Two Old Boys were appointed Members of the Order of Australia in the 2026 Australia Day Honours.
Professor John Rolfe '77 was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to regional economic development. A former BGS boarder, he credits his time at the School with giving him the confidence to pursue his passion: "I think being a boarder is a life changing experience because you get so close with the other boys." He built a three-decade career at Central Queensland University as Professor of Regional Economic Development and a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, leading more than 40 major research projects and securing more than $7 million in funding, with work that has directly supported policy on the Great Barrier Reef.
Emeritus Professor Roderick Drew '67 was also appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, on Australia Day, for significant service to horticultural research and agricultural development. He was Founder and CEO of the Australian Technology and Agricultural College and President of the International Society for Horticultural Science, and holds a Doctor of Science and a PhD. Today he works to tackle poverty through the Turkana Needy Children's Home in northwest Kenya. "These are some of the poorest people in the world. That's why I keep working there, that's my motivation," he said.
Source: Grammar News, Winter 2026.
Source: Grammar News Winter 2026. Read the original edition