1982
CITATION
MR CHANCELLOR,
BORN IN 1908, DR NORMAN GREGORY JOSEPH BEHAN WAS EDUCATED AT THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS COLLEGE, GREGORY TERRACE, AND OBTAINED THE DIPLOMA IN PHARMACY IN 1932. HE LATER STUDIED MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND AND GRADUATED M.B., B.S. IN 1942. AFTER SERVING IN THE RAMC DURING THE WAR HE RESUMED HIS PRACTICE AS A SURGEON. DURING HIS PERIOD AS A MEMBER OF SENATE FROM 1955 TO 1960 HE PLAYED A MAJOR PART IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DEGREE COURSE IN PHARMACY, REPLACING THE FORMER SYSTEM OF INDENTURE.
HIS INTEREST IN ART WAS AWAKENED BY HIS ELDER SISTER WHO WAS AN ART TEACHER AND STRONGLY REINFORCED BY HIS WARTIME FRIENDSHIPS WITH SIDNEY NOLAN, RUSSELL DRYSDALE, WILLIAM DOBELL AND SALi HERMAN. THESE INTERESTS LED HIM TO ACQUIRE OVER THE YEARS A LARGE PERSONAL ART COLÂLECTION WHICH DEMONSTRATES THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRITY OF AUSTRALIAN ART. IT INCLUDES THE WORKS OF CONVICT AND COLONIAL PAINTÂERS, PAINTERS OF THE GOLD RUSH ERA AS WELL AS CONTEMPORARY PAINTINGS. A SELECTION OF THESE WORKS IS ON PERMANENT LOAN TO THE UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM, AND KNOWN AS THE "BEHAN COLLECTION".
DR BEHAN HAS ALSO MADE A NUMBER OF GIFTS OF SIGNIFICANT ART WORKS TO THE UNIVERSITY AND IN PARTICULAR TO THE ANTIQUITIES MUSEUM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CLASSICS AND ANCIENT HISTORY. A FELLOW OF THE ROY AL SOCIETY OF ARTS, LONDON, DR BEHAN IS VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY.
MR CHANCELLOR, FOR HIS SERVICES TO THE UNIVERSITY AND THE STATE OF QUEENSLAND, I PRESENT TO YOU DR NORMAN GREGORY JOSEPH BEHAN, COMMANDER OF THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF ST MICHAEL AND ST GEORGE, BACHELOR OF MEDICINE AND BACHELOR OF SURGERY, DIPLOMA IN PHARMACY, FOR ADMISSION TO THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF LAWS, HONORIS CAUSA.