Adrian Horridge is famous for his pioneering studies of invertebrate vision. Born, raised, and educated in the United Kingdom, Horridge moved to Australia in the late 1960s to take up a position as a Founding Professor of the Australian National University’s Research School of Biological Sciences, to establish a thriving department of neurobiology, which became one of the world’s leading entities in this field. Photograph by Horridge family.

In October 2024, the largest optical telescope on Australian soil celebrated its fiftieth anniversary amid accolades that included a warm message from HM the King, who had opened it on 16 October 1974. Among the individuals most closely associated with the telescope’s conception, construction and commissioning one name stands out—that of Ben Gascoigne, a professor of astronomy at the Australian National University (ANU). With a second entirely different career flourishing in his later years, this extraordinary scientist’s life makes for a remarkable story.

David Headley Green AM, FAA, FRS was an outstanding geologist and leader in experimental petrology and geochemistry whose research shaped our understanding of the composition of the Earth’s mantle and the origin of magmas. He also fostered Antarctic geology and marine and climate science, and contributed to science policy. His achievements were recognised with many international and national awards. Photographer unknown. Photograph courtesy of the Green family.