General News
4 April, 2025
High honour for late resident
A CAMPERDOWN resident has been posthumously honoured for his work in English literature and education as part of the Australia Day Honours list.
Associate Professor Philip Ayres died in August 2021 at age 77, with his son Julian Ayres attending the Australia Day Honours award ceremony which was held on Tuesday, to receive the award on his father’s behalf.
Julian Ayres said it was a “terrific recognition” of the work his father had done throughout his life, and Philip Ayres’ family was “very proud”.
“It’s obviously a shame it has occurred after he has passed away, but he was nominated while he was still alive,” he said.
“It’s a great honour for him to be recognised in this way, even though it would have been ideal if he was still with us.”
Philip Ayres was born in South Australia in 1944, spending much of his career as an academic at the University of Adelaide and then Monash University in Melbourne.
He taught at Monash for 30 years, retiring in 2006 and moving to Camperdown.
Philip Ayres had also received the Centenary Medal in 2001 and had fellowships in the Royal Historical Society of London and Australian Academy for the Humanities.
His most well-known works were his biographies on various prominent Australian figures, many of which were written in addition to his academic work.
“He wrote Malcom Fraser’s biography in 1987 – it was nothing to do with his work at Monash, it was purely for personal interest and curiosity,” Julian Ayres said.
“He liked Malcom Fraser. That was the first well-known publication he produced for general interest, not just for English literature.
“He subsequently wrote biographies on Sir Douglas Mawson, who was the Australian explorer in Antarctica for many years – he helped claimed a lot of territory for Australia in 1950s and 60s.
“He wrote another biography on Owen Dixon, who was the chief justice of the High Court of Australia, and that was published in 2003 – Owen Dixon died in the 1970s, but there had never been a biography on him.
“Then he wrote a biography on Sir Ninian Stephen, who was the Governor-General in the 1980s, and was a former High Court Justice as well – that was in 2015.”
Julian Ayres said Philip Ayres lived in the town for 15 years prior to his death and was heavily involved in the community during retirement.
“He was on the committee for restoring the grandstand at the Camperdown Racecourse, which has now been fixed,” Julian Ayres said.
“He was also in a walking group called the Western Mountaineers with Stewart McArthur and John Menzies, and a few other local identities.
“They were a walking group that, every month or two, would organise a trek around the region or a bit further away.
“He had a terrific retirement and enjoyed the western district and living in Camperdown.”
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