Australian of the Year Mr Simon McKeon delivered this year's Brookes Oration on the topic: The Future of Business - A 2011 perspective. The Deakin Graduate School of Business hosts the Brookes Oration to encourage thoughtful debate about the contribution of corporate Australia in the global community.

Time for Action: Policy, Government or Business.

Each year Deakin University hosts three orations to the Deakin Community. These are the Richard Searby Oration and marks the contribution made by Dr Richard Searby AO QC as Chancellor of Deakin University from 1997 to 2005; The Brookes Oration, hosted annually by The Deakin Graduate School of Business is supported by Mr C H Brookes in honour of his father, Sir Wilfred Brookes. Sir Wilfred was the grandson of Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia, after whom Deakin University is named. The Law School Oration is hosted annually by Deakin Law School.