Presentation of Hercus Medal to Professor Bruce Baguley

Ladies and Gentlemen, I greet you in the languages of the realm of New Zealand - English, Maori, Cook Island Maori, Niuean, Tokelauan and Sign Language.

Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and (Sign)

Specifically I greet you: Mayor of Auckland, Dick Hubbard; Professor Raewyn Dalziel, Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Auckland; Professor Dianna McCarthy. Chief Executive, The Royal Society of New Zealand and Professor Bruce Baguley.

It is a pleasure for my wife Susan and myself to attend the presentation of the Royal Society of New Zealand Sir Charles Hercus Medal to Professor Bruce Baguley.

I speak to you tonight not only in my capacity as Governor-General and Patron of the Royal Society of New Zealand, but as a personal friend of Bruce and his wife Megan.

Through this personal connection, I have good reason to believe there is no better person to receive formal recognition for his work.

However, given this occasion is primarily to celebrate Bruce's professional achievements in the field of cancer research, I have little doubt that he is feeling marginally uncomfortable at this point in time.

I say this because Bruce is a man who exhibits a high degree of humility in his achievements. I understand that when informed of the awards presentation for the Hercus Medal last year, Bruce made it explicitly clear that it was not to be solely about him. Rather, that his staff at the Auckland Cancer Society Resource Centre should be honoured alongside him.

It is this modesty, coupled with a formidable intelligence and a genuine desire to help others that makes Bruce a successful and well admired member of the Auckland Cancer Society Resource Centre.

The Hercus Medal is awarded by the Royal Society of New Zealand to an individual who has undertaken scientific or technological work of great merit and has made an outstanding contribution towards the advancement of the particular branch of science.

Professor Baguley fits these criteria and I would like to take a moment to inform you briefly of some of the reasons why.

Bruce's career spans more than 40 years, commencing in 1966 when he received his PhD from the University of Auckland. He has dedicated his career to the advancement of knowledge of the cellular and molecular processes involved in the development of cancer.

This includes drug discovery. By studying the mechanisms by which anticancer drugs bind to the DNA helix, he has contributed to the development of a number of drugs that inhibit cancer cell development.

Fascinated by the elegance of "working" cells and their dynamic contribution to the structure and function of tumour tissue, he developed a number of tools and techniques including a miniaturised 96-well plate assay. This was later adopted by the United States National Cancer Institute for their anticancer drug screening programme.

Early in his career Bruce sought to develop a working interface between scientists in the ACSRC and clinicians treating cancer patients. These links have been important in providing a platform for new anticancer drugs developed at the ACSRC to be trialled in New Zealand patients.

While this is a simplified and by no means comprehensive list of Bruce's achievements, it does highlight the impact he has had in the field of cancer research, both in New Zealand and worldwide.

And while the presentation of the Hercus Medal is recognition of his achievements to date, I am confident they will not represent the pinnacle of his success.

He personifies the attitude and commitment that tends to be shared by all outstanding New Zealanders.

American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said:

"Lives of great men all remind us
we can make our lives sublime
and, departing, leave behind us
footprints on the sands of time."

This poem reminds us to look to successful people to find the will to succeed and, in doing so, to translate this into our own lives in order to be great ourselves. I am confident Professor Baguley's achievements in the field of cancer research will be inspirational to many.  He can properly be regarded as a stellar scientist.

I would also like to honour Bruce's personal modesty and take this opportunity to congratulate all staff at the Auckland Cancer Society Resource Centre for their work in developing new anticancer drugs.

I had the pleasure of speaking at the Centre's 50^th celebrations in November last year, and in preparing for that event, I gained an insight into the considerable advances this team of scientists has made since its modest beginnings.

I once again commend Professor Bruce Baguley on his achievement of the Sir Charles Hercus Medal and Susan and I wish him the best in his future accomplishments.

I began speaking in all the New Zealand realm languages.  May I close by speaking in Maori, issuing greetings and wishing you good health and fortitude in your endeavours.

No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa