Celebrating 50 years of the Australian Society for

Frank Fenner

Frank John Fenner was born in Ballarat in 1914 and moved to as a young child. He completed his undergraduate studies in medicine (1938) at the , before obtaining a Diploma of Tropical Medicine (, 1940) and later a Doctor of Medicine (University of Adelaide, 1942). During World War II, Fenner served in the Australian Army Medical Corps, as a field ambulance medical officer, pathologist and malariologist. For his work in combating in , Fenner received the award Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1944.

After the war Fenner was recruited by Frank to work at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in . There he worked with Burnet on in mice and later on poxvirus . In 1948 Fenner received a fellowship to study at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in , where he worked with René Dubos, who would later become an important environmentalist.

Returning to in 1949, Fenner was appointed foundation Professor of Microbiology at the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University in . There he began studying viruses again, in particular the myxoma virus and its use as a biological control for rabbits. This topic would occupy Fenner for 15 years, and during his research, Fenner, Burnet and famously injected themselves with myxoma virus.

Fenner was Director of the John Curtin School from 1967 to 1973, developing it as a renowned institution in . A passion for the environment led to his appointment as foundation Director of the Centre for Resources and Environmental Studies at the ANU in 1973, where he worked until his retirement in 1979. During this time Fenner was also Chair of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Commission for the Certification of Smallpox Eradication. In this role Fenner achieved a career pinnacle when he announced the eradication of the disease to the World Health Assembly in 1980.

Fenner produced many significant books and reports during his career, including The Biology of Animal Viruses (1968), Medical Virology (with David White, 1970), Smallpox and its Eradication (1989) and History of Microbiology in Australia (1990). Fenner was President of the Australian Society for Microbiology from 1964-65, gave the Rubbo Oration in 1973 and was given Honorary Life Membership of the Society in 1975.

A distinguished scientist, Fenner received many accolades for his international achievements in combating pox viruses, amongst them the WHO Medal (1988), (1988), Companion of the Order of Australia (1989), the Royal Society’s (1995), Senior Australian Achiever of the Year Award (1999), Albert Einstein World Award for Science (2000) and the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science (2002). remains Emeritus Professor at the John Curtin School of Medical Research.

Sources Interview with Frank Fenner (12 September 2007). M. Blythe, Interview with Professor Frank Fenner, Interviews with Australian Scientists, Australian Academy of Science, 13 September 1993. P. Thompson, Professor Frank Fenner in interview, Big Ideas: The Wisdom Interviews, ABC Radio National. F. Fenner. Nature, Nurture and Chance: The Lives of Frank and Charles Fenner. F. Fenner (ed.). History of Microbiology in Australia. Bright Sparcs biographical entry (accessed 14 January 2009). The 1997 Australian Science Festival biographical entry (accessed 15 January 2009).

Images courtesy Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science (above) and Frank Fenner.

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