Henstridge-Praeger Public Lecture: Trust in Statistics is crucial for the wellbeing of societies – but it must be earned

The Statistical Society of Australia (SSA) is proud to present the inaugural Henstridge-Praeger Public Lecture to be delivered by Dennis Trewin AO FASSA. The lecture will be open to the public and livestreamed via Zoom - registration required for zoom link to be provided.

Title: Trust in Statistics is crucial for the wellbeing of societies – but it must be earned
We know that trustworthy statistics are a necessary ingredient for the wellbeing of societies. But the increasing use of fake data, data scientists with inadequate statistical skills, the non-use of statisticians where statistical skills are a vital input, and other challenges are having a negative impact on the perceptions of trust in statistics. How do we address this? There are three key elements – Integrity, Quality and Relationships. Often the emphasis is on integrity but it is not the only important element.
The talk will provide examples of the challenges being faced in different fields of statistics. It will then address what needs to be done to increase trust for each of the three elements of integrity, quality and relationships.

Presenter: Dennis Trewin AO FASSA
Dennis Trewin AO FASSA is an Australian former public servant, who was the Australian Statistician, the head of the Australian Bureau of Statistics, between July 2000 and January 2007, having been Deputy Australian Statistician from 1995 to 2000 and Deputy Government Statistician in Statistics New Zealand from 1992 to 1995. Trewin was the driving force behind the ABS's pioneering “Measures of Australia's Progress” (MAP), a new system of integrated national measurement, linking data-based economic, social, environmental and governance dimensions of progress. He has held many senior appointments at public institutions in Australia such as the Australian Electoral Commission, the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare, the Productivity Commission, and tertiary institutions such as University of Canberra, Swinburne University with lifetime achievement awards from James Cook University and the ANU. Last, but not least, he is a former president of the Statistical Society of Australia of which he was made an Honorary Life Member in 1999.

The Henstridge-Praeger Public Lecture is a new initiative supported by a major philanthropic gift to the statistics and mathematics communities in Australia, made by distinguished leaders Professor Cheryl Praeger AC and Dr John Henstridge. Through their generosity, a public lecture to promote the use of statistics for the benefit of the community will now be given at Australian Statistical Conference in perpetuity. Given his profound and sustained contribution to the statistical communities in Australia and globally, it is most fitting that Dennis Trewin will be the first person to deliver the Henstridge-Praeger Public Lecture.

Cheryl and John have a deep commitment to breaking down barriers and opening doors for diverse voices in mathematics and statistics. The majority of income from Cheryl and John’s gift will fund the Praeger-Henstridge Awards and Prizes, also established in 2025. The perpetual awards are designed to encourage greater participation from women and young people in statistics and mathematics, and will create a lasting positive impact for our disciplines. More details about the Praeger-Henstridge Fund can be found here.