David de Kretser

David de Kretser Morritz (* April 27, 1939 in Colombo, Sri Lanka) is an Australian professor of medicine and former Governor of the State of Victoria.

Life

De Kretser was born in 1939 in Ceylon. Since his father was afraid that it would go after the independence of Sri Lanka with the country downhill, his family emigrated in 1949 to Australia and settled in Melbourne. After studying medicine at the University of Melbourne and Monash University, from which he graduated with the Doctor of Medicine in 1969, suggested de Kretser a career in science one. From 1969-71 he worked as a Fellow in Endocrinology at the University of Washington in Seattle. He specialized in the study of infertility. From 1978, de Kretser was a professor at the Faculty of Medicine at Monash University, most recently as director of the Institute of Reproduction and Development. Today, he is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.

On 7 April 2006 de Kretser was appointed Governor of Victoria, and remained so until 8 April 2011.

De Kretser is married to his wife Jan and has four children.

Awards

• Companion of the Order of Australia ( 2006)
• Knights of St. John