The promise of diversity

Jerzy Zubrzycki AO CBE (1920-2009) was born in Poland and, during the Second World War, served with distinction in the Polish Army, the Polish underground and with Britain's Special Operations Executive. He led the operation which brought a captured V2 rocket from Poland to Britain. He was dramatically reunited with his teenage love, Aleksandra, who had been deported to Kazakhstan. After the war he studied sociology at the London School of Economics, then took up a position at the Australian National University. In 1970 he became the University's Professor of Sociology. Throughout his career he worked with many others to develop policies appropriate to Australia's increasing ethnic diversity - policies which have been implemented by governments on both sides of politics.