Fred Watson

In 2018, the Australian Government appointed its first Astronomer at Large. The role is dedicated to high-level advocacy, outreach and education across all areas of astronomy and space science. With a particular focus on women in STEM and the promotion of national assets such as the Square Kilometre Array and Australia's strategic partnership with ESO, the position also provides a link between the Australian astronomical community and the Government Department that provides baseline funding. In this talk, the first incumbent in the job will explain how the role came about and what it entails, with a strong emphasis on astronomy outreach and education.