ASSTA History

Milestones of ASSTA

  • 1972: Group of people interested in 'Speech Processing by Computer' meet at a computing conference
  • 1972-78: Directory of people publicised through Linguistic Society of Australia and Australian Computer Society conferences
  • 1978: Australian Speech Research Association (ASRA) launched at a 2-day Speech Research workshop Canberra
  • 1984: ASRA newsletter directory listed 25 research groups
  • 1984: After a 2-day 'Speech Normalisation' workshop in Canberra, John Clark and Bruce Millar propose an Australian Speech Research Conference
  • 1986: First Speech Science and Technology conference (SST'86) held in Canberra
  • 1988: ASSTA Inc formed in December at the second SST conference (SST'88)
  • 1998: ASSTA hosts the International Conference on Spoken Language Processing in Sydney
  • 2005: Australian Speech Science and Technology Association becomes Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association
  • 2006: SST held outside Australia for the first time, in Auckland, New Zealand
  • 2008: Reciprocal Membership deal between ASSTA and ISCA established
  • 2008: ASSTA hosts Interspeech in Brisbane
  • 2019: ASSTA hosts ICPHS2019 in Melbourne
  • 2023: ASSTA wins bid to host Interspeech 2026 in Sydney


Prof. J. Bruce Millar wrote a personal reflection on the the formation of ASSTA and its early days.

ASSTA Executives

(Most recent at the top)

ASSTA Executive of 2021-2022

Felicity Cox (President)Macquarie University
Debbie Loakes (Secretary)University of Melbourne
Michael Tyler (Treasurer)Western Sydney University
Sasha CalhounTe Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington
Janet FletcherUniversity of Melbourne
Michael Proctor (co-opted)Macquarie University

ASSTA Executive of 2019-2020

Felicity Cox (President)Macquarie University
Debbie Loakes (Secretary)University of Melbourne
Michael Tyler (Treasurer)Western Sydney University
Trent LewisFlinders University
Janet FletcherUniversity of Melbourne

ASSTA Executive of 2017-2018

Catherine Watson (President)University of Auckland
Felicity Cox (Secretary)Macquarie University
Michael Tyler (Treasurer)Western Sydney University
Trent LewisFlinders University
Janet FletcherUniversity of Melbourne

ASSTA Executive of 2016

Denis Burnham (President)University of Western Sydney
Felicity Cox (Secretary)Macquarie University
Michael Tyler (Treasurer)University of Western Sydney
Trent LewisFlinders University
Catherine WatsonUniversity of Auckland

ASSTA Executive of 2015

Denis Burnham (President)University of Western Sydney
Marija Tabain (Secretary)La Trobe University
Shunichi Ishihara (Treasurer)Australian National University
Trent LewisFlinders University
Catherine WatsonUniversity of Auckland

ASSTA Executive of 2013-2014

Denis Burnham (President)University of Western Sydney
Marija Tabain (Secretary)La Trobe University
Shunichi Ishihara (Treasurer)Australian National University
Roberto TogneriUniversity of Western Australia
Catherine WatsonUniversity of Auckland

ASSTA Executive of 2011-2012

Denis Burnham (President)University of Western Sydney
Catherine Watson (Secretary)University of Auckland
Shunichi Ishihara (Treasurer)Australian National University
Roberto TogneriUniversity of Western Australia
Marija TabainLa Trobe University

ASSTA Executive of 2009-2010

Denis Burnham (President)University of Western Sydney
David Grayden (Secretary)University of Melbourne
Shunichi Ishihara (Treasurer)Australian National University
Roberto TogneriUniversity of Western Australia
Catherine WatsonUniversity of Auckland

ASSTA Executive of 2007-2008

Denis Burnham (President)University of Western Sydney
David Grayden (Secretary)University of Melbourne
Shunichi Ishihara (Treasurer)Australian National University
Rolande GoeckeNational ITC Australia
Catherine WatsonUniversity of Auckland

ASSTA Executive of 2005-2006

Denis Burnham (President)University of Western Sydney
David Grayden (Secretary)University of Melbourne
Shunichi Ishihara (Treasurer)Australian National University
Rolande GoeckeNational ITC Australia
Steve CassidyMacquarie University

ASSTA Executive of 2003-2004

Denis Burnham (President)University of Western Sydney
Johanna Barry (Secretary)University of Oxford
Shunichi Ishihara (Treasurer)Australian National University
David GraydenUniversity of Melbourne
Steve CassidyMacquarie University

ASSTA Executive of 2002

Denis Burnham (President)University of Western Sydney
Steve Cassidy (Secretary)Macquarie University
Shunichi Ishihara (Treasurer)Australian National University
David GraydenUniversity of Melbourne
Johanna BarryUniversity of Melbourne

ASSTA Executive of 2001

Bruce Miller (President)Australian National University
Steve Cassidy (Secretary)Macquarie University
David Grayden (Treasurer)University of Melbourne
Denis BurnhamUniversity of Western Sydney
Mike BarlowUNSW / ADFA

ASSTA Executive of 2001

Bruce Millar (President)Australian National University
David Grayden (Treasurer)University of Melbourne
Steve Cassidy (Secretary)Macquarie University
Michael BarlowUNSW / ADFA
Denis BurnhamUniversity of Western Sydney
Roberto Togneri (co-opted)University of Western Australia

ASSTA Executive of 2000

Bruce Millar (President)Australian National University
Roberto Togneri (Secretary)University of Western Australia
David Grayden (Treasurer)University of Melbourne
Denis BurnhamUniversity of Western Sydney
Julie VonwillerAPPEN Speech Technology
Jan van Doorn (co-opted)University of Sydney

ASSTA Executive of 1999

Bruce Millar (President)Australian National University
Roberto Togneri (Secretary)University of Western Australia
David Grayden (Treasurer)University of Melbourne
Ara Samouelian (till 8/9/99)University of Wollongong
Denis Burnham (from 8/9/99)University of Western Sydney
Jan van DoornUniversity of Sydney

ASSTA Executive of 1998

Bruce Millar (President)Australian National University
Roberto Togneri (Secretary)University of Western Australia
David Grayden (Treasurer)University of Melbourne
Ara SamouelianUniversity of Wollongong
Jan van DoornUniversity of Sydney

ASSTA Executive of 1996-1997

Bruce Millar (President)Australian National University
Jeff Pittam (Secretary)University of Queensland
David Grayden (Treasurer)University of Melbourne
Roberto TogneriUniversity of Western Australia
Julie VonwillerUniversity of Sydney

ASSTA Executive of 1993-1995

Peter Blamey (President)University of Melbourne
Bruce Millar (Secretary)Australian National University
Michael Scordilis (Treasurer)University of Melbourne
Jeff PittamUniversity of Queensland
Julie VonwillerUniversity of Sydney

ASSTA Executive of 1991-1992

Michael Wagner (President)University of New South Wales
Bruce Millar (Secretary)Australian National University
Peter Blamey (Treasurer)University of Melbourne
John IngramUniversity of Queensland
Julie VonwillerUniversity of Sydney

ASSTA Executive of 1988-1990

Michael Wagner (President)University of New South Wales
Bruce Millar (Secretary)Australian National University
Peter Blamey (Treasurer)University of Melbourne
John ClarkMacquarie University
John IngramUniversity of Queensland

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