Obituary: Professor Barry Fallon FAPS

14.7.43 – 26.6.13
APS President, 1994–1996

Barry’s funeral service celebrated the rich diversity of his personal and professional life. His youth and study in Queensland, his postgraduate study and professional development in the USA, and his extensive career in Victoria were all seen in the life of a man who combined interests and expertise in accounting, theology and psychology with those in knitting, tapestry and gardening, and most importantly with a deep commitment to family, friends, colleagues and students. We focus here on Barry’s valued and valuable activities in and for psychology and the APS.

After completing his PhD at the State University of New York in 1974, Barry’s career traversed the Centre for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne, Melbourne College of Adult Education, the School of Psychology at the University of Melbourne, and the School of Psychology at the Australian Catholic University. Barry published across gender and men’s issues, volunteering, spirituality, mentoring, job satisfaction, adaptive change, family functioning, help seeking, drug treatment efficacy, and children’s rights. He was awarded many competitive research grants and served on editorial boards of international journals. Professional recognition included APS Fellowship, Australian Catholic University Excellence in Postgraduate Supervision Award, and APS College of Organisational Psychologists Elton Mayo Award for Contribution to Teaching and Research in Organisational Psychology. Barry’s commitment to helping those earlier in their careers to grow was a hallmark; there was always time for students and junior colleagues.

Barry was a consummate committee member, and often chairperson, and this was clearly evident in his 38 years of involvement with the APS, with around half of those years serving in various office bearer roles. In his work with the APS, there was probably not a structure, committee, issue or indeed individual member that Barry’s influence did not touch either directly or through his legacy. For instance, Barry was central to the successful conduct of the International Congress of Psychology in Sydney in 1988, an event that changed the way the international psychology community saw Australia. And he was central to the modernising changes that were brought to the direction, structure and governance of the APS over 1993-1994; Barry served as the first President of the (then) new structure.

Our discipline and profession benefitted from Barry Fallon, through his knowledge, his thoughtfulness and his resolve. Barry is survived by his wife Felicity Fallon, children James Fallon and Tanya Davies, and grandchildren. The APS pays tribute to Barry’s life and is grateful for the enduring legacy of his influence on the Australian Psychological Society.