Lunch Series: Celtic Conversations with Michael van Leeuwen
This regular lunch series will feature insights and an engaging presentation from a special guest speaker in our community, over a delicious catered set lunch and the opportunity to connect with fellow club members in a welcoming setting.
Your ticket price includes presentation and insights from our guest speaker and a catered two course set lunch.
This month we welcome Michael van Leeuwen on the topic, The Resource Paradox: Why the Eureka Rebellion did not lead to the collapse of the State of Victoria
The resource paradox refers to a common situation where countries rich in natural resources, such as oil, minerals, or trade crops like cotton, tend to experience slower economic growth, poorer governance, greater civil violence and social inequality compared to countries with fewer natural resources. There are only a few countries in the world where the extraction of valuable natural resources have led to ongoing prosperity – the resource blessing. Australia is one of them (the United States of America and Canada are some of the very few others). We have relied for our prosperity on peaceful mining and other resource extraction activities for more than 150 years.
About Michael van Leeuwen
Michael van Leeuwen is vice President of Eureka Australia Descendants and Supporters. He grew up in Ballarat. He worked in international development in the Asia Pacific region for over a decade, which influenced his ideas on the Resource Paradox. He has published articles on the history of scientific institutions in Australia. He has been published in the United Kingdom in the Journal of the Linnean Society, on Alexander MacLeay’s role in the founding of the Australian Museum. Michael was the first Regional Curator/Manager in New South Wales (1981-1984) and in South Australia (1984-86).