This biographical study presents a portrait of Robert William Gibson (1931–2014), who spent the bulk of his academic career at the University of Melbourne, the Gordon Institute of Technology and Deakin University, spanning the period 1960 to 1993. Gibson was a prominent researcher of the historical development of regulated company accounting and in exploring issues in contemporary financial reporting. He stimulated curiosity as an accounting educator across a range of subjects, especially accounting theory. Gibson was an editor of accounting history publications, specifically as joint editor of the Accounting History Newsletter (1980–1989) and as editor of the initial or first series of Accounting History (1989–1994). His active life and productive academic career are examined in this study, which includes an outline of his administrative leadership at Deakin University, and his often long-lived voluntary roles beyond higher education institutions, which continued into his retirement. The recognition afforded to Gibson’s all-round contributions to accounting academia is also outlined.
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