Brian Sherman AM Honoured with Australian Museum Award for Contribution to Scientific Research
Photography by Tim Levy © Australian Museum
On 4 August, the 2022 Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI) Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Brian Sherman AM at a ceremony at the Australian Museum on Tuesday night. The Award is in recognition of his significant contribution to animal welfare and to the advancement of science and scientific research.
Director and CEO of the Australian Museum, Kim McKay AO, said it is important for science and scientists be recognised in this way and to have a strong voice so that their work continues to be supported and trusted by the community and government.
“Brian Sherman was President of the Australian Museum Trust from 2001 to 2009 and made a remarkable impact on the scientific operations of the Australian Museum,” McKay said.
“He ensured the safety and protection of the Australian Museum’s irreplaceable scientific collections by initiating the building of the Collections and Research facility, which opened in 2008,” McKay said.
Former AMRI Lifetime Achievement Award winner and the AM’s Distinguished Fellow in Climate Change, Professor Tim Flannery said that Brian Sherman’s leadership and ethics brought a new perspective to the Australian Museum’s operations.
“Brian’s involvement in animal rights was ahead of its time and he brought a contemporary view to the way the AM managed animal specimens,” Professor Tim Flannery said.
Australian Museum Trustee and Pro Vice-Chancellor, University of Sydney, Professor Kathy Belov AO, said that during his time as President of the AM Trust, Brian raised the profile of the Australian Museum
“Not only did he oversee 28 major exhibitions and the acquisition of countless valuable specimens and objects, but most significantly, he also guided the development and delivery of a new Collections and Research Building, now known as the Australian Museum Research Institute,” Belov said.
“These strong foundations upgraded the AM’s scientific research facilities and vastly improved storage facilities of millions of specimens which have enabled the AM to become a world leading scientific research institution,” Belov said
McKay added that Brian’s support of the AM and its vision for the future has continued, and in 2020 the Sherman Foundation granted a $1 million dollar gift towards the AM’s major renovation, Project Discover.
“Brian, together with his wife Gene, has always been a champion for ensuring that science is made accessible to all. It is a fitting tribute that the entrance to the Australia Museum - a space that invites and welcomes all visitors to engage with science and natural history, is now called the Brian Sherman Crystal Hall,” McKay said.
Accepting the Award on behalf of her father, Ondine Sherman said he loved being involved in the Australian Museum.
“Growing up, we spent a lot of our time at the Australian Museum. Dad is extremely honoured to receive this award,” Ms Sherman said.
Established in 2014, the AMRI Lifetime Achievement Award recognises eminent researchers and others who have made outstanding contributions to advancing public knowledge and understanding of science. Previous recipients of the AMRI Lifetime Achievement Award have included Mr Robyn Williams AM, Professor Tim Flannery, Professor Frank Talbot AM, the 1971 Lord Howe Island Environmental Survey Group, Catherine Livingstone AO and Professor Lesley Hughes.
