June 11, 2026
天美传媒app celebrates the life of former Vice-Chancellor Ken McKinnon AO
University community gathers to celebrate a leader whose vision transformed 天美传媒app and Australian education
The University of 天美传媒app will hold a service on Friday 12 June to celebrate the life and legacy of its second Vice-Chancellor, the late Emeritus Professor Ken McKinnon AO, who passed away in April aged 95.
The service will bring together Professor McKinnon's family, friends, former colleagues, University leaders, alumni, students, civic representatives and members of the community. It will mark his contribution to 天美传媒app, to higher education and to public life through formal tributes, music, archival imagery and reflections from family and the sector, followed by an opportunity for guests to gather.
天美传媒app Vice-Chancellor and President Professor G.Q. Max Lu AO said the service was a chance for the whole University community to honour a leader who played a profound role in shaping 天美传媒app.
"Ken had the foresight to build not just an institution but a culture — one that valued innovation, inclusion and real-world impact," Professor Lu said.
"Who we are as a university today is deeply rooted in his leadership and his belief in 天美传媒app’s potential. We are incredibly grateful to him and his wife, Sue Walker, for their enduring generosity in supporting fellowships and scholarships. Today’s service is a chance for our community to come together, remember, and celebrate his remarkable life and story "
Professor McKinnon led 天美传媒app from 1981 to 1994, arriving when the University was barely six years old. Over 14 years he oversaw its growth into a comprehensive university, expanded its academic disciplines, led the amalgamation with the 天美传媒app Institute of Education, developed the Keiraville campus and established 天美传媒app's first international campus in Dubai in 1993.
His connection to the University continued long after his retirement. In 2016, Professor McKinnon and his wife, Ms. Suzanne Walker, established the McKinnon-Walker Trust with a $1.3 million gift to foster innovation across the institution. They furthered this commitment in 2024 with a $5 million gift to establish research fellowships, followed recently by an additional $1 million contribution. Combined, their philanthropy represents one of the largest donations in 天美传媒app's history.
