Former Jillaroo and Queensland great Jo Barrett will deliver the 2022 Ross Livermore Memorial Lecture at QUT, Kelvin Grove on Saturday, May 21.
The rugby league commentator and director of students at Nudgee College will become the first woman to deliver the annual lecture since the concept's birth in 2010, when Professor Max Howell spoke about the origins of the code in Queensland.
The choice of Barrett - QRP #43 - mirrors the growth of the women's game in Australia, in terms of playing numbers and public interest.
It comes just over a month out from the State of Origin match in Canberra where the Harvey Norman Queensland Maroons will take on New South Wales. It is also a World Cup year for the Jillaroos.
Barrett's connections with rugby league go back to her days growing up in Warwick, where her family were stalwarts of the code. Barrett's uncle is former QRL director, John Barrett, from St George.
Barrett played seven successful seasons for Queensland alongside great friend and fellow women's rugby league trailblazer Steph Hancock. Barrett played club rugby league with Toowoomba Fillies at the early stages of her senior career.
In more recent times, Barrett has remained a key part of the Queensland set up as a team manager and mentor to the new crop of players coming through the pathways.
She is passionate advocate of rugby league, and her address is certain to be entertaining and informative.
In recent years, the lecture has been held at QRL headquarters in Castlemaine Street, Milton, but the building was extensively damaged by the recent floods, and is out of commission.
The QRL now operates from the QUT Education Precinct at Kelvin Grove, where a room has been booked as the venue for the lecture.
Those wishing to attend should email the QRL at reception@qrl.com.au or telephone 3367 6000 by 5pm, Wednesday, May 18, for catering purposes, as morning tea will be provided.
The annual lecture is named after the late Ross Livermore, who was QRL managing director from 1981 until 2011. He passed away on April 16, 2013, and the lecture, previously named after another administrative giant, Harry Sunderland, was renamed in his honour.
Queensland Origin icon, Wally Lewis delivered the 2021 Ross Livermore Memorial Lecture, following on the heels of the likes of Wayne Bennett, Adrian McGregor, Hugh Lunn, Michael Hagan and John Lang.
The lecture is staged by the QRL History Committee, in conjunction with the QRL, with Livermore being an inaugural member of the committee.
The current committee comprises of Steve Ricketts (chair), John McCoy, Paul Hayes, Greg Shannon, Greg Adermann, Steve Haddan, Peter Betros, Michael Pease and Colleen Edwards. Steve Haddan will MC this year's lecture.
Watch: Ross Livermore Lecture
Ross Livermore Memorial Lecture 2022
Lecturer: Jo Barrett (former Jillaroos and Queensland representative player)
Date: May 21, 2022
Time: Doors open, 10am. Function concludes at noon
Venue: Block E, Lower Ground Floor, QUT Kelvin Grove
Additional information - parking: Corner of Musk Avenue and Victoria Park Road. There is also parking on Victoria Park Road. There is also public transport, by bus, into the heart of the QUT Campus.
Main image: Jo Barrett with Harvey Norman Queensland Maroons coach Tahnee Norris. Photo: NRL Images
