Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the House record its deep regret at the death, on 7 June 2026, of Professor Richard Scolyer AO, place on record its appreciation of his service and his contributions to the community, and tender its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

When Richard Scolyer passed away last month, we lost one of our biggest hearts and brightest lights, but how powerfully he blazed before he left us. And somehow, in the fight of his life, he found the strength to lift us all. Professor Scolyer was named joint Australian of the Year in 2024 alongside his Melanoma Institute of Australia co-director, Professor Georgina Long. Together, they helped save countless lives through their melanoma research.

But, as Richard took his rightful place in the national spotlight, it was with his own life in the balance as he dealt with the reality of his brain cancer. No-one would have begrudged him a retreat into privacy. But that is not what Richard chose. Instead, he took us all into his confidence. He shared his triumphs and his setbacks. He shared the joy he took in every extra day he was granted and his profound gratitude to everyone around him. And what shone through it all was love for his family. Richard was on what he so gently called his 'uncertain path', but he travelled it with determination and a grace that never ceased to be simply extraordinary. The way he shared it with us was an act of generosity and a courage that was every bit as profound. I will always regard it as one of the privileges of my time as Prime Minister that I got to spend time with such a remarkable yet self-effacing Australian. I got to count him as a friend, and, for years when I lived in Chelmsford Street, he was a neighbour. For that, I feel blessed.

In his final letter to Australia, he reminded us we all have a responsibility to try to change the future for others and leave the world a better place. How to handle that responsibility is something that has showed us every day through the power of his own example. It has been moving to hear his family describing his zest for life and the enthusiasm that he felt within himself and strove to ignite in others. That is at the heart of the legacy that he leaves all of us.

At the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, the recently established Richard Scolyer Chair will always bear his name. There are lives that will be longer thanks to all that he was willing to try. And one day, when a cure for glioblastoma is at last found, Richard's name will be spoken.

Later this month, we will gather in the Sydney Opera House to say our final farewell to Richard with all our respect, our admiration and our gratitude. On that day, as on every day, the hearts of all Australians will be with his wife, Dr Katie Nicoll, and their children, Emily, Matthew and Lucy. They are here with us today. I thank you for gracing us with your presence and I welcome you to the House of Representatives. I say to them that we know these are anything but easy days for you—each one shaped by Richard's absence. May you draw some comfort in how much Australia truly loved him, and may Richard Scolyer rest in peace.

Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Prime Minister for his heartfelt words and I join him in honouring the life of Professor Richard Scolyer AO. To read Richard's final farewell letter is to appreciate all the more that our nation has lost a great Australian, a gifted scientist and a generous and gracious man. He was a rarity: bright, brilliant, brave, big hearted—the very best of us.

Today, as a parliament, we commemorate this remarkable Australian, we commend his work and we celebrate his life and his legacy. In the touching goodbye he penned, Richard said:

… cancer does not define us.

Yet Richard's more than three decades of work has defined cancer research and treatment, and I'm confident that the inroads he made will ultimately help humanity defeat this dreadful disease. Earlier this year, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Sydney. His deteriorating health saw him prerecord the speech. Humble and happy, he delivered a heartfelt message for graduates—one full of hope. He said:

Be brave. Be bold and challenge the status quo.

He lived by those words, and his life has inspired, and will continue to inspire, others to live by his noble example.

Richard admitted that his childhood was full of adventures built on how, not if. That childhood nurtured his inquisitive nature and his 'give it a crack' attitude. For him, life was about possibilities, not problems. His optimism was matched by his deep sense of duty. He wrote:

I have always been driven by the belief that we all have a responsibility to try to change the future for others and leave the world a better place.

And he did exactly that. His work and clinical trials pushed forward the scientific fields of pathology and cancer. His research pioneered breakthrough melanoma treatments that have saved and improved lives. He helped start a melanoma biobank, now the world's largest—and he passed on his knowledge as a lecturer and in more than 1,000 publications. He nurtured a new generation of young doctors and researchers, who will carry on his vital work, and of course one of his defining achievements was when the pathologist became his own patient.

He was the first person to receive the experimental brain cancer treatment he helped pioneer, but he didn't sugarcoat his darkest hours. Notably, there was valour in his vulnerability, and through his sincerity he inspired others. He inspired strength in fellow cancer sufferers. The self-effacing Richard admitted that he never felt entirely comfortable with public accolades, but, in the eyes of our nation, he was more than deserving in being named an Officer of the Order of Australia and as an Australian of the Year.

Professor Richard Scolyer sits with the pantheon of remarkable Australians, but, as we just heard from the Prime Minister, he was more than that. He was a devoted husband and loving father, and our thoughts today are with those dearest to him: Dr Katie Nicoll and his children, Emily, Mathew and Lucy. In his final farewell letter, Richard implored government to keep funding science and medical research. May Richard's wish hold this federal parliament and future federal parliaments to that mark. That's the way we can honour his memory and push forward his work. May Professor Richard Scolyer rest in peace.

Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the House) | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition for their fine and fitting words. Professor Scolyer's contributions to cancer research, to treatment and to advocacy simply can't be overstated. His work to improve outcomes for Australians living with cancer has saved and improved countless lives, and his courage inspired Australians from all walks of life.

Tragically, melanoma is Australia's national cancer. We lead the world in melanoma rates—not a race we want to win—but we also lead the world in finding new treatments and one day a cure. Richard was universally recognised as the world's leading melanoma pathologist and the highest ever published scientist in this area on the planet. Over the past decade, he has taken the Melanoma Institute to the forefront of global efforts to beat this disease, alongside his fellow Australian of the Year, Georgina Long. Richard was known not only as a brilliant scientist and clinician but also for his generosity, his optimism and his unwavering commitment to others.

In 2023, Professor Scolyer, as we've heard, faced the greatest challenge of his life when he was diagnosed with glioblastoma. Rather than retreat from the world, he chose instead to confront the disease with the same courage and determination that had defined his career. Drawing on decades of melanoma research, Professor Scolyer became the first person in the world to receive combination immunotherapy before surgery for glioblastoma, alongside a personalised cancer vaccine. In doing so, he became both a patient and a research participant determined to keep contributing to the world of medical research and making a difference.

Like many in this House, I felt privileged to spend time with Professor Scolyer over recent years. This included, as the Prime Minister said, honouring his legacy through the establishment of the Richard Scolyer Chair in Brain Cancer Research at the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, ensuring that his commitment to advancing brain cancer research will continue to inspire future generations of clinicians and scientists, a fitting tribute to a man whose life was dedicated to improving outcomes for others. I also extend my deepest condolences to his beloved wife Katie, his children Emily, Matthew and Lucy, whose hearts must still be breaking, and to his family, his friends, his colleagues and the so many patients whose lives he touched.

Richard Scolyer's remarkable legacy will endure through those lives he saved, through the research he championed and the hope that he gave to others. He was a brilliant, warm and deeply generous man. But perhaps the best way we can remember him is through his own words. He described himself as:

… a proud everyday Aussie who 'gave it a crack', and in doing so, inspired others to pursue their dreams and passions with humility, love and compassion.

Vale Richard Scolyer.

Milton Dick (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

As a mark of respect to the memory of Professor Richard Scolyer AO, I ask all present to rise in their places.

Honourable members having stood in their places—

I thank the House.

Debate adjourned.