The College community congratulates Professor Richard Kingsford on becoming an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours List. Richard completed his studies at The University of Sydney: BSc in 1980, DipEd in 1980 and a PhD in 1987, and was at St Paul’s 1977-79. He is the Founding Director of the Centre for Ecosystem Science (formerly Australian Wetlands, Rivers and Landscapes Centre), School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, since 2009 at UNSW where since 2005 he has been a professor.

He has worked extensively across the wetlands and rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin and Lake Eyre Basin as a river ecologist and conservation biologist. Previously he worked for the NSW Environment Department from 1986 to 2004. His research has influenced the policy and management of rivers in Australia.

Professor Richard Kingsford AO [picture credit: UNSW]

His AO is awarded for distinguished service to conservation biology, to environmental sustainability research, and to freshwater biodiversity and ecosystems governance. He is a current or former member or chair of three global environmental organisations and over 20 Australian-based organisations, societies and government panels. He has been awarded several national prizes including three Australian Museum Eureka Prizes 2001, 2008, 2023, the Frederick White Prize, Australian Academy of Science, 1994, amongst others. He has edited/co-authored five books and 95 government scientific reports, is a regular commentator in the media and Fellow of the Royal Zoological Society of NSW and the Royal Society of NSW.

The College also acknowledges the posthumous appointment of the late Matt Peacock as a Member of the Order of Australia. Matt was in College in 1971. Matt began his career as a cadet journalist at the ABC in 1973. He is most well-known as one of the ABC’s foreign correspondents being a familiar face and voice on national TV and radio news, AM and The World Today. From 2013 to 2018 he was a staff-elected member of the ABC Board.

The late Matt Peacock AM [picture credit: ABC]

His AM is awarded for significant service to the broadcast media as a journalist. He was a Senior Reporter for ABC Current Affairs, London Correspondent, 1999-2003, Chief Political Correspondent (Current Affairs Radio), 1995-1999, New York Correspondent, 1990-1993, Director, Remote Area Media, 1983-1988 and Journalist, 1973-2018. Matt was a Founding Member of ABC Alumni and an Adjunct Professor of Journalism at the University of Technology Sydney. His writing includes Killer Company: James Hardie Exposed, 2009 and Author/Interviewer, The Forgotten People – a History of Australia’s South Sea Islanders, 1979 and Asbestos – work as a health hazard, 1978.