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Pansy: A Life of Roy Douglas Wright
A stirrer and shaker . a boat-rocker and a confounded nuisance.
Geoffrey Serle
Roy Douglas ('Pansy') Wright was one of the great Australians of the twentieth century.
Born on a hill-country farm in northern Tasmania in 1907, he became an extraordinarily successful medical scientist and a builder of institutions such as the Australian National University, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Clinic and the Howard Florey Institute. He was loved for his brilliant, often ribald, wit, his fierce loyalties and his sympathy for the underdog. He died in 1990, shortly after completing a decade as Chancellor of the University of Melbourne.
Wright was a legendary teacher and much-loved colleague and mentor. However, his ebullient style disguised the private difficulties of a person who was often unhappy and awkward with intimacy. He was also a controversial man. His rivals interpreted his relentless energy in creating medical institutions as megalomania. Others found his blunt personal style abrasive and offensive.
In particular, his championing of Professor Sydney Sparkes Orr-dismissed by the University of Tasmania in 1956 for allegedly having seduced one of his students-embroiled him in a decade of public controversy.
In this delightfully lucid biography, Peter McPhee reveals the many contradictions in this complex and brilliant man.
Geoffrey Serle
Roy Douglas ('Pansy') Wright was one of the great Australians of the twentieth century.
Born on a hill-country farm in northern Tasmania in 1907, he became an extraordinarily successful medical scientist and a builder of institutions such as the Australian National University, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Clinic and the Howard Florey Institute. He was loved for his brilliant, often ribald, wit, his fierce loyalties and his sympathy for the underdog. He died in 1990, shortly after completing a decade as Chancellor of the University of Melbourne.
Wright was a legendary teacher and much-loved colleague and mentor. However, his ebullient style disguised the private difficulties of a person who was often unhappy and awkward with intimacy. He was also a controversial man. His rivals interpreted his relentless energy in creating medical institutions as megalomania. Others found his blunt personal style abrasive and offensive.
In particular, his championing of Professor Sydney Sparkes Orr-dismissed by the University of Tasmania in 1956 for allegedly having seduced one of his students-embroiled him in a decade of public controversy.
In this delightfully lucid biography, Peter McPhee reveals the many contradictions in this complex and brilliant man.
352 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1999
4 people want to read
About the author
Peter McPhee
35 books34 followersMcPhee was educated at Caulfield Grammar School and Trinity College while studying at the University of Melbourne, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees, a Diploma in Education and a Doctor of Philosophy degree.
He later taught at LaTrobe University (1975–79) and the Victoria University of Wellington (1980–86) before teaching history at Melbourne. He specialises in research on French history and the French Revolution, having published numerous books on the subject. His academic management positions at Melbourne have included working as Deputy Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, head of the Department of History and President of the university's academic board. In 2003 he became the deputy vice-chancellor for academics and in 2007 was appointed as the inaugural provost. As part of this role he has been responsible for planning and introducing the university's controversial new Melbourne Model, which is designed to maintain consistency with the Bologna Accords' structure for European higher education.
In 2003 he was awarded the Centenary Medal for services to education.
McPhee retired from the University of Melbourne on 14 June 2009 but continues to serve as a professorial fellow.
In 2014 Peter McPhee, with the University of Melbourne and Coursera, developed a free online course on the French Revolution. The course follows the chapters in his eBook, The French Revolution.
He later taught at LaTrobe University (1975–79) and the Victoria University of Wellington (1980–86) before teaching history at Melbourne. He specialises in research on French history and the French Revolution, having published numerous books on the subject. His academic management positions at Melbourne have included working as Deputy Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, head of the Department of History and President of the university's academic board. In 2003 he became the deputy vice-chancellor for academics and in 2007 was appointed as the inaugural provost. As part of this role he has been responsible for planning and introducing the university's controversial new Melbourne Model, which is designed to maintain consistency with the Bologna Accords' structure for European higher education.
In 2003 he was awarded the Centenary Medal for services to education.
McPhee retired from the University of Melbourne on 14 June 2009 but continues to serve as a professorial fellow.
In 2014 Peter McPhee, with the University of Melbourne and Coursera, developed a free online course on the French Revolution. The course follows the chapters in his eBook, The French Revolution.
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