2009

Dr Keith Farrer OBE

Dr Keith Farrer, a distinguished scientist and former Carey student, was born at Footscray in 1916. During a long and distinguished professional and industrial career, he
has pursued a course of acquiring and sharing scientific knowledge and with that knowledge serving the community. As a young man Keith knew he wanted to be a scientist. He was a student at Carey from 1930 to 1933. He received a Bachelor of Science degree (Chemistry and Metallurgy) in 1936 and a Masters of Science
(Chemistry) in 1938 both from The University of Melbourne. In 1954 he received his Doctorate of Science. Much later he was awarded a Masters of Arts in History by La Trobe University.

Dr Farrer’s working life began as a graduate research chemist with Kraft Foods Limited in food science and technology. His work in measuring vitamin B1 levels in food and for conserving vitamin B1 levels during heat processing was ground breaking. It enhanced the development of Kraft’s Vegemite and contributed to nutrition
worldwide. Over his long career, Dr Farrer has shared his time and For exceptional and outstanding service to the community expertise freely with others and has been instrumental in the development of applied science during the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, particularly in the areas of food science and technology. His publications are numerous. Among his books are To Feed a Nation: A History of Australian Food Science and Technology and William Carey: Missionary and Botanist.

Dr Farrer’s contribution to his profession has been significant. He, with fellow scientists formed the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology. He was the convener of the committee which led to the foundation of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. The Institute and the Academy have played leading roles in the development of applied science both in Australia and on the world stage. Dr Farrer has served on various scientific committees, institutes and associations and he is a Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology. He has also assisted various government ministries, instrumentalities and departments including Defence, Education and Science, the Environment and Foreign Affairs.

After retiring from Kraft, Dr Farrer represented Australia internationally, including 12 years on the Executive Council of  Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux International (CABI), a treaty organisation with more than 40 member countries, which serves agriculture and bioscience internationally. He has also given his time and professional expertise to assist a number of south east Asian countries.

At various times Dr Farrer was a member of councils or committees in The University of Melbourne, Monash University and other Melbourne based universities. He served Carey for more than 40 years as a member of the School Council, which included periods as its Secretary and Vice-President.

Dr Farrer has relished the challenges offered by his professional and industrial career, and by what he has been able to offer to the community. He has willingly given his time and expertise to the broader community in education, government, the School and the Baptist denomination.

Dr Farrer’s contribution continues: he is currently editing the proposed definitive history of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology – another challenge to be met.