PROFESSOR DEREK TRIBE AO OBE FTSE
23.09.26 TO 19.04.03

Biography

In 1969, Derek was awarded the Silver Medal of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science for his contributions to agricultural research. In 1975 he was made a Foundation Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE). He was created an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1977 and an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) in 1993. He received numerous other prestigious awards. Within the Crawford Fund, his contribution was recognised in 2000 with the establishment of the Derek Tribe Award, which is presented biennially to a citizen of a developing country for distinguished contribution to the application of research in agriculture or natural resource management in a developing country or countries.

Our past Chairman, The Hon Tim Fischer, comments: "Derek Tribe had a gentle and generous approach about him which masked an inner strength and ability to get things done. This included a capability to sign people up for tasks before they knew it, but in a way which always worked out well. As my predecessor, The Hon Doug Anthony has pointed out, Derek was a natural leader in so many fields, including the science associated with urea feeding to ruminants and intensive piggery production; and his guidance to so many over the years will be sorely missed".

Derek was one of the giants of Australian agricultural research. While it will be for others to provide a full description of his early career, which culminated with a period as Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Melbourne (1969-73), Derek had a life-long commitment to international agricultural research and, particularly in later years, to the Crawford Fund - the Australian national support organisation for IAR.

His loss will be keenly felt by the international agricultural research community.

The ATSE Crawford Fund
1 Leonard Street
Parkville 3052
Victoria Australia
T: (03) 9347 8328
F: (03) 9347 3224
E: crawford@mira.net
W: www.crawfordfund.org