17 June, 2022
AM Honour for farmer philanthropist
A Condamine Plains farmer, businessman and philanthropist has been named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
Franklyn Brazil received an AM (Appointed Member in the General Division) for significant service to medical research and to agriculture.
Mr Brazil grew up at Archerfield near Brisbane and took over the family's poultry farm before buying land in the Darling Downs in the 1970s and moving here in the 1980s to grow grain and cotton. The family also has beef grazing properties in Queensland.
Mr Brazil has served in many industry organisations and donated extensively to charities, medical, agricultural and environmental research. His business interestes have reached into diverse sectors - he was one of the founders of the travel booking platform Wotif.
Mr Brazil's wife Bobbie, a former Chancellor of the University of Southern Queensland, was herself awarded an AO in 2017 for distinguished service to tertiary education governance, to agricultural, environmental and resource management organisations.
The couple has made significant donations to Beauaraba Living aged care in Pittsworth, as well as the Wesley Hospital, the Brain Institute and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research.
Their children have followed in their parents high-achieving footsteps, Victoria as professor of Emergency Medicine at Bond University and Ben as an investment banker in London.
Mr Brazil said he still enjoys farming life and life on the land and he and Bobbie also enjoyed being able to assist when they found a need.
In all, 119 Queenslanders were named in the 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours List this week, acknowledged for their outstanding service and inspiring achievements across the state, Australia and abroad.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk congratulated the recipients and said: " Following Her Majesty The Queen's history Platinum Jubilee last week, earning a place on this year's Queen's Birthday Honours List will no doubt have extra significance...
"Importantly, all were nominated by members of the public and I'm delighted their service, talent, loyalty and perseverance has been recognised."
Two Queenslanders were appoint4ed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) - philanthropist Gina Fairfax and former Chief Health Officer and current Governor of Queensland, Her excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young PSM.
