My father and myself headed down to Adelaide for my graduation ceremony and at age 48, I had never been to one before so I was actually kind of interested. Normally I just get a certificate sent out in the mail as I’m not really into the whole formal award ceremony – this time was different.

However, as I had only briefly driven through Adelaide on route from a Melbourne to Perth in the early 1990s, it was time to properly visit Adelaide. That drive that took thirty four hours so I really relished the opportunity to explore the capital of South Australia. Spending the first afternoon wandering around the Torrens River that cuts through Adelaide, we made our way over to the convention centre for a look around. While we knew we would be here on the Wednesday, the time spent to acquaint ourselves with the facility was time well spent.

This was ideally located on the Torrens River with sweeping views of the riverbanks. I also found out the Adelaide Convention Centre was the first purpose built convention centre of its type in the country and I think they did a fantastic job. Whilst the graduation ceremony was a little drab as everyone required equal time to receive their certificate and pose for the obligatory photograph, the views from riverbank suite after it was all done was perfect. Upon leaving we were right in the CBD and we wandered up North Terrace and onto King William Street to grab a celebratory drink and meal.

Despite the enormous pool of retirement savings in Australia, the average person falls well short of what would be considered an ideal retirement income. Naturally, retirees aspire to the standard of living they have grown accustomed to with $750,000 widely viewed as a comfortable retirement sum to fund a reasonable standard of living higher than the ASFA recommendation of $640,000 that is still a pretty tidy sum. Whilst it is better to have a $110,000 buffer – few can afford that.

In order to achieve achieve retirement goals, an annual pension of $44,000 is considered adequate for single person, the ASFA figure is $35,000 but I prefer to be a little more conservative. About $60,000 is required for a couple as shared bills tends to reduce the cost of living. For the average worker, in order to achieve such goals may need them to take greater investment risks, increase contributions during the accumulation phase, pay lower fees, remain in the workforce longer or alternately they could learn to live on less.

I first met Ron Moore down in Albany during the summer of either late 1999 or early 2000 when I was undertaking some trimix dives through his old shop in Sanford Road with Neil Hackett. Ron came across as a pretty knowledgeable guy and easy to approach, we became friends not long after that, he was a pretty good guy – not hard to work that out.

I became a full-time dive instructor in late 2001 after becoming fed up working in my trade and I needed a new lease on life. So I went to work in a number of Perth-based dive centres on a contract basis until I was offered a manager’s position at a small but entrepreneurial business. This gave me the opportunity to run tours down to Albany through Ron’s dive centre, we were supporting local business, so I was happy about that.

After some restructuring we dived all year round running tours through Perth and Dunsborough during the summer months. I reserved the Albany tours through Ron’s dive shop during the winter months as whilst the water was cold, conditions were best. We ran the odd summer tour to cater for our clients who had dived every other tour.

As the proprietor of Albany Scuba Diving Academy in a large regional centre in Western Australia, Ron was doing it tough as competition was tight. Even though Ron was instrumental in organising the scuttling of the former Charles F Adams class guided missile destroyer the HMAS Perth, the upkick in business didn’t come. Perth based divers thought it was too far to travel to dive at a tad of just over 500 kilometres.

Our short tours run through West Australia Dive Centre were very popular with overseas tour groups with a special emphasis on Japanese tours. Ron organised great accommodation and great atmosphere  for our tours. We had a great party on Saturday night with a barbecue, dancing and drinks – for some, the Saturday night eclipsed the diving. It was my view that this was our best tour that we had on our books.

Eventually I moved on from full-time dive employment into a government job, I still remained a part-time instructor and then business owner for a number of years afterwards. I still kept in touch with Ron and would come down to dive in Albany occasionally. Unfortunately Ron got pretty sick and his struggling dive operation went under, we would catch up and discuss the dive business and business conditions in general over a few drinks.

Upon his return to health, Ron took a job in the agricultural sector before picking up a job as a safety representative in the booming mining industry. Owing to his extensive life experiences, self-confidence garnered as a dive instructor, small business background and general outgoing demeanor, Ron picked up a very good overseas position in the oil and gas industry.

Ron went from struggling for money ever since I knew him to being a guy flush with money – I was really happy for him. We corresponded regularly via social media as I was up late every evening with study and he was on the other side of the world. Ron was heavily invested in the dive industry in Albany, this was never a road to riches, this was purchasing a job for yourself and spending your days doing something fun whist trying to not be too financially distressed.

We discussed plenty of issues and he was pretty quick to tell me if he thought I was heading down the wrong path – I was more than happy to listen to his opinion. Ron was getting ready to return to his job in Africa when he felt some pain in his left flank. He went to the doctor and was passed as fit for work and able to head off back to Africa.

He had some reservations and pushed his personal friend who was also his doctor to look deeper when late stage pancreatic cancer was discovered. Ron never returned to work as his full-time job was now cancer treatment. During his extensive time in hospital battling cancer treatments and associated side-effects, I was able to correspond once again through social media. The last time I saw Ron was in St John of God Hospital in Subiaco when I dropped in after a football game.

Ron was recognisable but had lost plenty of muscle and size, I knew then that this wasn’t great and I was very concerned for him. At least we were able to laugh about the size I had expanded owing to my lack of meaningful exercise due to study commitments over the previous five years. That was the opportunity to deflect from him a little bit, he looked awful but he certainly hadn’t given up by that stage.

I hadn’t seen Ron online for a while when I sent him a concerned message via social media asking how he was. A couple of days later his wife Kate messaged me through LinkedIn informing me Ron had passed away at home. I chatted with her for a while and I guess it was uncomfortable for both of us because our exchange was polite but stilted.

I searched through his Facebook profile for a picture of him, I haven’t asked his wife for permission which is wrong on some accounts but I don’t really want to contact her to remind her of Ron’s death and I’m sure she will be ok with this. Ron departed well before he should have and a year on I still miss this guy.

Outback Australia is remote, the people living on cattle and sheep stations have an unbelievable childhood in terms of fun and adventure. There is however the important business of educating these kids and this is the role of school of the air where kids logged onto a radio set to undertake their education as their only other option was boarding school.

The teacher would reside in the largest town in the district and every day eager kids would take their lessons via radio set. Every now and again they would all venture into town and meet their teacher and school friends for a school outing. Heading into town could consist of a eight hour car ride, sometimes the trip could be longer.

In the information age, a computer connected to the world wide web dramatically reduces the isolation these kids face. Needless to say, technology enhanced education allows more interactive lessons and webcam although the isolation hasn’t changed. Generally, when the kids get older they head off to boarding school but this isn’t always the case.

We had a terrible situation where the McGowan government is cutting funding to the School of the Air leaving country kids without great options; fortunately public pressure forced the government to reverse its decision and the School of the Air will continue in Western Australia. Finally, a decent decision was made that supported the residents of the state that reside outside of the major centres.

The average cost of an MBA in Australia increased 6% in 2017 to $47,500 AUD; the Melbourne Business School tops the list at $85,000 AUD as the most expensive Australian MBA program. With the one year Melbourne Business School MBA setting you back closer to $100,000 AUD once $30,000 living costs are taken into account, you want to make sure you are getting a reasonable return on investment – one hopes the network opportunities are sufficient. This is a significant investment in time and effort that needs to be calculated into the lifestyle loss.

So the average price of MBA tuition in Australia has risen causing the return on investment time frame to extend with costs skyrocketing for the majority of graduates. This is somewhat hampered by the soft employment market, poor financial fundamentals and opportunity cost that most business school graduates currently face. We are expecting similar increases once again in 2018 and one is hoping the employment market is improving to make the investment worthwhile.

Without taking into account the loss of salary during this period, this is becoming an expensive endeavor. With the average full-time Australian male salary now $81,947 AUD, the loss of income along with tuition fees gets close to $159,447 AUD. With the average Australian female salary now 70,392 AUD, total outlay is $147,892 AUD – these costs are now staggering. But when you start looking at post MBA salaries, you start to think – maybe it was worth the cost after all.

Whilst not willing to disclose my full MBA cost, I can state through my scholarship and choice of university that I paid below less than half the cost of average Australian MBA tuition fees. This will improve my return on investment but somewhat subdued by my advancing middle age. At 49, my return on investment is very different to an average graduate in a top business school in the coveted 28 to 32 age group so I have a different return on investment schedule than younger graduates.

How young is too young to retire? I meet people in their 20s living a travelling life of part time work throughout the year. That is full time work for 3, 6 or 9 months of the year and then spending the remaining time travelling to an overseas destination. This is normally a developing country where the currency conversion is good and the cost of living is cheap. The plan is usually work in a country with a strong currency and a high cost of living coupled with high salaries to compensate for the cost of living.

Is this really retiring? No, not at all because to retire is to give up work completely. However, there is always a caveat because a retiree can engage in a little part time work to keep themselves busy and to supplement their retirement income. The next group is in their 30s, they have had a decade or so of employment and have either been extremely well paid, developed a successful business or come into money through a lottery win, inheritance or marriage.

They could have a successful travel blog, Instagram page, YouTube channel or some other electronic business to generate an income whilst travelling the world. There is always family money, that can come at any age but who really wants to live off their parent’s money? I was lucky enough to be able to work half a year and travel half a year in my late 20s right up to my mid 30s before rejoining the workforce full time again at age 37. I still get to travel overseas on a regular basis anywhere from three to five trips a year, but it is short term travel of two weeks duration these days.

That decade was the greatest period of my life in terms of lifestyle but a real career killer – not that I’m complaining. I had to re-enter the workforce to ensure my retirement was looked after. I needed to pull my head in and get serious about contributing to my superannuation fund. I was lucky enough to join the state government at the right time and still be able to join the state government retirement fund before they clamped down on the conditions.

The majority of people I have come across who have retired early are in their 40s, they have had enough time in the workforce to save for an early retirement, they could sell a business, derive an income from investments or received an inheritance. These people have sold businesses, have investment accounts and own property and I have seen people rent out their house to travel.

Living in low cost of living countries and owning properties allows them to live a relaxed lifestyle and their property usually appreciates in value. I have come across a number of people living in the Philippines in their 40s and 50s who owned their property that is rented out. This is a great strategy, owning just a single property allows a retired lifestyle of relaxation.

Most of the guys I have met through scuba diving so these guys have a job in a dive centre but there isn’t much work involved. In the low cost wage world of developing countries where locals are hired to wash the equipment, fill cylinders, carry equipment, boat crew and equipment repair; all they have to do is step on the boat and hang around the dive centre chatting to people before and after dives.

The last group I come across in the Philippines directly after the global financial crisis was a bunch of London stockbrokers, finance guys and IT people. They were displaced, they lost all their benefits, their income and their lifestyle. They were hanging out in a developing country where the living was cheap and the diving is good, some of them were still working remotely via virtual teams.

After diving they would have to go back home and log on and work; every now and again they would have to fly to Hong Kong for a series of face-to-face meetings. I never discussed income with them so I don’t know how good their deal is, I’m guessing their cost of living and their lifestyle more than adequately compensates them. Maybe semi-retirement can be achieved through a lifestyle change and low-cost living, the people I meet seem to be enjoying their new status and lifestyle.

I always try to be positive when commenting on the Western Australian Police; they do a fantastic job under trying and difficult conditions. They have a strong social media presence; their posts are lively and funny and they have strong community support. I haven’t heard too much chatter from the police communications unit on this one though – we are all laughing nonetheless.

The police were tipped off about a cannabis crop cultivation at a semi-rural property in Perth’s southern suburbs so the decision was made to intervene. The police raided the property finding a hydroponic system growing plants in structures around the property. I guess the raid was pretty textbook, an elderly male and middle aged female, they wouldn’t put up a great fight.

As a result of the raid, the police arrested a 61 year old male and 41 year old female; a crime scene was established and two uniformed officers were posted to guard duties of the property overnight. Apparently, removing the drugs at night would have required overtime so this is the most probable reason for leaving the crop at the scene.

In the morning after a warrant had been issued, the main police detective contingent returned to the property finding the crime scene had been breached with 100 cannabis plants now on the run. Yep – all the cannabis plants had been stolen whilst under police guard and they didn’t know until the detectives arrived in the morning. It’s hard to believe, but I kid you not – the Western Australian police had the whole crop stolen from right under them.

So now the Internal Affairs Unit are involved along with the Organised Crime Squad, what a disaster this raid turned out to be – they are now the laughing stock of the country. The police have been busy raiding multiple properties in the aftermath seizing plants and cash, as far as we know detectives have taken all confiscated property with them.

Whilst not a quantitative analysis, I am beginning to see not only an improvement in business confidence, I am also beginning to see an upkick in recruitment and selection. After years of decline, we are finally beginning to see some economic light.

The state government had announced a gold tax in a feeble attempt to restore state finances ravaged by the GST distribution inequity but that bill failed in Parliament so the largest risk to the state economy has passed. Iron ore prices are depressed, other commodities are down but gold is hanging in there around the $1344 USD mark per ounce.

I was recently on-site assessing the competence of maintenance personnel when discussions with the maintenance supervisor almost knocked me over, they were seven personnel understaffed in their engineering workshop facing difficulties with not only current projects but future projects tendered upon.

The government is mad insofar as trying to place extra taxes above and beyond normal taxation in order to improve budget deficits. Why destroy an industry already adding to the economy? The job of government is to create the environment for stable investment with the dividends of that investment returning to inhabitants improving services from health, education and transport.

Regardless of state government inefficiency and meddling in the economy, the worst of the downturn appears to be over and the mining based powerhouse is expected to once again drive the economy. We might not return to full employment as we did before but the people displaced from their jobs might begin to gain a regular income again.

Leading into Australia Day, there are plenty of times I disagree with the selection of the Australian of the Year after high profile sports stars and actors/entertainers such as Adam Goodes 2014, Ita Buttrose 2013 and Geoffrey Rush 2012 were selected over more anonymous but no less tireless achievers. We could probably argue Ita is a journalist and not a television star even if she has a strong TV presence.

The Australian of the Year is announced on the eve of Australia Day with Quantum physicist Professor Michelle Yvonne Simmons winning the 2018 award. Whilst there is a little irony that the Australian of the Year emigrated to Australia from Britain in 1999; she was educated and grew up in the UK so one could argue holds English traits and values.

However, we could also argue it doesn’t matter where you are born and grew up, it is what you bring to Australia; there are worries here, she brings heaps to this country and has been an Australian citizen since 2007. We are more than lucky to be able to claim her as an Australian and the population I suspect is more than happy to adapt a person of her calibre. I would argue she she has adapted Australian characteristics as much as we have adapted her.

Professor Simmons leads a team at the University of NSW Quantum Physics Department where her team developed the world\’s first transistor manufactured from a single atom including the world’s thinnest wire. Her team is now seeking to develop a quantum computer capable of revolutionising artificial intelligence, facial recognition, drug design, finance, traffic flows, weather forecasting and a whole load of applications requiring amazing computer power and capability.

Her acceptance speech touched on Australian researchers holding unique advantages from being down to earth, being results driven and a holding a distrust of authority. Whilst Professor Simmons makes a great role model for women seeking to break into science and technology, I would argue she makes a great role model for anyone regardless of gender. This year science beats sport and entertainment.

Leading into Australia Day, this is celebrated on the 26th of January; the national discussion has challenged the current date with calls to change the date of Australia Day. I believe this is a poorly conceived idea but some people argue otherwise. There are some that call this invasion day in solidarity for the Aboriginal population, but I believe this is a simplistic argument. It is my belief that this is an inclusive country and we need to accept all inhabitants and their heritage, we need to be respectful of the Aboriginal heritage and include their culture as part of Australia Day celebrations and not create divisions within society.

When travelling overseas, I have been taunted on a couple of occasions and told that I am the descendants of convicts. This is clearly an attempt to rile me up and never works – I actually enjoy the laugh. Some research is in order as I do want to have an answer for them, if anything, just to shoot down their ill-conceived insults.

This has been when I have been first introduced to people I have never met before – very strange behaviour. My family name is OHalloran, that\’s Irish and the family came out during the Victorian gold rush before moving to the goldfields of Western Australia. My grandmother came from Kalgoorlie, still the capital of the West Australian goldfields. Besides, this appears to be their problem and not mine, so I ask myself, how many convicts were actually transported to Australia?

The eleven ships of the First Fleet arrived in 1788 in Sydney Harbour departing from Portsmouth in England for the 13,000 mile journey carrying about 1500 people in 1787. Prior to that, Joseph Banks had returned from a expedition in 1770 and declared this land as suitable for a penal colony. On board the ships of the First Fleet were 751 convicts and their children along with 252 marines and their families.

A further two convict fleets arrived in 1790 and 1791 before the free settlers began arriving in 1793. The French had also been interested in colonising the great southern land and the British wanted to get there first and claim the land for Britain. I believe the French were also interested in establishing a penal colony as this was as good a way to claim new territory.

Over on the west coast of the continent, the Swan River Colony was established in 1829 after an expedition in 1827. These were not the first Europeans to explore the west coast as the Dutch seafarers had navigated the west coast then known as New Holland with Dirk Hartog planting a pewter plate on an island in what is now known as Shark Bay in 1616.

Willem de Vlamingh mounted a rescue mission searching for survivors of the Ridderschap van Holland that had gone missing a number of years earlier. The three ships under his command landed at Rottnest Island in December 1696 and ventured up the Swan River in January 1697. They are believed the first Europeans to do so, although Frederick de Houtman may have also ventured up the Swan River in 1619 but this is unclear. Vlamingh’s trek headed north up the coast where they replaced the pewter plate left by Dirk Hartog also inscribing their own visit on the replacement plate.

The last shipment of convicts arrived in Western Australia in 1868 with the total number of transported convicts recorded at approximately 162,000 men and women transported on 806 ships. The convict transportation to Australia ended at a time when the population of the colonies was approximately one million people.

The purpose of the convicts was to provide labour to the fledgling colonies and by the mid–1800s there were enough free settlers in the colony to undertake the work with the colonies becoming self sustaining with convict labour no longer required. What is interesting is that even though slavery had not been abolished, at least in the British Empire, there was no slavery in the colonies although the convicts sent to the colonies were for reasonably minor infractions. 

The Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander population in Australia is 2.8% of the total population with 649,200 people according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2016 with the approximate population of 24,770,000 people in 2018. The 2011 population census identified approximately 25% of the population claimed their ancestry to be Australian.

An interesting statistic from the 2011 population census is 30% of Australians were born overseas with 46% having a parent born overseas. We might have started off as a penal colony back in 1788 but we are truly a nation of immigrants embracing a mixed race heritage growing as both a country and nation.