Matthew Bailes is an astrophysicist who has specialised in the study of pulsars, transient radio bursts and gravitation, making major contributions to establishing Australia’s high international profile in these areas. In particular, he has played a pivotal role in the development of a new branch of astrophysics, Fast Radio Bursts, guiding projects that led to Australia’s dominance of the field. He established the Swinburne University Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, recognised internationally as a centre for astrophysics and virtual-reality content for public outreach.