the Australian Medical Association of Qld (AMAQ), President of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and Board Member of the Wesley Research Institute to name a few.
Russell Stitz was Senior Surgeon in the Colorectal Unit at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) and became a pioneer in the development of laparoscopic (keyhole) colorectal surgery.
After completing his surgical training at the same Hospital, he extended his experience in the United Kingdom where he trained in Colorectal Surgery at St Mark’s Hospital, London. Russell has been Chairman of the Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and is a Past President of the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australasia and is an Honorary Member of both the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.
Russell was on the Council of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons before becoming President in 2005.
In 2002/2003, Russell was inducted as President of the AMA in Queensland and served on the Board of the Wesley Hospital in Brisbane. From 1988-1992, he was Chairman of the Medical Staff Association at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. He has had a long career in the Army Reserve holding the rank of Colonel in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps.
In 2015 the Governor of Queensland opened the Wesley Hospital’s $20 million expanded operating theatre complex, named after Dr Russell Stitz.
Dr Vlasis Efstathis OAM (Class of 1962)
Awarded an OAM in 2016, Dr Efstathis was recognised for significant service to community health through leadership roles with a range of organisations, and to medicine as a practitioner.
Vlasis is an experienced General Practitioner having worked for more than 9 years at the East St Clinic in Ipswich. He trained initially at Ipswich Hospital and later joined the Australasian College of Tropical Medicine serving as Secretary 2003- 08.
He was extensively involved in Community Health, appointed to the Ipswich Hospitals Board 1981- 91, Foundation Chairman of the Medical Executive St Andrews Ipswich 1983-84, and Health Officer Ipswich City Council 1975- 2005.
Dr Efstathis has considerable experience in Military Medicine serving as Officer Commanding 4 Preventive Medicine Company, Commanding officer 2nd Field hospital and Director of Army Medical Services [QLD]. Vlasis deployed to East Timor as Public Health Physician to the United Nations and the Australian Defence Force in 2000 and again as Team Leader, Health Team Foxtrot to Banda Aceh Sumatra in 2005. #igsoldboys
Frederick Petersen (Class of 1963)
Before attending Ipswich Grammar School, Frederick Petersen played the lead role in the Australian-made movie series ‘Smiley’ alongside Chips Rafferty and others. A school friend of Barry Gibbs at Humpybong State School, he joined the Bee Gees as the drummer and equal partner when they moved to England. In 1969 he left the Bee Gees and formed the band Humpy Bong. #yourplaceinhistory #igs
Bernard Berekia Sakora CBE CSM (Class of 1965)
Bernard Sakora is a Justice of the National and Supreme Courts of Papua New Guinea, to which he was appointed in 1993. After attending Ipswich Grammar School he studied a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Papua New Guinea and a Master of Laws at London University. In 1974 he joined the Department of Justice as a Legal Officer and was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of PNG with entitlement to admission to the High Court of Australia and other Federal Courts and Supreme Courts of Australian Territories. In 1981 he resigned to join the Faculty of Law at UPNG, becoming senior lecturer in law and a member of various departmental, faculty and university committees. He was the recipient of the CBE in the 2005 Queen’s Birthday Honours and the Companion of the Order of the Star of Melanesia in 2006. In 2010 he was appointed Chancellor of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea. #yourplaceinhistory #igs
Sir Moi Avei KCBE (Class of 1965)
Sir Moi Avei KCBE, is a Papua New Guinean politician. He was a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea, representing the Kairuku-Hiri electorate. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 2004 to 2006. Aside from his stint as Deputy Prime Minister, Avei also served in a number of ministerial portfolios, including Higher Education, Science and Technology, National Planning, Bougainville Affairs and Petroleum and Energy. He later went on to a business career, serving in several capacities including Chairman of Ok Tedi Mining Limited and director of Bougainville Copper. Avei was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 2002 New Year Honours. #yourplaceinhistory #igs
John Braithwaite (Class of 1968)
An Australian Research Council federation fellow and founder of RegNet, the Regulatory Institutions Network, at the Australian National University. He has been active for 40 years in social movement politics in Australia and internationally. He served from 1983-87 as a member of the Economic Planning Advisory Council, which was chaired by the Prime Minister, was a part-time commissioner with the Trade Practices Commission from 1985-95 and served as a member of the Council on Business Regulation from 1994-96. He has won a number of prizes in the US and Europe, most recently the US$200,000 Grawemeyer Award for Ideas for Improving World Order and the first Stockholm Prize for Criminology.
