1992
CITATION
Mr Chancellor,
Lindsay Michael Birt had a distinguished academic career in the burgeoning science of Biochemistry, which took him to a Senior Lectureship at the University of Sheffield in 1964 and the Foundation Chair at the Australian National University in 1967. In 1975 he became Foundation Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wollongong and in 1981 Vice-Chancellor of the University of New South Wales. At the time of his retirement he was the longest serving Vice-Chancellor in Australia, and the University of New South Wales had outstripped its older Sydney neighbour both in size and in capacity to attract grants from the Australian Research Council. In addition he acted as Vice-Chancellor of Charles Sturt University over the years 1988-90, thus assisting in the establishment of a third Australian University, this one a creation of the Dawkins era.
Throughout these years he has served on many state and national boards and councils concerned with education, business and commercial affairs, health, medical research, science and technology, and has, thereby, exerted a formative influence on many aspects of public life. Since his retirement he has become Chairman of ASTEC, an appropriate transfer of the skills and experience of the scientist and administrator from the academic sphere to public policy making at the highest level.
The great contributions of Professor Birt were recognised when he became Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1980 and Officer of the Order of Australia in 1986. Universities across the world have been honoured to bestow their degrees upon him and The University of Queensland is privileged to join their ranks.
Mr Chancellor, for his distinguished contributions to science and to higher education in Australia, I present to you Professor Lindsay Michael Birt, Order of Australia, Commander of the British Empire, Bachelor of Agricultural Science and Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Melbourne, Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Oxford, Honorary DoctorofLetters of the University of Wollongong, Honorary Doctor of Laws of the University of Sheffield and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management for the conferral of the award of Doctor of Science honoris causa to which he has been admitted by the Senate of the University.