NEWS, INFORMATION AND OPINIONS

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The Questbay Group loses a Visionary and a Friend
Robertson E. (Robbie) Collins Born California, USA 1922 Died Singapore May 23, 2003
Within his very full and particularly interesting life, for a man whose background ranged from being Manager for the film and stage star, Ginger Rogers, to being one of Fremantle's greatest boosters, Robertson E. Collins left his very enthusiastic and positive mark on all he met and especially on those with whom he worked. The dividend of Robbie Collins' twenty year connection with Western Australia is a lasting contribution to the enhancement of the State's man-made heritage and culture, particularly in its relation to tourism.

Commencing with his early 1980s involvement in projects which resulted in Fremantle - a Port City which he described as "providing the world's best example of 19th Century architecture" - winning top international heritage awards, this much-travelled world-class specialist had a particular fondness for Western Australia.

When the Indian Ocean Tourism Organisation (IOTO) was launched in Perth in 1994, the tourism industry veteran was a founding Board and Executive Committee Member and his tireless efforts for that young tourism body were greatly respected around the Indian Ocean Region.

Robbie Collins' work on major WA projects, such as the Goldfields Tourism 2000+ Plan and on the Master Plan to guide the future of Fremantle Prison as a community asset and tourism attraction added great value to the State's ability to market itself to intrastate and international visitors alike as a complete tourism destination.

Based in Singapore since 1984, to where he relocated from USA to direct a tourism study of Chinatown for the Tourism Board, his frequent travels in connection with his tourism, heritage and culture projects took Mr. Collins to many parts of the world on a regular basis. Amongst his many related achievements were his preparation of the first Angkor Wat Tourism Plan for the World Monuments Fund and the launch of India's most successful Tourism and Handicrafts Fair.

A regular columnist in a number of travel and tourism industry publications and widely recognised for his tenacious support for the key role of heritage and culture in tourism destination marketing, Robbie Collins' first book, 'A Disorderly Excursion' was published in 1990. At the time of his death from complications from dengue fever, he had finished the manuscripts for two follow-up books.

The international tourism industry - and indeed WA also - lost a man of true vision, real character and incredible talent. Through a provision in his Will, the Robbie Collins Foundation promises to continue the momentum of an outstanding man, from whom so many benefited over the years.

1st August 2001 - Castles in the Sand

23rd July 2001 - Jerry Picolla Joins The Questbay Group

26th April 2001 - The Questbay Group Appoints A.A. Gede Rai as Specialist Advisor

24th April 2001 - Battling Bureaucracy

28th March 2001 - My Trip to Jakarta

18th March 2001 - A Trip to Taiping

12th March 2001 - Take me to the Taj

6th March 2001 - Personal Opinion Perspective 1 - A Two Sided Coin

9th February 2001 - Industry Veteran Becomes Questbay Group's Senior Advisor