Page 6 - Australian Defence Magazine Feb-Mar 2023

6 DEFENCE BUSINESS ADM 30TH ANNIVERSARY
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2023 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
ADM: THIRTY YEARS ON
March 2023 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the launch of Australian Defence Magazine (ADM).
JUDY HINZ | BRISBANE
a story of takeovers. GEC-Marconi. Sie- THIRTY years ago, Paul Keating was
Prime Minister and Senator Robert Ray
JUDY HINZ
mens Plessey. Names now consigned to history, all absorbed into BAE Systems in was Minister for Defence. Including
the 1990s. There are probably many more the present incumbent Richard Marles,
I don’t remember.
there have been fifteen Defence minis-
Looking back over thirty years, ADM ters since then. General Peter Gration
was about to finish his appointment as
has, I believe, more than achieved my Chief of Defence Force (CDF). There
original ambition of creating a magazine have been eight Chiefs of the Defence
that could speak authoritatively of defence Force since that time.
business matters to an informed audience. That achievement is down to the people The first Anzac frigate was more than
who have become passionately involved a year away from being launched (Sep-
in ADM over those years. Nigel Pittaway tember 1994). The first Collins-class
follows on from the achievements of Kath- submarine was still some months away
erine Ziesing and Gregor Ferguson in the from being launched too (August 1993)
editor’s role. Ewen Levick could not have and F-111s were still causing eyes to be
imagined he would be fast tracked into the raised skywards as they flew overhead.
publisher’s role when he joined ADM a few The Joint Strike Fighter program was in
“AS ADM’S MOTTO
years ago, ably supported by Kylie Leonard its infancy and it would be another nine
SAYS, WE ARE HERE TO
as Associate Publisher. My husband Peter years before Australia formally commit-
SERVE THE BUSINESS OF
Masters’ twenty-plus years in the Depart- ted to the program.
DEFENCE”
ment of Defence was the catalyst for my In launching ADM, it seemed to me
interest in the sector.
that Australia’s fledgling defence indus-
Today the ADM group is much more try had a future although, by necessity,
than a magazine. You’ll know that if you’ve it would always need to look to partner
attended any of our defence/industry with the major international defence
events over the years. Or nominated a star employee for companies from among our allies for the
complex, high end
our Women in Defence Awards. Or received the ultimate platforms that the ADF would increasingly demand.
defence/industry accolade of an Essington Lewis Trophy A couple of years after the launch of ADM, shamelessly
for an outstanding project.
borrowing the idea from pop music charts, I began the
ADM Top 40 Defence Contractors survey in 1995 (pub-
Launching the magazine, I regard as one of my best deci- sions. Relinquishing ownership to Yaffa Media, a success- lished in Dec 1995/Jan 1996). Who remembers ADI Lim-
ful trade publishing house that will celebrate one hundred ited? The company topped the first survey with turnover of
$501 million. ADI, of course, represented the corporati-
years in business in 2025, was an even better decision. I know owners of micro businesses will understand the ne- sation of the old government-owned defence production
cessity of capital injection to take a business to the next facilities. It was later sold to Thales, the pronunciation of
which proved to be a stumbling block for those new to
level. As ADM’s motto says, we are here to serve the busi- ness of defence. And ADM looks forward to continuing to the Defence industry sector. In the 2022 survey, Thales
fulfil that role over the coming years. ■
Australia ranks no.2 with turnover of $1.22 billion, beaten
to the top spot by BAE Systems with $1.5 billion turn-
over. It’s worth noting BAE Systems’ rise from its no.7 spot in 1995 at $75 million turnover, but its story is also
Judy Hinz is the founding Publisher of Australian Defence Magazine