Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as ...

Douglas Berry Copland (24 February 189427 September 1971) was an Australian academic and economist.

Biography

Douglas Copland was born in Otago,

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

in 1894, the thirteenth of sixteen children. He was raised there and lived there till he was 21. In 1920, at the age of 26, he became Professor of Economics at the

University of Tasmania The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public research university, primarily located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1890, it is Australia's fourth oldest university. Christ College, one of the university's residential colleges, first prop ...

. In 1924 Copland was appointed the Professor of Commerce (a post he held until 1944) and first Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Commerce at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...

. He was also the Truby Williams Professor of Economics at the University of Melbourne 1944–45. He is remembered for his interest in the application of economic analysis to practical problems. Copland helped found the Economic Society of Australia and New Zealand and was the first president of the Victorian Branch of the society and the first Editor in Chief of its journal ''The Economic Record''. It is said of him that he "pioneered the development of the economics profession in Australia". Amongst other things he was Commonwealth Prices Commissioner during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

and Australian Minister to China (1946–48). He was appointed the first

Vice-Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor ...

of the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies an ...

in 1948, a post he held until 1953 when he became Australian High Commissioner to Canada. He was a member of the Australian Delegation at the first

United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...

. He was Vice President of the

United Nations Economic and Social Council The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC; french: links=no, Conseil économique et social des Nations unies, ) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields ...

(ECOSOC) during its 18th Session (June–August 1954) and President for the 19th and 20th Sessions (March–June, July–October 1955). Copland is acknowledged as the founder of the

Committee for Economic Development of Australia The Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) is a bipartisan, non-profit organisation providing thought leadership and policy perspectives on the economic and social issues affecting Australia. Its expressed aim is to "promote nat ...

. In 1960 CEDA was established as one of Australia's first independent think tanks. CEDA's work fostering economic development, public debate and research and policy continues. Copland's legacy is acknowledged through the Copland leadership program run by CEDA in each Australian state and through the CEDA annual Copland lecture. Copland died in 1971.

Honours

Douglas Copland was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1933. He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1950. The Copland Lecture Theatre in the Economics and Commerce Building at the University of Melbourne is named after Sir Douglas Copland. It is one of the largest lecture theatres in the University, seating approximately 450 people. In 2011, the Faculty of Business and Economics offered fifteen scholarships to high-achieving students commencing the Bachelor of Commerce. These students are called the Copland Scholars in recognition of Sir Douglas Copland.

References

External links

*A guide to the papers of Sir Douglas Copland in the National Library of Australia

{{DEFAULTSORT:Copland, Douglas 1894 births 1971 deaths Australian economists University of Tasmania faculty University of Melbourne faculty Australian National University faculty High Commissioners of Australia to Canada Australian Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Australian Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Ambassadors of Australia to China Vice-Chancellors of the Australian National University