Economists lauded for life’s work

Economists Geoffrey Harcourt and John Freebairn have made it onto this year’s Queens Birthday List.

Professor John Freebairn has been made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO).

Geoffrey Harcourt and John Freebairn, two of the nation’s most eminent economists, have been made a Companion (AC) and an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia, respectively, in this year’s Queens Birthday List.

The two professors have distinguished themselves over a lifetime of scholarship.

Professor Freebairn, now at the University of Melbourne, is ­renowned for work in applied economics, especially in relation to tax.

Professor Harcourt, at UNSW after decades of teaching economics at Cambridge University, was elevated for his contributions to “post-Keynesian economics, capital theory and economic thought” as a teacher and author. He has written or co-authored more than 400 journal articles, chapters or essays and 30 books.

Professor Harcourt, who said he was “over the moon” on hearing the news, was offered one of his first lectureships at Cambridge by the most famous female economist. “To my amazement, Joan Robinson came in one day and said are you interested,” he recounted. He spent over 30 years there variously at Trinity and Clare Halls, and ­finally Jesus College.

David Vines, an Australian economics professor at Balliol College, Oxford, said Professor Harcourt was “an inspiration to generations of students”.

Fellow economist Peter Swan said Professor Freebairn, who was unavailable in time for comment, was “very well respected and deserved his award”.

“He’s one of those increasingly rare economists who excels in theory but makes regular contributions to public policy debate.”