It was on Thursday, September 12 in 1963 that fourteen representatives of the Australian packaging industry – six from Victoria and eight from New South Wales – gathered to formally establish the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP).
Last week on September 12 a vastly greater assembly of Australian packaging luminaries gathered at Melbourne's historic Chapter House to celebrate the 50th birthday of the organisation that over the past half century has grown in stature to become the country's leading professional training and networking organisation for the packaging industry.
“Tonight is a night to celebrate,” current AIP national president Ralph Moyle told PKN at the event.
“It's also a night to reflect on what exactly has enabled us to reach the point where we can get so many people together to celebrate 50 years of existence.
“It's not because the AIP has all been about bottom lines and making money. Yes, we are a commercial industry, but the AIP's role has been about more than that, it has been all about learning and passion and people giving their time to promote the industry and help the generations of people who continually join it.
“And, of course, it is all about education, the cornerstone of the AIP, the sharing of knowledge and mentoring of up-and-coming and prospective packaging technologists.”
Among the highlights of the night was a gathering of no less than 11 past and present AIP national presidents, the largest gathering of AIP national leaders in one place in its history.
Also of note, the AIP used the occasion to announce the winner of its prestigious Harry Lovell Award, given to outstanding students of its Diploma in Packaging course and named after former two-time national president, Emeritus Professor Harry Lovell.
Including this year, this coveted prize has only been awarded four times.
The latest winner was Maria Indrayati, packaging technologist (applications) for Parmalat Australia, who was recognised as the first candidate to successfully complete the AIP's Level 5 Diploma in Packaging Technology.
“It is apt that in our 50th year of providing education and training to the packaging industry that we recognise a packaging technologist for their academic excellence,” Moyle said.
“Packaging technologists play a significant role in the industry and awards like the Harry Lovell Award allow technologists to be recognised for their outstanding contributions to a company.”
