▁deb ating ▁colle ague , ▁paid ▁t ribute ▁to ▁Me es ▁in ▁the ▁Australian ▁Senate . ▁More ▁recently ▁he ▁was ▁recogn ised ▁for ▁his ▁achiev ements ▁in ▁the ▁Australia ▁Day ▁Hon ours ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁post hum ously ▁awarded ▁the ▁Medal ▁of ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁Australia ▁( O AM ) ▁for ▁" service ▁to ▁public ▁transport ▁and ▁urban ▁planning ▁as ▁an ▁academic ▁and ▁advoc ate ▁for ▁creating ▁sust ain able ▁cities ". ▁ ▁Sch olar ship ▁ ▁Me es ▁began ▁his ▁professional ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁lawyer ▁in ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁Having ▁graduated ▁with ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Arts ▁and ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁La ws ▁( H ons ) ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Melbourne , ▁he ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁practice ▁as ▁a ▁bar r ister ▁and ▁solic itor ▁of ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁Victoria . ▁He ▁pract ised ▁mostly ▁in ▁industrial ▁relations ▁law , ▁first ▁at ▁Melbourne ▁law ▁firm ▁Gill ▁K ane ▁& ▁Co ▁and ▁later ▁at ▁Maurice ▁Black burn . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁Me es ▁left ▁the ▁law ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁study , ▁his ▁doctor al ▁research ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Melbourne ▁involving ▁a ▁comparison ▁of ▁public ▁transport ▁in ▁Toronto ▁and ▁Melbourne , ▁and ▁his ▁th esis ▁account ed ▁for ▁the ▁relative ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁latter ▁in ▁the ▁post - war ▁period , ▁given ▁the ▁otherwise ▁physical ▁and ▁dem ographic ▁similar ities ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁cities . ▁He ▁gained ▁his ▁Ph D