The Foundation was established as a lasting memorial to the late Professor Frank Fenner, recognising his life-long commitment to human health and the health of the natural environment. His work on the pox viruses and his involvement in the World Health Organisation’s program that resulted in the elimination of smallpox are well known, as are his studies of myxomatosis for control of the rabbit population in Australia.
Frank was Director of the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University before he became the Foundation Director of the University’s Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies. Frank saw clearly the urgent need for much better understanding, throughout the community, of the findings of the life sciences, especially as they have bearing on the wellbeing of humankind and the biosphere.
From the 1960s onwards Frank was actively involved in, and strongly supported, a number of community projects based on this view. In particular, he made substantial annual donations to the Nature and Society Forum (NSF), precursor to the Foundation, of which he was Patron and an active participant. NSF was established in 1991 as a community--‐based group to promote scientific understanding across the community of the ecological and health issues that face our society today.
Follow this link to read more about Professor Frank Fenner - Academy of Science.
"Microbes to Macrobes: The Story of Frank Fenner" is a documentary made by Richard Jasek, and we highly recommend it for an understanding of Frank Fenner.