A conversation with Mike Tallis

George Michael Tallis was born in Melbourne on 10 August 1931. After private tutoring, he entered Geelong Grammar School at the age of twelve to complete his schooling. He attended Longerenong Agricultural College (Diploma and BSc 1953), before studying Human Genetics at Ohio State University (MS 1956, PhD 1957). He joined Helen Newton Turner’s group in the CSIRO Division of Animal Genetics, transferring to the Division of Mathematical Statistics in 1961. He studied (part-time) at the University of New South Wales (MSc in Mathematics, 1963; PhD in Statistics, 1965). He spent 1964–66 at the Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University, returning to CSIRO in 1967. He then moved to the University of Adelaide (1970–92 Reader, then Associate Professor; 1992–2000 Honorary Visiting Research Fellow). In 1976, he was awarded a DSc by the University of New South Wales in recognition of his research contributions to statistical problems in the sheep and wool industries, and problems arising in cancer research. The Acknowledgement section of the article contains a brief comment on the breadth and significance of Mike’s research contributions. This conversation took place at Mike’s home in Springfield, Adelaide during 14–15 April 2010.