Tribute to Prof Keith Boardman, AO, FRS, FATSE, FAA on his 100th birthday (August 16th 2026)

Keith Boardman carried out brilliant research when he led a group as Chief Research Scientist in the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Division of Plant Industry (Canberra) from 1960 to 1977. This research was highly successful. Working with Dr. Jan Anderson (a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and Technology (FAA), Boardman was able to isolate the first convincing separation of Photosystem I and Photosystem II particles (Boardman and Anderson 1964). In a short period of less than twenty years, Keith Boardman, with the aid of Jan Anderson, brought photosynthesis into the modern era. Keith then had a productive career as an administrator with the CSIRO (becoming Chairman and Chief Executive) and advisor on science to several government bodies. Keith Boardman was honoured by election as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and Technology (FAA, 1972), a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS, 1978), a Fellow of the Australian Academy and Engineering (FATSE, 1986) and an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO, 1993).