Acceptance Speech By Joan Cordell

Thankyou Michael, Mr. President. And may I greet you all as property colleagues – Good evening, it is indeed a pleasure to meet you.

Do you know – both the Property Council & Cordell Research came into existence in 1969?

So, in a certain way we are all celebrating 54 years on the planet this evening.

Let me tell you how it all began for me.                                                                       

Picture a 3rd floor walkup of a small office block – on Miller St North Sydney – with the golden glow of the new Sabemo building opposite, and next door to an old Edwardian home with a lovely garden, on the corner of Walker St. – which just happens to be headquarters of the Institute of Architects.

A large Mulberry tree (in their garden) reaches the window of our new offices, and much to our delight it is home to a possum with flexible hours – who soon adjusts to a new regime of sitting on receptionist Valetta’s typewriter and lunching on banana.

I think he (or perhaps she?) set the tone for our new adventure which was to shift a number of boundaries of the day, and in fact help to change many aspects of business culture here in Australia?

And also, to mention that the property truism of ‘location location’ proved positive – as after negotiations over the fate of said ‘mulberry tree’ put a face to ‘neighbours ‘– I was able to more forcefully explain the ‘benefits’ which an industry databank offered architects!

Then – half a century later, in the very week in which I am coming to grips with receiving your Property Council’s so unexpected award – Margaret Atwood, in Canada, publishes her latest book of ‘stories’ entitled OLD BABES IN THE WOOD, and I feel that a tale about your wonderful Summit – adding this OLD BABE to your Hall of Fame – could well be part of such a tome!    

Thank you (many times over) – Mike Zorbas – to you, your Board, and your wonderful team for making this evening a reality for me.

Cordell’s overriding mission is straightforward – it has always been to provide a practical and accurate information system for building and construction.

Many of my warmest contacts in early years were with major suppliers to the industry – we are producing Project Stats – and they are looking for better ways in which to target their sales force re the major new construction so visible – from Sydney’s Opera House to city skylines all over the country.

And with regard to the prices and costing side of our business – it was always rewarding to hear how much our information was valued at all levels, but particularly by so many smaller builders (and their wives at home) – under pressure to produce quotes for their next jobs.

If I had one thought to pass on from my work in this challenging industry – it would be the proven inestimable value of researched data – i.e not just data!  But with the emphasis on dedicated, accurately researched data.

That’s where the value lies.

And those personal links which a good researcher forges with a host of knowledgeable sources are pure gold. Treasure them. It takes a hell of a time to develop them, and they can be destroyed in one thoughtless ‘trimming of costs’ moment!

Research is all about acknowledging the virtues, and supporting the efforts of that most marvelous TOOL we have – the human enquiring mind. Yes, there are always new technologies to be mastered – and taken advantage of. And yes, AI included!

I well remember our Cordell Christmas of 1978 – we commandeered the barque new endeavour  on Sydney Harbour – and celebrated the new direction for Cordell – to computerization.

Inevitably Eros plays a part in every plot – and William J Watts was not only an invaluable marketing consultant to Cordell from 1973 on – but Bill became my life partner for 35 years until his death in 2008 – and our dinners at places such as ‘The Grape Escape’ in North Sydney in those early Cordell years, were always with a separate chair for our bulging briefcases! But no phones!

To my fabulous support team this evening – nothing short of thanks a million!  – primarily to Diana Brown and to Jenine Blessington and to their partners Craig Barry & Scotty McDonald.

Both Di & Jenine are honouring their appreciation of what Cordell represented for their mothers – and many others like them, and the ways in which we were able to change business culture of the day so effectively, especially re flexible hours and responsibilities.

In Di’s case – her mother, Helen Mickle became my personal friend, which was unusual, as on principle I stayed clear of such involvement within the company, but with Helen I whistle-stopped the US on Greyhound in 1974 and our friendship was a lifesaver thereafter.

Jenine’s mother, Alva Woolf ran her wonderful printery ‘Rite-a-Type’ with Cordell as her largest client in hard-copy days. So of course, we worked closely together and both personal and business overlapped rewardingly for us.

The only person I have been able to locate today, who actually worked for Cordell at Northbridge for many years, is Maureen Swan (in those days Maureen Gregg) and but for Covid, Maureen would have joined with Di & Jenine on the video you have seen earlier. I share my warmest memories with Maureen. And now to later years.

My absolutely heartfelt thanks – go to Michael Hughes, the last CEO of Cordell, who engineered the sale of Cordell to Corelogic and who is now an independent consultant. Michael, you so wonderfully brought me up-to-date and shared the stories of so many invaluable individuals who are part of Cordell history. 

You set me on a journey into the past which was both exhausting and exhilarating, and I would not have missed it for the world.  Thank you.

Needless perhaps to say – those of whom I speak tonight are just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ as far as those who were part and parcel of the Cordell team over the years – and the most outstanding of whom I want to particularly applaud this evening. Rob Wild was my warmest link and friend, and Rob was CEO of Cordell for almost 30 years.

He carried the original ethos and research vision of Cordell forward so successfully from 1985 to 2014, and thoroughly proved its sustainability.

Rob, I salute you. And so – to the Here & Now.

Lisa Claes, CEO of Corelogic International, current owners of Cordell Products, is with us here this evening – and Lisa – it was a delight to meet you, as we share interests in many areas of Design too. 

I wish you every success in your leadership role of the digital-led strategies that continue to offer such real value to our so important property industry here in Australia and indeed worldwide.

And it was your well-known TV spokesman and Research Director – Tim Lawless, who so pleasantly tracked me down in Noosa – and who in the near future – will be jostling with algorithms and AI no doubt, as he takes Cordell product through its next transition in the supplying of what has become the indispensable tool of – data.

Tim, I anticipate a further large contribution by Corelogic & their Cordell Products to the Property Industry under your Research management in coming years.

And whoever could have imagined that in 2023 I would live just a few streets away from Tim and his family.

And now – to conclude these words – two personal thoughts if I may …

The first, along with a world of thanks – is to my close Croquet friend in Noosa today – Richard Bawden who initially convinced me of the honour in accepting PCA’s invitation with his proclamation.

‘How absolutely bloody terrific. I am really thrilled for you my dear Joan.’ And Richard, you were so right.

And then finally – back in those long-ago 1970s and earlier – I was very much part of a wonderful Hungarian-Jewish family, who were so supportive of my business involvement.    

My many warm conversations with Mamma Olga, herself an Auschwitz survivor – indelibly shaped my view of life. 

And oddly, Olga’s birthdate was 31 May in 1900 – and I dedicate this 31 May evening to her memory. KÖSZÖNÖM Mamma.

I know that those who have tasted the elixir of success as a result of entrepreneurial effort, will understand how elated I am to be here tonight – to accept the recognition of The Property Council of Australia and your Hall of Fame invitation.

My sincere thanks to you all.

Joan Cordell