Dr Neville Derrington Hicks (1940-)
Papers related to Health Care in South Australia
Future Directions Initiative, 1985-87
MSS 0226
Biographical Note
Dr Neville Hicks studied theology, history and politics at the University of Adelaide and graduated with a B.A. Honours in 1967, followed by a PhD on demography from the Australian National University. In 1971-72 he was Research Officer to the Committee of Enquiry into Health Services in South Australia. From 1974 to 1975 he taught social theory at Flinders University before joining the Department of Community Medicine at the University of Adelaide as a lecturer, advancing to Senior Lecturer in 1979 and Chairman during 1982.
In July 1980 he was appointed a part-time member of the SA Health Commission, and as part-time Commissioner from 1982-83.
In 1984/85 the South Australian Health Commission established an initiative to identify major health issues facing SA’s health System then and in the future, to promote a common understanding of the issues, to determine health goals and objectives towards the year 2001 and to agree upon the most appropriate machinery for making decisions. A questionnaire was widely circulated and the information used for discussion at a conference of 80 invited delegates at Wirrina from 2-5 may 1985.
An interim framework for continuing discussion was established, comprised of a Sponsor Group, a Health Trends Advisory Group, and a Projects Group. The Future Directions Project was terminated in April 1987 when the SA Health Commission directed its support towards the World Health Organisation strategy “Health for All by the Year 2000.”
Dr Hicks was invited to take part in the Wirrina Conference and subsequently to be a member of the Health Trends Advisory Group.
In 1996 Hicks was awarded a Stephen Cole the Elder Prize for Excellence in Teaching for postgraduate teaching, and in 1997 Hicks transferred to the Dept of Public Health, retiring from his position as Associate Professor in July 2005. These papers were donated by him to the Library in April 2012.
Contents Listing
Conference (Wirrina, 2-4 May 1985) Chairman: Professor Gary Andrews 2 cm.
Programme, list of delegates, objectives, summaries of papers and group discussions, report on the conference
Newsletter (Health Care in South Australia – Future Directions project) vol. 1 (1985) with cover letter
Health Trends Advisory Group 10 cm.
The Health Trends Advisory Group was established following the Conference as an integral part of the Future Directions initiative.
Includes correspondence, lists of members, agendas and minutes of meeting, related discussion papers 14 May 1985-29 April 1987
Cheryl Hoskin
June 2017