Sir John Crawford AC CBE (b. 1910 )
1981 Award

Architect of Australia's Post-War Growth

Born in Sydney, Crawford trained as an agricutural economist. In 1943 he became director of research in the Department of Post-War Reconstruction under H C Coombs. He then headed the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture, 1950-56, and Trade, 1956-60, where he was a key figure in encouraging economic links with Japan. In 1960 he joined the Australian National University and was appointed Vice- Chancellor, 1968-73, and Chancellor, 1976-84. During the Vietnam War the government sought to stamp out student opposition by identifying potential draft resisters from student records. Crawford doggedly refused access to the University's records, and the government backed down.

During a long and distinguished career Crawford was an adviser to the World Bank, President of the Australia and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science, and Governor of the Canadian International Development Research Centre. He reported on agricultural policy in India and Australia, and on aid to Papua New Guinea. He headed the committee in 1979 that handed down the Crawford report on the future of Australian industry.