ASSTA History

Milestones of ASSTA History

  • 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.

Prof. J. Bruce Millar wrote a personal reflection on the the formation of ASSTA and its early days. This can be found here.

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 Calhoun                                    Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington
Janet Fletcher                                     University 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 Lewis                                          Flinders University
Janet Fletcher                                     University of Melbourne  

ASSTA Executive of 2017-8

Catherine Watson (President)         University of Auckland
Felicity Cox (Secretary)                     Macquarie University
Michael Tyler (Treasurer)                  Western Sydney University
Trent Lewis                                          Flinders University
Janet Fletcher                                     University 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 Lewis                                         Flinders University
Catherine Watson                              University 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 Lewis                                        Flinders University
Catherine Watson                             University 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 Togneri                                  University of Western Australia
Catherine Watson                               University 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 Togneri                                   University of Western Australia
Marija Tabain                                        La 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 Togneri                            University of Western Australia
Catherine Watson                          University 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 Goecke                             National ITC Australia            
Catherine Watson                          University 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 Goecke                             National ITC Australia
Steve Cassidy                                Macquarie 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 Grayden                               University of Melbourne
Steve Cassidy                                 Macquarie University

ASSTA Executive of 2002

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

ASSTA Executive of 2001

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

ASSTA Executive of 2001

Bruce Millar (President)                               Australian National University
David Grayden (Treasurer)                          University of Melbourne
Steve Cassidy (Secretary)                           Macquarie University
Michael Barlow                                              UNSW / ADFA
Denis Burnham                                             University 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 Burnham                                             University of Western Sydney
Julie Vonwiller                                               APPEN 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 Doorn                                               University 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 Samouelian                                            University of Wollongong
Jan van Doorn                                               University 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 Togneri                                            University of Western Australia
Julie Vonwiller                                               University 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 Pittam                                                      University of Queensland
Julie Vonwiller                                               University 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 Ingram                                                   University of Queensland
Julie Vonwiller                                               University 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 Clark                                                      Macquarie University
John Ingram                                                   University of Queensland