Australia Day honours, 2017
Eight Scotch Family members received awards in the 2017 Australia Day honours list, including two members of the Scotch College Council— the Hon Dr David Kemp AC, and Professor Andrew Holmes AC. Congratulations to all the awardees.
The Hon Dr David Alistair Kemp(‘ 59)— Companion of the Order of Australia( AC) Dr Kemp received his award for eminent service to the Parliament of Australia, notably in the areas of employment, education, training and youth affairs, to the environment, to institutional reform and public policy development, and to the community.
Dr Kemp has been Chairman of the School Council since 2012, during a period which has included the most significant building program in Scotch’ s history, since the school moved from East Melbourne to Hawthorn in the early twentieth century. He is a member of Council’ s Executive and Governance, Fundraising, Museum and Heritage, Nominating, Remuneration and Risk committees.
Dr Kemp attended Scotch from 1949-59, following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, his two grandfathers and his father. Dr Kemp’ s own sons William(’ 90), Andrew(’ 04) and Charles(’ 10) were also at Scotch, and Charles was School Captain in 2011.
In his final Scotch year, Dr Kemp was a School Prefect, Co-Editor of The Scotch Collegian and Co-Dux of the School, gaining Exhibitions in Economics and Latin and a General Exhibition.
He graduated with Law and Arts degrees from the University of Melbourne, where he held a non-resident scholarship at Ormond College. He won the Hearn Exhibition in Jurisprudence and the Gyles Turner Prize in Australian History. He was a Fulbright Scholar from 1968 to 1971, attending
Yale University, where he completed a PhD( with distinction) in Political Science.
His service includes Member for Goldstein in the Parliament of Australia, 1990-2004; Vice President of the Executive Council, 1998-2004; Minister for Environment and Heritage, 2001-2004; Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service, 1997-2001; Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs, 1998-2001; Minister for Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, 1997-1998; Minister for Schools, Vocational Education and Training, 1996-1997; and Minister assisting the Minister for Finance for Privatisation, 1996-1997.
Dr Kemp was Senior Adviser to the Rt Hon John Malcolm Fraser, Leader of the Opposition and Prime Minister from 1975-76. He was Director of the Prime Minister’ s office in 1981, State President of the Victorian Division of the Liberal Party, 2007-2011, and State Director and Strategy Director, 1987-1988. He is an Honorary Life Member of the party.
He was Chair of the Old Parliament House Advisory Council, 2013-2016, and he has been Chair of the Old Parliament House board since 2016, as well as a Director and board member of the Victorian Scottish Heritage Cultural Foundation since 2011, and a board member of the Virginia Chadwick Foundation since 2010.
Dr Kemp was a founding board member of the Grattan Institute for Public Policy in 2008 and continues on the board; he has chaired the Australian Heritage Council since 2016 and has been a member of the board since 2015. He is a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand School of Government.
Dr Kemp was a member of the Melbourne University Council in 2014-2015, a professor at the university from 2005-2010 and a Vice-Chancellor’ s
Fellow from 2006-2010. At Monash University, he was a Senior Lecturer in Political Science from 1975-1979 and a Professor of Politics from 1979-1990.
Dr Kemp’ s publications include Society and Electoral Behaviour in Australia: a Study of Three Decades, Malcolm Fraser on Australia,( co-authored with D M White), Foundations for Australian Political Analysis: Politics and Authority, The Liberals: A Short History of Liberalism in Victoria and Australia, The Pipes & Drums – Scotch College Melbourne— a History,( co-authored with S Matthews), and Good Government for Victoria: Review of the 2014 State Election, Final Report, July 2015
He is currently Chair of the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House.
Professor Andrew Bruce Holmes AM(‘ 61)— Companion of the Order of Australia( AC)
He received his award for eminent service to science through developments in the field of organic and polymer chemistry as a researcher, editor and academic, and through the governance of nationally recognised, leading scientific organisations.
Professor Holmes attended Scotch from 1954 to 1961 and was a School Prefect in 1960 and 1961.
He has been President of the Australian Academy of Science since 2014, and has led the Academy with great distinction, energy and integrity.
Professor Holmes obtained his BSc and MSc degrees at the University of Melbourne, where he worked with Professor L M Jackman. His PhD( 1971) on heteroannulenes with Franz Sondheimer
58 Great Scot Number 150 – April 2017