Agent TypePersonActivities & OccupationsAcademics - Economic historyGenderMaleHistoryGeorge L. Hicks is an economic historian who completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Melbourne. He was a member of the Immigration Reform Group and contributed to the publication of Control and Colour Bar and was a resident of International House. His father, George F. Hicks owned a prosperous chemical firm. George L. pursued a career as an independent scholar. He completed a Master degree in London and worked in Indonesia on a Volunteer Graduate Scheme starting a large Asian libray collection later donated to Monash University, where Hicks was awarded an honorary degree. He worked in Califronian economic institutes concerned with economic development in the Asia Pacific Region, writing a book on the Philipine coconut industry. Living for a long period in Hong Kong and Singapore, Hicks later returned to Melbourne. Two major areas of research resulted in his book Hong Kong Count Down on the return of Hong Kong to China and articles about comfort women forced into prostitution in World War Two. He also worked as a journalist. Hicks is a philanthropist having recently endowed the George Hicks Building at International House, the University of Melbourne.