Darryl Bennet - ADB Medal citation

Darryl Bennet joined the Australian Dictionary of Biography team in 1989 as a research officer and during the 1990s worked as a research editor on the Commonwealth, armed forces and Victorian desks. The then general editor, Professor John Ritchie, described him as ‘diligent, conscientious, highly intelligent, a gifted editor and a superb colleague’. When in 2001 Darryl became acting deputy general editor, he and Dr Di Langmore, who took over as acting general editor that year, soon moved to create the online version of the ADB. They worked as a very effective team: Darryl, as online manager, co-ordinated and wrote three successful LIEF grant applications, securing for the ADB a total of $1.5 million from the Australian Research Council and participating institutions. He took on the added responsibility of project manager, handling the associated management and administrative tasks with aplomb. Liaising with partners and cultural institutions, he developed an extensive network. The online version of the ADB was launched in 2006 and at last report was receiving 200,000 hits a day. It is Darryl’s enduring legacy.

His fellow research editors remember him as a wise mentor, always tolerant, patient, willing to help and full of common sense. His broad knowledge of Australian history (he is an ANU honours graduate and university medallist in history) and his ability to write in clear English were invaluable in the editorial process. He himself was the author of twenty-one articles for the ADB before his retirement in May 2008. Having shown exceptional loyalty and dedication to the Australian Dictionary of Biography over many years, Darryl is a worthy recipient of this award.

18 May 2009

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