Robert Lowry is a former president of AIIA’s ACT branch. He grew up in Tasmania before joining the Australian army and served for 30 years before retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1993. During his army service he was posted to South Vietnam 1968-69, Singapore 1969-71, and Indonesia 1983-86 and developed an abiding interest in military affairs and politics.

Since 1993 he has been acting national director of the Australian Institute of International Affairs 1993-94, associate director of the Australian Defence Studies Centre (ADSC) 1997, senior analyst for the International Crisis Group in Jakarta 2001, adviser on National Security in East Timor 2002-03, and chairman of the Fiji National Security and Defence Review 2003-04.

He is the author of The Armed Forces of Indonesia (1996) and Fortress Fiji: Holding the Line in the Pacific War, 1939-45 (2006).