Dr Murray receiving his Order of Australia Medal from the Governor in 2004

The following is an excerpt from the Australian Veterinary Association’s annual conference awards ceremony, May 2004.

Dr Richard (Dick) Murray OAM, graduated from the University of Queensland in 1973 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science. Since that time he has made a selfless and sustained voluntary contribution to the profession and the community. He proposed a Pan-Pacific Veterinary Conference involving veterinarians in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific and was the first convener of such a conference, held in Townsville in 1990.

The AVA recognized his contribution first with a Meritorious Service Award in 1986 and a Fellowship in 1992. He was also awarded Membership of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in 1996.

Starting in the late 1980’s Dr Murray shifted his focus from helping his professional colleagues to applying principles of veterinary science to a worldwide problem of the control of urban animals. At a time when the control of urban companion animals was largely haphazard and often an unpleasant task that involved disposing of unwanted companion animals, he set about developing a more rigorous science based management and community framework for the control of urban companion animals.

Dr Murray initiated the first national Urban Animal Conference in 1992 in Brisbane. He has also presented innumerable lectures and written presentations on Urban Animal Management to conferences and communities for over 11 years. The outcomes from these conferences have become a major resource for local government to form their policies on the wary they manage their communities’ dogs and cats.

Contributions Dr Murray has made to Veterinary Science on a personal level include the publication of two books (Dogs in the Urban Environment, 1992 and Dogs and Cats in the Urban Environment Volumes 1 & 2), conducting studies on Magnetic Island on the issue of managing cats and wildlife. Through the Urban Animal Management Group, he was also responsible for a series of policies on microchips in Australian companion animals that have now become acceptable throughout Australia.

Dr Murray’s efforts have been voluntary and pursued with no thought of personal monetary reward. His two books were sold for the cost of production and consequently distributed free of charge as well as published for free access via the internet. This is just one good example of the time and effort he has put into a project without commercial benefit. His efforts have been conducted over-and-above the commitments and duties of a busy veterinary surgeon and a devoted family man.

The 2004 Gilruth Prize is awarded to Dr Richard Murray.

Gilruth Prize
The Gilruth Prize is the Australian Veterinary Association’s most prestigious service award. It was established in 1953 to commemorate Dr J A Gilruth, who was Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science of the University of Melbourne, the first Chief of the Division of Animal Health of the CSIRO, Administrator of the Northern Territory (1912 – 1919) and an outstanding veterinary authority. It is the highest ranking award of the Australian Veterinary Association.