Farewell to Frank Fenner

One of Australia's greatest scientists, University of Adelaide medical graduate Frank Fenner AC CMG MBE, has died at the age of 95.

Emeritus Professor Fenner is best known for his work in eradicating smallpox and for the control of Australia's rabbit plague.

Professor Fenner graduated in medicine from the University of Adelaide in 1938 and completed his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1942.

He had an outstanding career as a microbiologist and world expert on pox virus. He conducted pioneering studies to investigate how common virus infections spread through the body and produce disease, and he played a major role in the introduction of myxoma virus to combat Australia's rabbit plagues, which were causing great harm to the agricultural industry and the environment.

Professor Fenner was Chairman of the Global Commission for the Certification of Smallpox Eradication. In 1980 Professor Fenner announced the eradication of smallpox to the World Health Assembly.

He was Director of the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University (ANU) before becoming founding Director of the Centre for Resource and Environmental Science at ANU from 1973 to 1979. He was also a Founding Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.

He received numerous awards and honours including the Japan Prize - a prize for applied science regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize. He was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, a Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George and a Member of the British Empire.

Other major honours included the Copley medal of the Royal Society (1995), Albert Einstein World Award for Science (2000), Clunies Ross Lifetime Contribution National Science and Technology Award (2002), WHO Medal, ANZAAS Medal, ANZAC Peace Prize, Matthew Flinders Medal, Britannica Australia Award for Medicine and 2002 Prime Minister's Prize for Science.

In 2007, Professor Fenner was awarded a Doctor of the University (honoris causa) from the University of Adelaide.