When Maurice French started work as a history lecturer and was given a brief to encourage local history in the Toowoomba community, he took it seriously.
Now, almost 40 years later, Professor Emeritus Maurice French has been bestowed with one of highest possible honours in this country after being appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia.
Professor French was Dean of Arts at the University of Southern Queensland for 14 years until his retirement in 2008 and also served as Pro Vice-Chancellor from 2005-2007 and as Assistant Deputy Vice-Chancellor from 2003-2004.
He has been recognised in the Australia Day honours list “For significant service to tertiary education through a range of leadership roles, to the preservation of local history, and to the study of the humanities”.
The “significant service” constitutes countless hours of voluntary service to organisations and clubs such as Toowoomba Historical Society, which he helped to have re-constituted in 1979 and has served as president since 2009, the Australian Historical Association and the Royal Historical Society of Queensland.
But it is the research he has done into the history of the Toowoomba region that will perhaps have the greatest impact, with countless research articles and 13 books currently to his name.
“I find with history the more you dig the more interesting things you find,” Professor French said.
“My wife would probably say I’m ‘obsessed’, but I think I’m just always looking for the bigger picture. How does the history of Toowoomba fit in context with the history of this state, this country and the world?”
Professor French said he was humbled to receive this latest recognition, suggesting it was the “crowning achievement” of his career.
“However, I think it has only been made possible due to my long association with USQ and so I hope it reflects well on the university as much as me.
“While it is an individual recognition there have been a lot of friends and colleagues who have assisted and mentored me along the way.”
Professor French is set to release his latest book The Lamington Enigma, a publication that should put to bed the debate over the origin of the cherished cake, in April this year.
Media contact;
Jim Campbell, USQ Media, +617 4631 2977, jim.campbell@usq.edu.au
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