His father was a butcher in Dunkeld and his grandfather a horsebreaker and bullock team driver.

Neither had opportunity to attend university or achieve high academic status, but they fostered a family culture that encouraged children to aim high.

The boy who was among 64 pupils when he started his formal education at Dunkeld State School is now a highly-respected Queen’s Counsel lawyer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and adviser.

In 2003 he was awarded a centenary medal and in 2007 was made an officer of the Order of Australia.

Yesterday in Warrnambool he debunked theories that the education system was to blame for statistics showing low tertiary uptake by rural students, instead putting the blame on cultural attitudes and parenting.

He gave a rare insight into his life and thoughts while speaking at a business leaders’ meeting organised by the Institute of Company Directors local branch.

“The duty, responsibility and right to educate children belongs primarily to parents. It isn’t  primarily the responsibility of someone else — the state or whatever,” he said.

“And that’s probably why education disadvantage is almost genetic, it goes from generation to generation.

“I don’t think educational opportunities in western Victoria are objectively really bad, but are the results of a more general social disadvantage.

“How much is the responsibility of the state and community and how much is the responsibility of individuals to pick themselves up and try and live a better life?

“I’m not sure, but I think the reason for these terrible statistics is not to do with the physical surrounding of the buildings.

“I think it’s a reflection of deeper social problems.”

After the conference address he told The Standard he believed children were guided by their parents’ example.

“Dad came back from the war and taught himself how to butcher. He was very studious and was also ambitious for his children to be educated,” he said.  “I was the first one in our family from both dad and mum’s side to go to university.”

Mr Myers chairs a committee charged with raising $500 million for Melbourne University to ensure it retains its status as one of the world’s leading tertiary institutions.

He also chairs the Grattan Institute, a policy think-tank which he said helped change education policy from a focus on class size to quality of teaching. Asked his thoughts on the federal government’s move to set up  processing facilities for asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea, where he has worked as a barrister, Mr Myers said he had serious misgivings.

He said border protection must remain a high priority and wondered it if was time to re-evaluate the definition of a refugee.