Peter Lane’s 30 years of service to both the South Australian industry and the industry nationally was celebrated by around 70 South Australian print personalities at a cocktail function last week in Adelaide.
Peter Lane retired from the Board of the Printing Industries Association of Australia at the end of 2017, ending his 30 years of board membership.
The private event was organised by former print industry employees, Peter Mansfield and Mary Jo Fisher.
“Peter’s 30 years of board membership is a record term, during which he served two stints as national president, and the South Australian industry wanted to recognise and applaud Peter’s amazing contribution,” says Fisher.
Several of SA’s country printers came along, some travelling a 6-hour round trip just to attend the event and drive home right afterwards.
Former national and SA President of LATMA, Don Woolman, guest speaker at the event. noted that in their ‘official’ roles, he and Peter were never shy of having vigorous public debates on industry issues. “We often got grumpy with one another, but never lost mutual respect for the other’s unwavering advocacy for the industry.”
Lane’s office-bearing journey with the association started in 1985. Lane Print Group was resigning from the peak industry body because the association had negotiated a 35-hour week with the union. [The Industrial Relations Commission subsequently declined to ratify the deal]. The then-SA President and SA manager of the association both visited Lane and suggested that rather than resign, he should join the association’s regional council to experience and understand the association’s workings.
“The rest, as they say, is history,” says Fisher. “In my time helping the industry, the maximum audience we could get to any local event (other than PICAs) was just over 30 and that used to take real work! Beyond the 70 or so guests were many who couldn’t attend and sent Peter congratulatory messages. That’s easy testimony to the regard in which he is held.”
Compliments from many who couldn’t attend the celebration resonated with these from industry identity Chris Pfeiffer, former GM of Openbook Howden:
Hi Peter,
Sorry I am unable to join you on another memorable occasion.
You have been instrumental in continuing to represent the printing industry through more than 30 years of radical change, helping many individual people to adjust to their changing role in the printing industry.
Printing has been and always will be a family of committed people engaged in ensuring communications are the best they can be, while ensuring that point of professionalism.
Thanks Peter for being such a mentor for so many and for ensuring the industry retained its relevance at a time of revolutionary change.
Have a great night among wonderful friends.
“I think it will take quite some time for the association to find or help a current board member to replace Peter’s extensive skills and experience,” says Fisher. “I trust the association has that work in progress. Please may the industry have another Peter Lane.”