Bryce Courtenay

Bryce Courtenay inspires new graduates during his speech at the UC graduation ceremony. Photo: Michelle McAulay

Bryce Courtenay was one of Australia's best-selling and most popular authors, having sold over 21 million books world-wide since 1989.

Bryce began his career in advertising as a junior copywriter and worked his way up to being the creative director of one of the largest advertising agencies in the country in just four and a half years, showing both his determination and dedication to succeed after such humble beginnings. In an advertising career spanning 34 years, as the Creative Director at McCann Erickson; J.Walter Thompson and George Patterson Advertising, Bryce was much awarded in both Australia and overseas, and is acknowledged as the co-creator of the iconic Mortein character Louie the Fly.

He shot to prominence as an author in 1989 with the publication of his first novel, The Power of One. The novel quickly became one of Australia's best-selling books, and received acclaim all over the world, including Best New Novel in the 1990 British Book Awards. It has been adapted into a movie and the novel itself translated into 18 languages with nine million copies sold world-wide.

Bryce's second book, April Fool's Day, was a tribute and celebration of the life of his son Damon, who had died at the age of 24 from medically-contracted HIV/AIDs through an infected blood transfusion as treatment for his haemophilia.

In his twenty-one year career as a best-selling author, Bryce Courtenay has published twenty books. In addition to The Power of One and April Fool's Day, these include: Tandia, The Potato Factory, Tommo & Hawk, The Family Frying Pan, A Recipe for Dreaming, The Night Country, Jessica, Solomon's Song, Smoky Joe's Café, Four Fires, Matthew Flinders' Cat, Brother Fish, Whitethorn, Sylvia, The Persimmon Tree, Fishing for Stars, The Story of Danny Dunn and Fortune Cookie. Bryce's final book, Jack of Diamonds, will be released in November 2012.

In addition to his writing and advertising careers, Bryce has received success as an inspirational and thought-provoking public speaker. He has lectured around the world on the power of the individual to achieve any end purpose. He received special invitation by the Chinese government to give the first series of lectures on the subject of Advertising and Free Enterprise in China.

Bryce's voluntary contributions and support to education, literacy, children and environmental charities are possibly less well known. He was Patron of a number of charitable organisations, including: The Pyjama Foundation, the Australian Children's Foundation, the Dymocks Children's Charities Advisory Group, Ronald McDonald Learning Program, Heal for Life, Camp Creative, the Save Foundation, Soldier On, The Bookend Trust, and is a supporter of The Thin Green Line Foundation. Bryce also generously gives away around 2,500 of his novels each year to readers he meets.

Bryce was awarded The Order of Australia (AM) in 1995 in recognition for his service to advertising and marketing to the community, and as an author. In 2005 he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) from the University of Newcastle. In 2010, Bryce was one of six novelists honoured with an Australia Post Literary Legend postage stamp. In 2012 Bryce was named as Canberra's Australia Day ambassador.

It is in recognition of his outstanding success as one of Australia's most popular authors, and his contribution to the community, that Dr Bryce Courtenay AM was being awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Canberra.

Sadly Bryce passed away in November 2012.