Vale to Dr Max Murray A star over Townsville: in memory of Max Murray
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t is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of Dr Max Murray, the founding spirit and inaugural President of ACAA, who passed away on the 23rd July 2017 from a short bout of pneumonia. Max had made “access” his life after incurring a C5 spinal cord injury in 1980 and living with the impact of quadriplegia paralysis (now known as tetraplegia). Like many stories of people with spinal cord injury from that era the brutal reality of living with quadriplegia really sinks in upon discharge form a spinal unit and in Max’s story that was Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. Like most experiences of people with quadriplegia prior to the late 1990’s the home, the workplace and the community were largely not wheelchair accessible, and at times hostile environments. Not to be daunted by his disability, Max continued his work with James Cook Photo Credit (background image) Phil Copp Photos
University as a research supervisor in the field of tropical veterinary science, being promoted to Associate Professor in 1990. Max has received many awards for his dedicated work which culminated in being awarded the Centenary Medal in 2011 and joining an elite group of Outstanding Alumni of James Cook University. Max decided to retire from JCU in 1994 to concentrate on his access agenda. But of course this was no ordinary retirement as this was just the beginning of his new career and to formalise what he already knew he embarked on a new path of learning studying computer architectural drafting, residential drafting, kitchen and bathroom design and a Diploma in Architectural Technology in order to gain Building Services Authority licences for his Access Designs consultancy. Simultaneously, with a sense of urgency as he and his wife Anita travelled extensively across Australia to campaign for better access to the