Prof Geoffrey Blainey AC

The Monash Medal is awarded annually to an Australian who has made an outstanding contribution to the Australian community and beyond. The 2017 winner is Prof Geoffrey Blainey AC, who is one of Australia's most significant and popular historians. He has written forty books including The Tyranny of Distance and the bestselling A Short History of the World.  He is listed by the National Trust as a 'Living Treasure'.

Educated at Ballarat High School and won a scholarship to Wesley College, before attending Melbourne University where he studied history. He worked as a freelance historical author writing mainly business histories. Blainey accepted a position at the University of Melbourne in 1962 in the Faculty of Economics and Commerce.  He held the positions of Professor of Economic History (1968-77); Senior Lecturer 1962; and from 1977-1988 he occupied the Ernest Scott Chair of History at Melbourne University.  Geoffrey Blainey also held the chair of Australian studies at Harvard University.  In 1993, he was appointed the foundation Chancellor of the University of Ballarat (UB) where he continued until 1998.

Geoffrey was also chairman of the Australia Council for four years and chairman of the Australia-China Council for five years.

In 2000, Geoffrey was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia for service to academia, research and scholarship, and as a leader of public debate at the forefront of fundamental social and economic issues confronting the wider community.