Max Neutze was born in New Zealand, studied Agricultural Sciences at Lincoln College then was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in 1957. In 1960 he took up a position as lecturer in agricultural economics in the Canberra University College. He took up the position of head of the Urban Research Unit in 1967. He was elected a Fellow in the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia in 1974 and appointed to the Chair in Urban Research in 1979. He acted as senior manager in different parts of the university. In 1980 he was Director of the Research School of Social Sciences; in 1988 he became acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor; and then in 1989 he was Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Director of the Institute of Advanced Studies. From 1984-87 he served on the Australian Research Grants Committee and in 1988-89 on the Australian Research Council. In 1989, having been acting as Deputy Vice-Chancellor for most of the year, he was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor and the first Director of the Institute of Advanced Studies.