The Hon Dr Basil Hetzel AC was a medical researcher who made a significant contribution to public health worldwide through his research which identified the link between iodine deficiency and brain development.
He was Lieutenant Governor of South Australia from April 1992 to May 2000. He was the Chair and a patron of the University’s The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre.
The National Trust announced Dr Hetzel as a National Living Treasure in 2004. In 2007 he was awarded the Prince Mahidol Prize by the King of Thailand for his contribution to international public health. In 2009, was awarded the Pollin Prize by the New York Presbyterian Medical Centre, New York, for Paediatric Research which led to the prevention of brain damage caused by iodine deficiency.
In 2005 the Health Sciences building at the City East campus of the University of South Australia was named the Basil Hetzel Building.
