Robert Cameron AO

HonDEng UNSW BE(Hons) MBA GradDipGeoSc FAICD

Bob Cameron is a non-executive company director in both the commercial and not-for-profit sectors. In 1994 Bob founded Centennial Coal Company Limited and was its Chief Executive Officer until 2011 and Chairman from 2011 to 2018. Bob was Chairman of the Australian Coal Association Ltd., NSW Minerals Council, Australian Coal Research Ltd., and ACA Low Emissions Technology Ltd. In 2002 the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy awarded Bob the Institute Medal. In 2005 he received the Hunter Business Person of the Year award, and in 2010, the Australian Mining Prospect Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Mining. Throughout this time Bob was also an active participant and leader in many community and educational organisations, including Chairman of Hunter Valley Grammar School and Maitland Private Hospital, and Club President of Rotary.

What inspired you to take this role?

Libraries are both essential and magical, being treasure houses of knowledge and entertainment. Much of this is through the medium of books, those wonderful objects that are so much more than their intellectual content. But art, artefacts, and other media are also found in comprehensive libraries. We are fortunate in NSW to have the magnificent State Library incorporating the unique Mitchell Library, as well as an extensive network of metropolitan and regional libraries, catering to all ages and playing an important role in ensuring vibrant and inclusive communities. I feel privileged to be able to play a modest role in helping ensure the further development and robustness of our vital library infrastructure and contents.

Photo: Bob Cameron, an avid collector of rare books, is photographed with the Library’s Rare Book Collection. Bob is holding a first edition of Rudyard Kipling’s Animal Stories (1932), part of the Model School Library formed between 1939 and 1948.