Sir Roy Douglas Wright (7 August 190728 February 1990) was an Australian physiologist and eminent academic administrator.

Biography

He was born in Central Castra,

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. He became Professor of Physiology 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 n ...

from 1939 to 1971 and was later

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the University from 1980 to 1989. He advised the leaders of the optometry profession who were responsible for setting up the Victorian College of Optometry in 1939 and 1940 and helped plan the first four-year optometry course. He was involved again when the optometry course was transferred to the university. Wright married Julia Violet Bell, a nurse, on 24 September 1932 at Camperdown, Victoria; they subsequently divorced. On 22 July 1964 he married Meriel Antoinette Winchester Wilmot, his secretary since 1941, in the registry office, Kensington, England. The young Roy Douglas Wright of the 1930s sported circular glasses frames, while an older, more refined Wright turned his attention to a more edgy rectangular frame style by the early 1980s. He was a colourful supporter of causes, as his biography ''Pansy Wright — A biography of Roy Douglas Wright'' by Peter McPhee (1999) attests. He challenged students, colleagues and institutions, asserting at one time: "Whatever you do, whether you do it well or do it badly, do it brilliantly. Avoid mediocrity on all accounts". In the

Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port J ...

Honours of 1983, he was made a Knight of the Order of Australia (AK). He was the brother of Sir Reg Wright">Order_of_Australia.html" ;"title="Knight of the Order of Australia">Knight of the

Liberal Australian Senate">Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...

from Tasmania, who was also knighted, and who died only ten days later, on 10 March 1990. His eldest brother,

John Forsyth Wright was a Member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly">House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible gover ...

in the Parliament of Tasmania.

References

External links

Biographical article
in the ''Encyclopedia of Australian Science''. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Roy Douglas 1907 births 1990 deaths Australian physiologists Knights of the Order of Australia Chancellors of the University of Melbourne Academic staff of the University of Melbourne People from Tasmania

Biography

See also

References

External links