Willmot, Eric (1936-2019), was a leading Aboriginal author, educator, and engineer. He wrote Pemulwuy: The Rainbow Warrior (1987), an account of an Aboriginal resistance leader confronted with European settlement, and Below the Line (1991), a fictional work about a foreign invasion of Australia. Willmot held prominent positions in a number of different fields. He also won recognition as an inventor. He was named Australian inventor of the year in 1981 for his design of a variable ratio transmission gearbox, a device that allows vehicles to be driven more efficiently. He twice won the Medaille d’Or Geneve (gold medal) at the International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva, Switzerland, for his achievements in the field of mechanical engineering.
Eric Paul Willmot was born in Cribb Island, near Brisbane, Queensland, on Jan. 31, 1936. His family moved frequently when he was a child. Willmot worked as a cattle drover from 1948 until 1956, when he was seriously injured during a rodeo. He then studied mathematics and graduated from the University of Newscastle in New South Wales in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in science. He taught mathematics at several secondary schools. In 1972, he became an education officer with the Department of Education in Canberra. After earning a master’s degree in educational planning, Willmot became increasingly interested in Indigenous (native) education. From 1981 to 1985, he was principal of the Australian Institute for Aboriginal Studies (now the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies).
In 1984 and 1985, Willmot served as deputy secretary of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in Australia. He won critical acclaim for his Boyer Lecture radio broadcast series “Australia the Last Experiment” for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. From 1987 to 1992, he was chief education officer of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) school system. His research contributed to the improvement of education in Indigenous communities. After serving as director-general of the education department in South Australia in 1992 and 1993, Willmot returned to working in senior roles in the engineering industry.
Willmot was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), the country’s highest award for outstanding achievement and service, in 1987 for his work in education and Aboriginal studies. He was awarded honorary doctorate degrees by Melbourne University and the University of Newcastle. Willmot died on April 20, 2019.
