Life Member
Inducted 1981
Geoffrey Colin Harcourt AC (born 27 June 1931) is an Australian academic economist who is a leading member of the post- Keynesian school. He studied at the University of Melbourne and then at Kings’s College, Cambridge UK.
Geoff was well recognised in the world of economics with only some of his awards being;
- In 1994 he was made an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO) ‘for service to economic theory and to the history of economic thought’
- In 2015 he received the Distinguished Alumni Award of the University of Adelaide ‘in recognition of his outstanding leadership and contribution nationally and internationally in the field of economics’.
- In 2015 he was made a Jubilee Fellow, Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.
- In 2018 he was made a Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AC) ‘for eminent service to higher education as an academic economist and author, particularly in the fields of Post-Keynesian economics, capital theory and economic thought’.
G.C. (Geoff) Harcourt started his career with ‘the Blacks’ in 1958 as a rover with the Club’s ‘C’ grade team (in A3). He had the misfortune to miss only one game for the season – the Grand Final – when struck down by pneumonia.
After a brief appearance in 1959 he retired, only to reappear in 1963 and play half a season before travelling to Cambridge where, on study leave, he stayed for three and a half years.
This trip to England seemed to stabilise his football career, as on his return, Geoff captained sides in A5, A2 Reserves, A3 Reserves, and A4 Reserves from 1967 to 1972. His 1972 season as Captain-Coach of the A4 Reserves was interrupted by study leave after the sixteenth round – despite this setback the side went on to win the Flag.
Never one to say die, Geoff returned in 1974 to Captain-Coach the A3 Reserves and continued with this side until 1977 when he took control of the A1 Reserves. In this season Geoff had the distinction of playing his 200th game for the Club.
In 1978 and 1979 Geoff boundary umpired for the A1 Reserves with an occasional game to keep his eye in.
In a career that spanned 23 years, Geoff played 210 games and served on the Management Committee – he was Chairman in 1979 before setting off for a further stint overseas on study leave. In 1981 he returned to the Club as Deputy Chairman and A1 Reserves boundary umpire – an unusual combination.
Rarely has there been a Club member who has served the Club so admirably and contributed his unique character and skills to the betterment of ‘the Blacks’.
Through his contact with Club members in the Economics faculty, Geoff also made many personal contributions that made significant differences to the lives and careers of many Club members over an extended period.
In 1981 Geoff Harcourt was elected an Honorary Life Member. In 1982 the Management Committee held a rare Testimonial Dinner for Geoff to celebrate his contribution to ‘the Blacks’ over many years and farewell him prior to taking up an appointment at Cambridge University.
Geoff Harcourt has a son, Tim, who was an active Club member in the 1980’s, playing 80 games between 1983 and 1988. Tim is better known as the airport economist. (both pictured above).