University of Canberra : alumni : Herbert Burton medal

Graduate profile:

John Benton

Creative director and co-founder, CRE8IVE, Canberra

2000 - graduated with a Bachelor of Graphic Design from the University of Canberra.

“Studying at UC really became the foundation for my career. It exposed me to most of the design principles that I now make a living from. It also provided a base for me to be able to continue learning. I have kept in touch with some of my lecturers and tutors which has been rewarding.

UC pioneered the teaching of website design as part of graphic design and encouraged us to be exposed to the possibilities of the internet. This was great because the industry was just starting to embrace digital communication and this gave me a real head start.”

History

Established in 1983 in honour of Emeritus Professor Herbert Burton, the Herbert Burton Medal is the University of Canberra's most prestigious award and is presented annually by the Alumni Society to a graduating student considered to have achieved outstanding academic results and made a significant contribution in a variety of ways to the university and the wider community.

Traditionally, the Chancellor presents the Herbert Burton Medal at the Burton Revels, which takes the form of a cocktail reception on the eve of the December Graduation Ceremonies.

Herbert Burton

Born in Queensland in 1900, and educated at Ipswich Grammar School and the University of Queensland, Herbert Burton entered Oxford in 1922 as a Rhodes Scholar. Upon his return to Australia, he taught briefly at St Peter's College in Adelaide before taking up an appointment as senior lecturer of economic history at the University of Melbourne. In 1949, he was appointed Principal and Professor of economic history at the Canberra University College where he remained until his retirement in 1965.

Herbert Burton remained actively involved in many facets of Canberra society during his retirement. For many years, he was chairman of the Design and Siting Review Committee for Canberra. He chaired the committee that recommended the establishment of the Canberra College of Advanced Education (later to become the University of Canberra) and it is widely believed that the College was born out of Herbert Burton's vision. He was a member of the committee on Awards in Advanced Education and of the interim council of the Royal Military College. Professor Burton also supervised the transformation of the Social Science Research Council of Australia into the Academy of the Social Sciences of Australia.

Herbert Burton is remembered as a man of the highest integrity, great tolerance and understanding. He has left an indelible mark on tertiary institutions throughout Australia. The University of Canberra is proud to name its most prestigious award in honour of a man who serves as an example to all of our students and graduates.

Who is Eligible?

Eligibility is open to students during their conferring year only (both July and December graduates) who have completed an undergraduate course.

Nomination Form

The Herbert Burton Medal Nomination Form is available in RTF (48kb) format.

For the PDF version, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4 or later. Fill out the form online, print it, sign it and return it with attachments to the address given on the form.
The RTF version is for recent version of Word for either Windows or Macintosh. Print it out, fill it in, sign it, and return it with attachments to the address given on the form.

Burton Medal Winners

A list of medal winners is available here.

For more information about the University of Canberra Alumni contact the Alumni Officer.