The Honourable Sir Llewellyn (Llew) Edwards was a doctor, politician and university administrator who was influential in the transformation of Queensland at the end of the 20th century.
Born in 1935, Sir Llew initially established his career in the family business as an electrician. In 1965 he graduated from UQ with a medical degree, and practiced in London, Edinburgh and Wales before returning to Ipswich.
After entering state politics in 1972 as the Member for Ipswich, he served as Minister for Health, Deputy Premier, and Treasurer before retiring from parliament and leading World Expo ’88 as chairman and CEO. He was knighted in 1984, awarded a Doctor of Laws honoris causa from UQ and named Queenslander of the year in 1988, and named a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1989.
In 1993 he became Chancellor of the University, and remained in the role for sixteen years until 2009, when the Sir Llew Edwards building at St Lucia was named in his honour. In 2010 he was named a Queensland Great. Sir Llew passed away in May 2021 at the age of 85.
