Vic teacher 'pioneer' mourned after MH17

Victorian teacher and award-winning novelist Liam Davison was a "pioneer" whose life was cut tragically short by flight MH17.

Colleagues at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists will remember Mr Davison, 57, as an "instrumental" educator and also a good friend.

"Whether it was joining in discussions about walking trails, cycling, travel, restaurants to try, a good book to read or just completing the newspaper quiz over lunch, he was a highly regarded friend to many people throughout the college," college chief executive James McAdam said on Monday.

Mr Davison developed online learning facilities for trainee obstetricians and gynaecologists.

He was on the plane with his wife Frankie, 54, also a teacher.

They leave behind two children.

Mr Davison's novels and stories were widely published and appear in a number of Australian literary anthologies.

He taught creative writing at Melbourne's Chisholm Institute, was awarded the National Book Council's Banjo Award for Fiction in 1993 and was shortlisted for several literary prizes such as The Age Book of the Year Award and the Victorian Premier's Literary Award.