Eric Willmot

Eric Paul Willmot, (31 January 1936 – 20 April 2019) was an Australian scholar, educator, writer, and engineer

Eric Paul Willmot was born on 31 January 1936 in Queensland.

He was educated first at various Queensland schools, then obtained his BSc and DipEd at the University of Newcastle, in New South Wales.

He met his second wife in Papua New Guinea in the 1970s, and had a daughter, Haidi, with her, and the family spent some time in Vanuatu.

In 1980 he obtained his Master of Education (Research) in 1980 at the University of Canberra.

After obtaining his Master of Education, Willmot joined the faculty of the Australian National University.

At the time he was considered the first Indigenous principal of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies from 1981 to 1984 (later known as AIATSIS).

Willmot later joined the James Cook University as Professor of Education.

He retired from public administration in 1994 to then do engineering research in private enterprise.

He spent a lot of time in his shed working on his inventions, but few ever made it to market as (in the words of his daughter, Haidi), he "was not a businessman".

Other positions held by Willmot included Director of Research at the ANU, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, and Chief Education Officer in the ACT Department of Education.

According to Haidi, writing was "his joy, his passion, and his escape".

Willmot married twice.

He had four children with his first wife.

He died at Baulkham Hills, New South Wales on 20 April 2019.

Willmot claimed Aboriginal heritage, which formed a significant portion of his personal and professional identity.

Evidence later emerged which strongly indicated that he in fact did not have any Aboriginal blood.

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