Hon Dr Barry Jones AC

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Barry Jones was a Member of the House of Representatives for the Victorian Electorate of Lalor 1977-98, in the first three Hawke Governments, becoming Australia's longest serving Science Minister 1983-90. He was also a Victorian State MP 1972-77, and served as National President of the Australian Labor Party 1992-2000 and 2005-06.

In 1985 he became the only Australian Minister invited to address a Summit meeting of the Group of Seven northern industrial powers in Ottawa. In 1987 he chaired OECD's review of the Yugoslavian economy.

He is the only person to have been elected as a Fellow of all four Australian learned Academies: Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE) in 1992, the Humanities (FAHA) in 1993, Science (FAA) in 1996, and Social Sciences (FASSA) in 2003.

His book Sleepers, Wake!: Technology and the Future of Work was published by Oxford University Press in 1982,
a best seller, and was translated into Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Swedish and Braille.

Other books include the Dictionary of World Biography (1994), a best-seller most recently revised in 1998. His autobiography A Thinking Reed was published in 2006.

In 1998 he was named by the National Trust as one of Australia’s 100 Living National Treasures. He chaired the Victorian Schools Innovation Commission 2001-05 and was elected FACE in 2003. He chaired the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority 2000-04; 2005-12.

In 2014 Barry Jones was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for 'eminent service to the community as a leading intellectual in Australian public life, through contributions to scientific, heritage, musical, medical, political and public health organisations, and to the Australian Parliament.'

He took a leading role in campaigns to abolish the death penalty and revive the Australian film industry and achieved some reputation as a quiz champion. His passions include music, literature, painting, sculpture, architecture, photography and travel.