JUNE 2014

melbourne university magazine War and Remembrance

Professor Antonio Sagona walks in the footsteps of the first Anzacs

MEDICAL MARVEL THE MAKING OF A PRECINCT 3

Why it pays to stay connected . . . unimelb.edu.au/3010 Take advantage of these exclusive alumni benefits and services LOOK AFTER YOURSELF ADVANCE YOUR CAREER Alumni can access discounts on optical, Staying in the loop with alumni groups, audiology and dental services, and fitness social occasions and events lets you memberships. Hearing and eye care tests connect with fellow alumni who are are bulk-billed on Medicare, while dental working in your industry, or who know fees are significantly less than other somebody who is. Access our latest career MEDICAL MARVEL private practices for most procedures. videos, webinars, workshops and expos to boost your skills and secure your ideal job. The making KEEP ON LEARNING Enjoy discounts on single subject study, STAY CONNECTED of a precinct executive education and Chinese classes. Keep in touch with old friends and make Also take advantage of Coursera, a social new ones at alumni events around the The concentration of entrepreneurship company partnering world, or reminisce about your time at medical institutions with the world’s best universities to offer Melbourne through Faculty and College dedicated to learning, free online courses. reunions. research and treatment READ AT BARGAIN PRICES HEAR FROM THE EXPERTS puts Parkville on the Get a world of research at your fingertips, Attend public lectures on all map both nationally with library e-journals and discounted kinds of exciting topics and and worldwide. titles from Melbourne University hear expert opinions on 6 Publishing. Many top academic journals current affairs, research and from around the world are available to points of interest at a UNIVERSITY NEWS alumni subscribers. Melbourne public lecture. Melbourne still No. 1 in Australia 4 FIRST PERSON Visit alumni.unimelb.edu.au Social media – the tweet science 13 melbourne university magazine for more details THE ESSAY You’ll have noticed Lessons of poetic prophesy 14 16 that this magazine not NOW AND THEN THE GREER FILES only has a new look – Opening the gates of learning 19 A living treasure it has a new name too. TEACHING THE TEACHERS The wit and wisdom of If, like most people these A model for education excellence 20 a brilliant mind will be days, you rely on email documented for posterity CONNECTIONS and social media for Students expand their horizons 22 written communication, 90 YEARS OF FARRAGO you may not recognise Celebrating a literary launch pad 24 3010 as the postcode for Parkville. The postcode ALUMNI PROFILES Forging ahead in the world 26 is unique to the University of Melbourne ALUMNI NEWS 26 and while today the Friendships 50 years on 31 PROFILE University extends far ALUMNI MILESTONES beyond 3010, we wanted Appointments and accolades 32 Gillian Triggs The inner thoughts of the to recognise the place LETTER FROM ARNHEM LAND Australian Human Rights where it all started Man’s best friend 34 Commission President 161 years ago.

COVER STORY WAR AND

REMEMBRANCE

An archaeological survey of the Gallipoli battlefield EDITORIAL TEAM has revealed more about 10 MANAGING EDITOR life in the trenches Val McFarlane OUR COVER: EDITOR Professor Antonio Sagona Ken Merrigan/Mediaxpress

inside the Sanctuary at the DESIGN 3010 Shrine of Remembrance. Bill Farr/Mediaxpress

PICTURE: CRAIG SILLITOE 4 universitynews 5

CAMPAIGN RANKINGS SCIENCE AWARD PARTNERSHIP ELIZABETH BLACKBURN TRIBUTE

Believe off to Melbourne still Cochlear pioneer $100m fund for Science school opening strong start No. 1 in Australia receives prize scholarships a boost for bright sparks

The University has been Laureate Professor Emeritus The University has joined forces overwhelmed by the generosity of Graeme Clark AC (pictured below) with the Westpac Bicentennial alumni since the launch of Believe has been honoured with one of Foundation to establish the largest – the Campaign for the University of the world’s most respected science private education scholarship Melbourne. prizes for developing the modern program in Australian history. Of more than 15,600 donors cochlear implant – the “bionic ear”. The $100 million fund, launched who have given to the Campaign, Professor Clark, Honorary in April, will provide about which was launched publicly last Professor, Electrical Engineering 100 scholarships every year in May, more than half are alumni. and Distinguished Researcher perpetuity, starting in 2015. The Their donations have helped push at NICTA, received the Lasker- University will offer three of the the Campaign total to $293.3 million DeBakey Clinical Medical Research five types of scholarship instigated (as of the end of March). International rankings continue to Award alongside fellow cochlear by Westpac. Programs are expected The Campaign, the biggest endorse Melbourne’s reputation as developers, Professors Ingeborg to be fully operational by 2017. in the University’s history, aims a world leader. Hochmair of MED-EL, Innsbruck, Deputy Provost Professor Susan to raise $500 million by 2017 to This year the University has Austria, and Blake Wilson of Duke Elliott says the University welcomes support three priorities: educating again been named Australia’s top University, North Carolina, USA. the addition of the program to the tomorrow’s leaders, finding university in the Times Higher In the late 1970s, Professors Australian scholarship scene. “The Education Minister Martin Dixon, Vice-Chancellor Glyn Davis and school Principal answers to the world’s grand Education World Reputation Clark and Hochmair created University is thrilled to announce its Robert Newton with Year 11 students Jorge Pavilidis and Helena Kalfas at the challenges and enriching our Rankings. It is placed 43rd in the prostheses that deployed multiple founding partnership with Westpac opening of the Elizabeth Blackburn School of Sciences. PICTURE: PETER CASAMENTO communities. AWARD world, cementing its position as electrodes and routed particular Bicentennial Foundation and looks SCHOLARS Sue Cunningham, Vice-Principal Australia’s leading university. sounds to different parts of the forward to working closely with PROGRAM (Advancement), says: “Our alumni The 2014 reputation rankings cochlear. These devices improved Westpac to strengthen our existing A specialist senior secondary school will be heated and cooled by a know what a very special place the It’s not even are based on the world’s largest the ability of deaf people to programs on offer.” for Victoria’s brightest science geothermal system fitted by the University of Melbourne is. It is finished yet – but invitation-only survey of academic understand speech. The foundation was launched students, named after Australia’s University’s Geotechnical Group of wonderful to see the lifelong pride the University’s opinion, featuring 10,536 respondents Two decades later Professor by Westpac Chief Executive Gail first female Nobel Prize winner, has the Department of Infrastructure they have in their alma mater and newest building from 133 countries. Wilson designed a speech-processing Kelly and Westpac Chairman 135 opened in Parkville. Engineering. Students will carry out has already won their faith in the University’s ability The University was also ranked strategy that minimised distortions Lindsay Maxsted to mark the bank’s Number of The $7 million purpose-built research on data generated by the its first to transform lives. number one in Australia in the and omissions, enabling implant approaching 200th anniversary in offers made to school was named in honour of building. international “The University has received National Taiwan University (NTU) recipients to understand words and 2017. The University of Sydney is high-achieving Professor Elizabeth Blackburn AC, Professor Blackburn (BSc(Hons) award. The some remarkable gifts from its Ranking, Performance Ranking sentences without visual cues. also a founding partner. students under an alumna of the University and 1970, MSc 1972, Janet Clarke Hall) Architecture, alumni, including $10 million from of Scientific Papers for World In 1982, the first device was the University’s University High School. was awarded the Nobel Prize for Building and our Campaign Chairman Allan Universities 2013. implanted, allowing the recipient, Scholarship programs include: Chancellor’s The Elizabeth Blackburn School of Physiology or medicine in 2009. Planning n Future Leaders scholarships will Myers AO QC and his wife, Maria. The NTU rankings, previously Graham Carrick, to hear for the Scholars Sciences is in the University’s western She is professor of biology and building was be awarded to recent graduates “But we are equally appreciative known as HEEACT, offer annual first time in 17 years. Today about Program in 2014. precinct, next to the High School. physiology at the University of of the many smaller gifts received one of only performance rankings for the world’s 320,000 people worldwide are fitted for postgraduate study at a global It was officially opened in March by California, San Francisco. In a video which, when added together, can 10 to receive top 500 universities based on the with cochlear implants. institution. Recipients will come from Victoria’s Minister for Education, message at the school’s launch, she have huge impact. It has also been a citation in production and impact of their The Lasker-DeBakey Awards various disciplines, with preference Martin Dixon. said she was deeply honoured that fantastic to see so many alumni at the America’s scientific papers. honour visionaries whose insight given to Australia’s relationship with The specialist Year 11 and 12 the school was named after her. Campaign celebration events around prestigious Melbourne, now ranked 38th in and perseverance have Asia, and technology and innovation. school will cater for 200 high- She said the school’s location the world.” Annual the world, slipped three places this led to significant n A Best and Brightest program 99.9 performing science students from would enable students to have easy Their gifts are already having Progressive year but remains the Australian leader advances that will provide awards to post-doctoral and across Victoria. Students have to access to outstanding scientists. significant impact in a whole range Architecture and is the only Australian university will prevent researchers. Recipients will be sit an entry exam and undergo an “There is a hub of tremendous of ways, from supporting students Awards. The in the top 50. disease, selected on their research, which interview to gain admission. minds and scientists in the Parkville building, above through scholarships, funding The excellence of individual reduce will focus on enhancing Australia’s The ATAR The school was created from a Precinct and you will have the benefit designed by ground-breaking research and disciplines was recognised in the disability, competitive position in technology required by partnership between the University of of these great people as I did when I John Wardle helping with projects that enhance QS World University Rankings and diminish and innovation, or strengthening the program. Melbourne, University High School was there,” she said. communities in Australia and Architects and by Subject, which list the top 200 suffering. ties with Asian economies. and the State Government. Rob Newton, the Principal of NADAAA, will overseas. universities around the world in n Asian Exchange scholarships will Vice-Chancellor Glyn Davis University High School, says the new officially open 30 subject areas. allow undergraduate students to says the students will be mentored school represents a fresh approach To find out how you can give, next year. Education at the University was spend a semester at a leading Asian by scientists from the university’s to the study of sciences and to the visit the Campaign website at: ranked second in the world, Law and university, with a focus on increasing science faculties, its Bio21 Institute link between secondary school and campaign.unimelb.edu.au For more university. Accounting and Finance were ranked the number of Asia-literate 124 and other science, engineering and information visit: Number of eighth in the world, psychology graduates in Australia. mathematics institutes around the “This is an innovative way to help Follow #believemelb on social abp.unimelb.edu. was ranked 10th and medicine, offers made Parkville Precinct. reverse the decline in the numbers media for the latest news on au/blog environmental science and linguistics in 2013. The school’s building has a of young people studying sciences at the Campaign. all ranked 12th. PHOTOS FAIRFAX PICTURE: westpac.com.au/200years five-star green energy rating. It school and at tertiary level,” he says. 6 BUILDING A PRECINCT BUILDING A PRECINCT 7 unimelb.edu.au/3010

10,000 minds, one ambition New projects and bold thinking are helping employed, equipped and deployed within University, is rapidly taking shape. to collaborate effectively across the home of Judge Redmond Barry (one of the space of a couple of city blocks, But the change is, as Ng observes, partner institutions, to deliver cutting- the founders of the University) on the to raise the Parkville Precinct’s status ultimately to the benefit of both Victorian “about so much more than the buildings. edge clinical care as well as to become a corner of Pelham and Rathdowne Streets, patients and the national medical It’s the way of thinking about how we vanguard of cancer research worldwide. eventually being granted a couple of as a world leader in medical research. enterprise. But he’s also no wide-eyed approach disease and treat it in a “The nice thing about Parkville is acres to spread out in Royal Park in 1948. ingenue. collaborative way, both for the patient that we have institutes here with the Back in 1929 the city burghers BY JO CHANDLER In a generation the disease went from Having worked both sides of the track today and also for the patient who comes experience and the technology to do this decided to relocate the Royal Melbourne being uniformly fatal to a 75 per cent cure – Royal Parade historically separating in 10 years time”. And it won’t be easy. work. The idea behind (the emerging) Hospital from its crowded CBD site n a previous life, Dr Ashley rate. “That arose from medical research the hospital and research jurisdictions of “We need a small earthquake to alliances is to get together and try to to land alongside the University of Ng graduated in medicine here in Melbourne.” the Precinct – he’s had a glimpse of the shake our thinking out of historical optimise all those things, to pull them Melbourne. It would be another 15 from the University of For Ng this proved a motivating challenges ahead in the more porous, and political silos,” he says. The seismic all together to try to answer specific years before the “new” hospital took I Melbourne. Then, after parable of the power of translational collaborative future being orchestrated shifts are starting to be felt, and are both questions in the best and most cost- shape. Within it was a wing containing venturing all of a few city blocks to research – ushering the latest insights for the research, educational and clinical welcome and challenging. effective way we can. laboratories for the Walter and Eliza Hall St Vincent’s Hospital and the Peter from laboratories into practice on the institutions of Parkville. “We know we need to initiate projects “We have a major opportunity with Institute. MacCallum Cancer Centre for specialist wards and in the community. It’s a rare The Precinct is undergoing dramatic and embrace a culture that allows us the initiative of the VCCC. The bulk of Founded in 1915 from a widow’s training, he crossed Grattan Street, capacity even in neighbourhoods boasting change, most obviously flaunted by the the hard work however, to achieve our bequest to honour her entrepreneur NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: Parkville, to practise as elite institutions, requiring access to the shiny new kids on the block. There’s the aspirational goals, still lies ahead of us.” husband, the WEHI, Australia’s oldest Professor Stephen Smith outside the a clinical haematologist at the Royal precious resources of patients, tissue $210 million Peter Doherty Institute for medical research institution, had already Peter Doherty Institute; and (above) Melbourne Hospital. samples, data about how patients respond Infection and Immunity (PDI), where 700 ometimes monumental gained formidable scientific kudos under the view from the top of the building, He’d realised his ambition – to treat as well as an engaged corps of research infection and immunology specialists are institutions can hide the 20-year stewardship of Charles H with the Victorian Comprehensive adult patients with too-often lethal and clinical professionals. now settling in – among them knockabout out in plain sight in a Kellaway, who had just passed the baton Cancer Centre under blood cancers. Then one day he came Having resolved to switch from the Nobel Laureate Doherty himself, who S neighbourhood where they to his protégé, Macfarlane Burnet, who construction to an inconvenient, albeit professionally clinical to the research realm, Ng found, confesses to still feeling discombobulated are part of the furniture. would go on to be awarded a Nobel Prize on the left. energising, realisation: that he might again, that he didn’t need to venture entering a building with his name on it. On The Parkville Precinct is the product in 1960. PICTURES: ultimately save more lives by stepping far to find an opportunity many young the opposite corner the $1 billion Victorian MAL FAIRCLOUGH of careful strategic planning in recent The WEHI facilities were transformed away from the bedside and returning to scientists would cross hemispheres to Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC), years, capitalising on origins that long again recently through a $185 million study, navigating his way into a premier reach. Next door at the storied Walter the new home of the Peter MacCallum recognised – if rather more organically investment, its legacy and stature in research laboratory. and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) was a Cancer Centre and the research and than explicitly – the synergies of medical immunology research continuing to In part this insight was nurtured by laboratory recognised as a world leader clinical services of the nearby hospitals and education, treatment and research. define Melbourne’s credentials in the the story of one of his medical heroes – in deciphering, and interrupting, the Proximity, not mere serendipity, has international sphere. Professor John Colebatch, whose work in behaviour of cancer cells. played a powerful role in shaping the Across the road, in 1971, the Howard childhood leukemia in the 1950s and ’60s Soon Ng was pursuing his research happy accidents of collaboration. Florey Institute opened its laboratories. at the nearby Royal Children’s Hospital PhD in a unit founded by the legendary From the early days on its original Today it endures in the Florey Institute evolved the practice of randomised clinical Professor Don Metcalf, who at age 85 can Swanston Street site, the 160-year-old, of Neuroscience and Mental Health, trials that are today the international gold still be found working at his laboratory pioneering facility that would become amalgamated with the Brain Research standard by which new therapies are tested. bench, and with whom Ng went on to the Royal Women’s Hospital had an Institute and the National Stroke Research Previously, medicine had nothing to co-author several journal papers. Think of association with the nearby fledgling Institute within the Melbourne Brain offer young leukemia patients beyond a it as the scientific equivalent of the just- University of Melbourne and some of the Centre. more comfortable death. But Colebatch’s signed guitarist being invited to share a set innovators of specialist obstetric practice. Work at the dazzlingly high-tech then controversial trial of what we now on stage with the Rolling Stones. Meanwhile the Melbourne Free $200 million multi-campus centre recognise as chemotherapy, treating Ashley Ng could be the poster child Hospital for Sick Children (now the focuses on conditions including stroke,

children with anti-folic acid, began to for the cluster of institutions known Royal Children’s Hospital) was taking epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, 3010 yield dramatic improvements. collectively in the game as the Parkville shape through the late 1800s, for many

“It revolutionised treatment,” Ng says. Precinct – educated, inspired, nurtured, years occupying the grand former CONTINUED PAGE 8 8 BUILDING A PRECINCT BUILDING A PRECINCT 9 unimelb.edu.au/3010 Tucked away in various corners are Avenues open up the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, THE PARKVILLE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH & TEACHING PRECINCT the Nossal Institute for Global Health, the GENERAL RESEARCH SPECIALIST RESEARCH Undertaking her fourth year of medical Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 1 Melbourne Medical School NEUROSCIENCES 17 IBM Research-Australia studies, Jade Lim is already getting More than 3000 researchers 12 The Florey Institute and the IBM-Melbourne Life the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories of Neuroscience and Sciences Collaboratory mileage out of the affiliations within the 2 Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (CSL), the Commonwealth Scientific and More than 650 researchers Mental Health By 2016 will be employing 150 More than 550 scientists, of research and technical staff Parkville Precinct, diverting for a year Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) 3 The Royal Melbourne whom 400 are located in the 18 VRL-NICTA from the MD (Doctor of Medicine) biochemistry unit and Victorian College Hospital and Melbourne Health precinct 450 researchers About 40 researchers and PhD program into a Master of Public Health of Pharmacy – Monash University – INFECTION & IMMUNITY students engaged in research 4 The Royal Women’s Hospital at the Melbourne School of Population among others. PICTURE: SHANNON MORRIS 13 The Peter Doherty BIOTECHNOLOGY More than 50 researchers Institute for Infection and Global Health. “There’s not a lot of places where you 19 Bio21 Molecular Science 5 The Royal Children’s Hospital and Immunity and Biotechnology Institute Her passion has always been to work can stand on a corner and see such a RCH, the University Department About 700 infection and About 600 researchers in public health or global health, “and so collection. It’s an extraordinary place to of Paediatrics and the Murdoch immunology experts Childrens Research Institute have DENTAL HEALTH having the Nossal Institute and the CANCER 20 Dental Health Services work,” says McColl. Layered on top of that more than 2000 researchers 14 The Victorian Melbourne School of Population and Victoria and the Melbourne is opportunity for “the next phase”, gluing 6 Murdoch Childrens Comprehensive Cancer Centre Dental School Global Health is really enticing to me”. together the collaborative links. Research Institute More than 1300 researchers 73 staff currently researchers (anticipated) Next year, as part of her MD research McColl sees parallels between what 7 St Vincent’s Hospital HEALTH IN AGEING FOCUS About 600 researchers 15 The Peter MacCallum work, she will go to Beijing to pursue is occurring now and what he observed 21 National Ageing 8 St Vincent’s Research Institute Cancer Centre Research Institute research on breaking barriers to within the WEHI 20 years ago when university, research institutions and FUTURE PERFECT: Dr Ashley Ng sees a 140 researchers More than 500 laboratory-based More than 40 researchers disability education. more collaborative approach to research. scientists, clinician-researchers, then director Professor Gus Nossal (PhD hospitals. Fewer still have proven calibre 9 Orygen Youth Health research nurses and others VISION AND HEARING Lim (below, left) and Carolina 1960, LLD 1997) was shaking things up, attached to all of them. About 150 in research and training 22 Centre for Eye and 150 in the clinical program LIFE SCIENCES AND Research Australia Radwan, also in her fourth year and now exploiting the opportunities of a new “Some things here are absolutely world- moving as fast as we can to do that.” HEALTH CARE 10 CSL Ltd (Royal Park-Parkville) More than 130 staff and undertaking a six-month research 16 Victorian Life Sciences student researchers building to break old barriers. class – immunology is the obvious one.” It matters “because, first, there are 357 researchers Computation Initiative project on stroke with the Melbourne “WEHI divisions were their own little Parkville paediatrics, microbiology, the jobs”, in the building phase and 11 CSIRO Molecular & Health More than 30 scientists 23 Bionics Institute Brain Centre at the Royal Melbourne silos to some extent. So Gus put one tea infectious diseases, inflammation and beyond. “We think there are about Technologies (Royal Park-Parkville) and support staff 80 researchers Hospital, are encouraged by the More than 50 scientists working SUSTAINABILITY & RESILIENCE room on the top floor looking north and stroke expertise all resonate in the top 10,000 scientists, clinician scientists, in biomedicine and health care 24 Carlton Connect changes they see in the evolving there were three rules when you came to sector of their respective international doctors, technicians, nurses etc in Initiative (taking over site of precinct – both the buildings and the work at the institute – thou shalt go to spheres. old Royal Women’s Hospital) the biomed business in the Parkville Will accommodate about 2000 avenues they open up. “You can literally morning tea, afternoon tea, and the WEHI “But the precinct itself is less well Precinct. We should be co-located researchers see your options expanding across seminar. Gus was saying all those informal known and needs to be shouted about a thinking about how to

the street,” says Lim. connections were very important.” bit more,” says Smith. This isn’t merely a grow that to 15,000. MAP: FRANK MAIORANA For all the ease of electronic matter of institutional pride, he argues, but “Second, because S LEGE CRE communications, proximity matters the driver of jobs, investment and better unequivocally COL as much today as ever, argues McColl. patient outcomes, the benefits resonating patients get better 9 10 21 11 “I’m a great believer in the corridor. About far beyond Parkville. treatment.” 30 per cent of my business is transacted Smith flips open a random recent Centres that have PARKVILLE 6 in corridors.” copy of Nature, one of the handful of an academic bent 5 CARLTON University By now we’re standing outside the journals that define the currency of elite deliver better health Cricket Ground Melbourne Brain Centre. “Here you’ve institutions and, inevitably, determine outcomes. “You get the The GATEHOUSE ST Bulpadock got master scientists and master clinicians their attractiveness to investors, donors, very latest treatments ROYAL PARADE FLEMINGTON RD Rawlinson Track

PICTURE: DARREN HOWE DARREN PICTURE: coming together and saying, ‘What do specialist staff and patients. coming into the system. TIN ALLEY SWANSTON ST we need to do around neuroscience?’ He points to a recent study on You can’t just buy this in FROM PAGE 7 STORY ST ELGIN ST We built a building so scientists with schizophrenia and flips to the list of from elsewhere – you need the Union Lawn multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s, motor slightly different views on the problems of authors’ affiliations – Harvard Medical doctors at the forefront of the HARKER ST

neurone disease, brain and spinal cord neuroscience are all sitting together with School; the Icahn School of Medicine research.” 19 CARDIGAN ST 2 injury, depression, schizophrenia, mental the platforms of technology they need. at Mount Sinai; Massachusetts General The Precinct is, in Smith’s 12 FARADAY ST LYGON ST illness and addiction. Their pre-eminence “That’s the other thing that’s changed Hospital; the Wellcome Trust Sanger view, within shouting distance 4 3 continues to boost Melbourne’s medical with research – the notion of me having Institute in Cambridge, UK; the of the internationally recognised FLEMINGTON RD 1 20

ROYAL PARADE brand. my laboratory and all my own equipment, Karolinska Institute in Sweden; and the benchmark brands of Oxford, GRATTAN ST SWANSTON ST 14 13 Professor Geoff McColl, Senior it doesn’t make sense. The (Gus) Nossalian Centre for Human Genetics in Belgium. Cambridge, Stanford, Yale and NORTH 15 24 Associate Dean (Academic) at the thinking is to put all the platforms there. “That is modern science,” he declares. Harvard, which attract the hottest MELBOURNE WRECKY ST University 16 17 Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Give them the stuff to let them do what “You have to have the infrastructure to do young post-docs from the highly Square Health Sciences, stands at the hub of it you want them to do, the cognitive bit.” that. And the collaborations.” mobile global pool and the biggest BLACKWOOD ST all – Grattan Street and Royal Parade – It’s not just about having the corporate investors and partners. Lincoln ELIZABETH ST Square

and shouts a tour over the traffic. t’s a very impressive facility, intellectual grunt, the specialised teams “The point, of course, is the PEELST “You can walk for one minute and go a very impressive precinct, and the expertise to run increasingly human capital. The buildings are from what will be a world-leading cancer compared to anything I complex robotics and infomatics, but part of the mechanism of getting LEICESTER ST QUEENSBERRY ST centre, and an infection and immunity ‘I know in the United Kingdom also – critically – access to the patient the capital. and teaching facility on this side, to an or even in the United States,” says the populations required for testing modern “We have to make sure 7 18 15 established general adult hospital with Dean of Medicine, Dentistry and Health therapies, which target tightly defined, that Melbourne is seen by 8 an international reputation in stroke and Sciences at the University of Melbourne, precise constituencies within the disease clinicians and scientists and 22 in cardiothoracic surgery (RMH), then Professor Stephen Smith. Having taken up landscape. health infomatics people and VICTORIA ST 23 the Royal Women’s Hospital around the his position only last September, he still “What Australia hasn’t done is bioinformatics people as a place

corner, the WEHI – where I did my PhD brings the perspective of the outsider. move fast enough to integrate its you would naturally consider 3010 – and then this oldish but still iconic ’60s Few neighbourhoods around the world institutes, hospitals and universities. stopping as part of the global

building that has the medical school.” can boast the basics of the critical trifecta: And that is what we can do here, and we’re journey of your career.” 10 WAR AND REMEMBRANCE WAR AND REMEMBRANCE 11 unimelb.edu.au/3010 New search for the Anzac story

To a lesser extent, the challenges for the team are also taxing. The trenches and dugouts of Since the Peninsula became a national park it has become Gallipoli have proved a fertile overgrown with trees and scrub, some three times as tall as the archaeologists. Combined with the steepness of the landscape and emotional research ground and the effects of erosion on the trenches, tunnels and dugouts, it is what Sagona describes as “probably the most difficult for Professor Antonio Sagona. terrain I’ve ever had to survey”. Though Gallipoli is of critical, near mythical, importance to three of the nations – Turkey, Australia and New Zealand – BY GARY TIPPET that battled there, it has never been investigated using modern archaeological methods and techniques. “It is not really n certain mornings at Gallipoli in 1915, the Turks understood,” says Sagona. inflicted an added, unintentional, pain on the The Joint Historical and Archaeological Survey began in Anzacs dug into the ridges below. If the conditions 2005 after the Australian Government launched an inquiry into O were right, a breeze would waft down upon them the management of the site. Following high-level diplomatic carrying the unmistakeable, tantalising smell of warm, freshly negotiations between the three governments, a proposal was baked bread. approved for the first detailed survey and when the University That, notes Professor Antonio Sagona AM, must have been of Melbourne won a tender, Sagona became field director, a special sort of torture for the Australians and New Zealanders with project permits held by nearby Canakkale Onsekiz Mart surviving on meagre rations of bully beef and hard biscuits. University. Sagona, of the University of Melbourne’s Classics and The team made its first reconnaissance trip in 2009 and its Archaeology Program, heads the Joint Historical and goal is to pull together historical data, landscape archaeology Archaeological Survey that has uncovered the evidence for this and artefact analysis into a new assessment of the site and small but evocative aspect of daily life during one of Australia’s provide the three governments with what Sagona calls “some – and Turkey’s – defining periods. kind of defining document”, a report in book form, for the The distance between the Anzac and Turkish trenches near centennial next year. Quinn’s Post, where the fighting was often fiercest, gets down A journalist visited in 2012 and later wrote of Sagona as to 27 metres – “little more than a cricket pitch”, says Sagona. “one of those infectious archaeologists in the mould of Indiana And not far to the rear on the Turkish side, at a location known Jones from Hollywood’s Raiders of The Lost Ark … (who) loves as Merkez Tepe, the survey team has found remains of a nothing more than getting into the scrub”. battlefield oven. There are locally handmade bricks, some with He laughs at the comparison: “I do get excited their makers’ thumbprints, and large flat stones, which would about artefacts and about archaeology and I think my have been heated in the ovens before thin dough was poured students would vouch for that – but not in the Indiana on them to bake flatbread. Jones style. I hope that’s what the journalist meant, “What such finds are helping us unfold is a very interesting that it was about passion, rather than illicit digging or story of life in the trenches,” Sagona says. whip-cracking.” “This shows one area where the two sides differed … That passion has been life-long. Antonio Sagona a colleague sent me the (Turkish) menu. They had lentil soup was born in Tripoli, Libya, and came to Melbourne for breakfast and went forward with pouches of dried fruit with his parents when he was and nuts. So they would have had fresh food.” The Anzac diet, four. “I was always fascinated on the other hand, was “pretty awful” – tinned, salty meat and by the ancient past. I remember hard, stale bread. CONTINUED PAGE 12 Sagona (BA(Hons) 1977, GDipEd 1983, PhD 1984) is an expert on the archaeology of the Greater Middle East and has worked in Turkey for more than 30 years, but until the survey had never visited Gallipoli. The experience has been moving. “When you’re there you tend to focus on the job; you photograph and record and you’re pretty tired by the end of the day, but you can’t help but feel, when you have a quiet moment, that it is an extremely tragic place. “When you look at the trenches and dugouts and Professor realise the shocking conditions both sides were in, it Antonio Sagona must have been horrific. What we can’t recreate is the (left) and his team incessant noise, the shells going off.” The remnants of found revealing artefacts during the shrapnel lying around – which 3010 would have been flying everywhere Gallipoli survey. PICTURE: CRAIG SILLITOE CRAIG PICTURE: in 1915 – add to the horror, he says. PICTURE: ANTONIO SAGONA 12 WAR AND REMEMBRANCE FIRST PERSON 13 unimelb.edu.au/3010 PICTURE: SIMON HARRINGTON FROM PAGE 11 ‘‘But geographically I like the area we call north seeing a documentary of Mesopotamia. It goes Unlocking the secret about Egypt as a primary back to my student days school kid and I started to when I was interested in a take out books and read particular culture and just of tweet success and I never looked back.” kept pulling on the chain, He came to the which drew me up to University in 1974, finished Anatolia and the Caucasus. She’s a committed researcher at The thing about Twitter is that your experience depends his BA in 1977 and “I like the idea of entirely on who you choose to follow. The vast majority of soon after “opportunity working on frontiers. the University’s School of Physics, people I follow are fellow scientists and science communicators, knocked” – a position The Caucasus is that area and in general they make up a community that is articulate, opened up and he has been between Eurasia and but Dr Katie Mack has another clued-in and eager to share interesting and/or useful here ever since, now with the Near East and that identity that helps her spread information – not to mention often wildly entertaining. an office in the attic level interaction of frontier Once I got going with Twitter as a professional networking of the Old Quadrangle. society fascinates me.” the science message on and info-sharing tool, it became clear that a lot of people “My association with this And though his work outside of science are fascinated by the universe and are thrilled place is a long one: 40 years On location: Professor Antonio Sagona carries out his survey work at Gallipoli. at Gallipoli is his first dig social media. to have a chance to ask questions of a real scientist. as a student, 30 years as a into the 20th century, the I’ve gradually adjusted my own Twitter stream to be as lecturer. It’s a bit like Hotel California – you can’t get out of here. Peninsula has links stretching back into antiquity. Few know much about outreach and science communication as it is about Every time I think I’m going away somewhere it drags me back.” it, but Lone Pine was above an important Roman farmstead maintaining a professional community. When I tweet about a A Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London, (and, since settlement and Troy is nearby. “A lot of the officers went to cool new result, I sometimes include a few tweets of background 2013, a Member of the Order of Australia) he specialises in the Gallipoli with translations of Homer, and many had the idea information to put it in context. I answer questions about black archaeology of the ancient Near East, in particular the regions that they were going to a new Trojan war. holes, the speed of light, the Big Bang and what the expansion of Anatolia and the Caucasus. From 1988-2003 he carried out “A lot of archaeologists are, how can I put it, a bit apprehensive of the universe really means. extensive fieldwork in north-eastern Turkey, notably at the sites about crossing historical boundaries, in the sense that you These days, I frequently get requests to write articles of Buyuktepe Hoyuk and Sos Hoyuk, and since then has shifted become a specialist – in fact, like so much research these days, for popular websites or do interviews or podcasts based his focus to the Republic of Georgia. it’s becoming reductionist. But I like crossing boundaries – primarily on my ability to explain things on Twitter. It’s a “The period doesn’t bother me,” he says. “I started as a I’ve worked in Turkey, I’ve worked in the Caucasus, I’ve worked fantastic tool for science communication, and it’s a great Bronze Age specialist and I’ve looked at Iron Age and Roman. classic, late historic and prehistoric sites and now this.” way for the public to get access to a real scientist and find out what all this research stuff is really about. travel When a scientist on Twitter veers away from the a lot for pure science and talks about the life they’re balancing Mourning a lost generation conferences and with (or building around) a research career, it helps I collaboration visits, break down stereotypes and increase public trust Now peace has come, but they that fell University until 1914 was little more and the way its people saw themselves, so I often introduce myself to in science. I think it can be an especially good than 1000, it represented an inordinate in so many different ways.” Know only that they sought it well. students and other researchers. opportunity for women or minorities in science sacrifice, not only in lives but the Where the University had previously Lately, when I say, “Hi, I’m Katie to become role models for young people hoping They cannot know that peace has come extinguished futures of many of the been a somewhat insular, elite place, its Mack”, there’s every chance the other to follow the same path. young nation’s “best and brightest”. student body and staff now engaged Let us make haste and let us build person will pause disconcertingly, then say, The number one question people ask me “That loss of potential was devastating with broad social issues, forming a Public “Oh! You’re AstroKatie!” about using Twitter as a scientist is, “How Great worlds with strength for Australia,” says Professor of Australian Questions Society and leading debate My profile on Twitter — as @AstroKatie — much time does it take?” It’s a question and wonder filled, Studies and History Kate Darian-Smith on such issues as conscription and the has grown steadily for the past couple of years and I can’t answer. It doesn’t take time in the (BA(Hons) 1983, PhD 1988, GDipEd 1992). implications of the Bolshevik Revolution I now have almost 9000 followers. It’s a rather weird same way other outreach tasks take time. Then shall they know their “Following the war there is this lost in Russia. The University also brought experience. I started using Twitter as a professional tool It’s a constant ongoing conversation; you peace has come. generation of young men, often very its research capacity to bear, with in 2012. A colleague was using it to share astronomy-related just dip in and out of it when you have brilliant men, who don’t come back or medical research and the engineering news and papers with others in the field, and he asked me if a spare moment. n July 1920, student Nellie Palmer come back incapacitated. department’s work on mass production I’d be willing to live-tweet a conference for him because he was Being active on Twitter is like contributed a poem, Their Peace, to “There’s personal grief and a wider social of armaments. going to miss the talks. having a chatty officemate; you can I an issue of the Melbourne University grief and I think the lost generation haunted And, in a sense, the loss of that I agreed, and discovered that it was a nicely focusing task, put on headphones if you want to, Magazine commemorating its students’ Australia through the 1920s. That decade generation of men opened up having to find at least 140 characters from each talk that were but if you have a question, or if and graduates’ part in the Great War. In was a period of huge adjustment — in the opportunities for one section of society, significant enough to share and remember. (In case you don’t you want to take a moment seven short stanzas it summed up the nation and at this university — to that loss.” says Professor Darian-Smith. “Those have an intuitive feel for how long a tweet actually is, this to chat (and are willing to deep sentiments at the institution — both The war years were “a grim time” gaps did create, for a very small number sentence is 140 characters, with the parentheses included.) risk being interrupted by a grief and the hope and potential for a that brought of highly educated women, some Tweeting kind of snowballed from there. I connected with particularly amazing cat better future. significant change extraordinary opportunities to other physicists and astronomers and followed along with video), you might end up

As the University’s War Memorial to the University, get into the workforce and begin conferences I couldn’t attend by watching hashtags. I asked Dr Katherine J Mack learning something, and ILLUSTRATION: FRANK MAIORANA on the South Lawn records, 1725 of our adds Dr James making great contributions. questions, received references to papers, and got to know holds a Discovery Early it’ll certainly make those people served on active duty during Waghorne (BA/BE(CivEng) “The war was a catalyst for whom I should tweet at to get quick answers about things Career Researcher Award solitary nights in the World War I, of whom 253 died from (Hons) 2002, BA(Hons) 2003, change in Australian society such as galaxy mass functions or Python coding. (DECRA) from the Australian office a heck of a lot wounds or illness. They included “past PhD 2008), Research Officer at the and that of course was I discovered a whole community of astronomers and Research Council on more fun. and present students, teaching staff, History of the University Unit. “The reflected in the physicists who use Twitter as a kind of ongoing virtual the topic ‘‘Dark matter administrative staff and servants of the effect of such a proportionately large University.” conference coffee break, without the constraints of timing particle physics and the University of Melbourne”. loss was massive. I think it totally first sources of light in the or location. I jumped right in and found it to be an excellent 3010 As the student population of the changed the way the institution operated PICTURE: ANTONIO SAGONA resource for keeping up with astrophysics and the world-wide universe’’. Follow Melbourne Uni academic community. Alumni on Twitter: @uomalumni 14 theessay A university in the service of the nation 15

PROFESSOR GLYN DAVIS AC VICE-CHANCELLOR From Horace to the digital age

he University’s motto, Postera The University of Melbourne is performing • The University seeks to build alumni interaction, is being transformed through strongly, but faces a number of strategic challenges innovative, blended learning the delivery of the Melbourne Curriculum. crescam laude, often translated unparalleled in the higher education sector. Experts have opportunities into all its programs Tas “I shall grow in the esteem of described these challenges as “deep, radical and urgent to improve student experience n perhaps the most famous of his future generations”, is taken from an transformations”. and learning outcomes. We seek poems, Tu ne quaesieris, Horace The most significant challenge is the online ‘evolution’. to build on the considerable I cautions his young companion ode of Horace, the Latin poet, who in Digital technologies are transforming the way education attractiveness of the University’s to “carpe diem” — seize the day. He around 23 BC prophesied his own fame is delivered, accessed and supported. With the rise of existing atmosphere to provide warns that the future is unknown. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and resources physical and virtual on-campus One should not leave tomorrow to would endure through his poetry. such as the Khan Academy, TED talks, and Google infrastructure that will further chance, but rather take action for the search, university lecturers and libraries no longer hold enrich the student experience. future today. “I have finished a monument more lasting than a monopoly on knowledge. The rate at which we create The University of Melbourne has bronze, more lofty than the regal structure of the knowledge is unmatched and far beyond the capacity of • Effective research and teaching at been following Horace for 160 years, pyramids, one which neither corroding rain nor the universities alone to corral and to organise. Melbourne are both bound up with and his advice seems more pertinent ungovernable North Wind can ever destroy, nor the Digital technologies and the ubiquity of knowledge greater opportunities for students to than ever. The future may be difficult countless series of the years, nor the flight of time. have particular implications for students and learning. engage with the world and with future to predict, but we can plan on the basis “I shall not wholly die, and a large part of me will With the prevalence of wholly online and blended employers. Industry engagement is of reasonable assumptions. elude the Goddess of Death. I shall continue to grow, learning (formal programs in which students learn in a critical area here. Accordingly, we Firstly, this public-spirited fresh with the praise of posterity …” part through online delivery of content), alternative propose to develop new incentives research-intensive institution will While Horace’s words are not humble, his treatise economic models for tertiary delivery are likely to to encourage more academics and continue to generate knowledge that proved correct. It is a reminder that a well-executed body emerge. Universities must innovate to meet student research higher-degree students to addresses the greatest challenges of work can prevail for generations. demand for technology-enabled learning. engage with industry. Our international of our time. We will do so by One hundred and sixty years since the University’s As the cost of research infrastructure escalates, engagement and public engagement are balancing research strengths against founders adopted the motto, the prophecy of Melbourne’s fewer universities can manage large-scale research also being enhanced in important ways. the need to demonstrate the social, economic, growth and esteem is being fulfilled. For a successful agendas alone. Collaboration and international environmental and cultural outcomes of institution, however, there is the risk of hubris. Self-praise partnerships now drive highly cited research. Precincts he University of Melbourne hosts hundreds investment in new ideas. does not bring further accomplishment. ­– which bring together industry, government and of conferences, seminars, lectures and Secondly, we will embrace the possibilities The aim of a new discussion paper distributed to the researchers to address global problems – have become T other community activities throughout the of the digital evolution, yet ensure there University community this year, Growing Esteem 2014, a source of competitive advantage, placing some year, providing an important mechanism for the remains a place for campus-based education. is not to revisit things the University has done well, universities in a position to contribute more directly debate of public issues and sharing of expertise. A great student experience will combine the but to ask how it can continue to grow in esteem. The to prosperity in their cities. Many of our research programs are established best of blended learning with time spent injunction to improve remains, as ever, the imperative. ‘The next few as resources for government and community alongside teachers and peers. As lively places of In two earlier documents, Growing Esteem 2005 or the University of Melbourne, a successful organisations, both in terms of research findings innovation, international diversity and the latest and Growing Esteem 2010, the University set a strategic years will see strategy today demands continuing improvement and practical application in the community. thinking, our campuses will model the attributes agenda that this year’s discussion paper takes for granted. the University F in many fields, including the impact of our There is also an opportunity to encourage we look for in each graduate. The intention now is not to revisit our excellent reforms research, the quality of our students’ experience of greater public engagement through an emerging Finally, all the University’s activities will of recent years. Our task now is to complete the vision, of Melbourne learning and our partnerships with industry and precinct around public policy. A number of seek to engage with our city, our peers, fellow while being prepared to address the needs of a changing continue to communities around the world, including alumni. significant partners have set up around the researchers and the community that we serve. world. Growing Esteem 2014 canvasses some important University’s Parkville campus in recent years. As Woodrow Wilson declared in a famous There is no destination for a university, no landing “enlighten, proposals in all these areas. These include the Australia and New Zealand commemorative address at Princeton more than point. Our tasks repeat, as we offer knowledge, learning strengthen School of Government, the Centre for Advancing a century ago, universities should not “stand and engagement to each new generation. Mission • One dilemma for a comprehensive university such as Journalism, The Conversation, the Grattan aloof” but should be intimately bound to the is shaped by present circumstances, but profoundly and make fit” Melbourne is balancing enquiry-led research with world- Institute, the LH Martin Institute, the Melbourne practical world. attached to a long tradition. changing discoveries. Institutionally, we have adopted Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, Hearing Wilson’s advice on this score, the next Over the past decade, the University of Melbourne its research, three Grand Challenges as research goals: understanding and the Melbourne School of Government. few years will see the University of Melbourne has made choices about how best to serve its many teaching and our place and purpose; fostering health and well-being; Finally, building relations with the continue to “enlighten, strengthen and make fit” communities. We have adopted a curriculum that and supporting sustainability and resilience. Articulating University’s many alumni and supporters is a its research, teaching and engagement offerings stresses breadth of learning at undergraduate level, and a engagement these research goals has been an important step towards key part of our engagement strategy. Alumni in the service of the nation. graduate approach to professional education. greater research impact. Our next steps toward greater support the University in myriad ways, acting The institution has expanded dramatically its research offerings in impact will include working with individual scholars on as ambassadors, mentors, volunteers, career This article is based on Growing Esteem 2014, reach, and given voice to engagement. It has deployed the service of how they contribute to the wider picture, recruiting more advisers and donors. The demographic of our a discussion paper for the University community. new technologies to speak with an international senior researchers with a capacity for impact, and more alumni body is becoming more interstate-based A full-text version of the discussion paper can be audience. Nearly half a million people around the globe the nation.’ closely aligning our research training offerings with the and more international. The nature of student found at the University of Melbourne website: have enrolled in online courses offered by Melbourne. strategic big picture. experience, and therefore the strategy for GREEN JUDY ILLUSTRATION: growingesteem.unimelb.edu.au 16 DOCUMENTING A LIFE DOCUMENTING A LIFE 17 unimelb.edu.au/3010

The University is acquiring the massive personal archive of one of Australia’s most influential thinkers. But just what will be found in this pay dirt of history?

BY KATHY KIZILOS

n a converted barn at The papers shine a light on Germaine Greer’s writing process, with Germaine Greer’s home in her notes on works such as The Female Eunuch and The Obstacle Race Essex, England, are more (a book on the historic barriers facing women artists published in 1979) I than 150 filing cabinets forming part of the collection. “There is a lot more background, context documenting her extraordinary life and personal perspective than can be gleaned from simply reading her over six decades. published works,” says Dean. Greer’s notes on The Female Eunuch, for The trove includes multi-coloured example, describe it as “my book on women for which I have not yet hand-written notes on The Female devised a title”. Eunuch, her best-selling feminist In addition, the archive documents how Greer’s work was received: manifesto published in 1970, along by other writers, by women whose lives were changed after reading with letters from actor Warrren Beatty, Greer, and by those disturbed by the ways in which she challenged director Federico Fellini, writer Margaret tradition. “Historians are very interested in social networks and how they operate in terms of political and social change and cultural production,” Dean says. “The archive is network-rich if one wanted to understand some currents of UK and Inside the Greer files international public life in the second half of the 20th century.” Atwood and serial killer Myra Hindley, The University’s chief librarian Philip Kent says the University was to name but some of the better-known interested in buying the collection “because we have a strength in correspondents. related areas … the Women’s Electoral Lobby archive, archives of the There’s also Professor Greer’s work on feminist publishers the Seven Sisters, the McPhee Gribble archive … ” a translation of Lysistrata for the National He describes the archives as the raw material of research – “the pay Theatre, which was never performed, and dirt of history, as Germaine calls it”. video recordings of her many television Greer was an English major at the University of Melbourne. She appearances. moved to Britain to study at Cambridge in 1964. University of Melbourne archivist A young Greer described Melbourne as a Dr Katrina Dean travelled to Essex to “progressive university at the time”, says Kent. inspect the collection last year. “It took “She found the place to be invigorating me a couple of days to survey the archive academically.” and to see enough to satisfy myself it is The Australian material includes sufficiently rich in unpublished content family history, school reunions and has substantial research potential,” and papers relating to the she says. protest movements of the “Because the archive was offered for early 1960s, including sale we needed a valuation and I worked the women’s liberation with a very experienced and able valuer and anti-war movements. who has a strong track record of valuing A Cambridge diary from modern archives. She is brilliant at being 1964-5 describes “a round of able to drill down and pick out items and lectures, poker, parties and evensong”, AGES OF GERMAINE snippets of significance, which really helps says Dean. In the 1970s and early Above: during a recent to indicate the potential of an archive. It 1980s Greer went on journalism visit to Melbourne. also just helps to have a second opinion.” assignments in Africa and Asia, and PICTURE: JASON SOUTH/ FAIRFAX PHOTOS Dean says the collection is “in good material from this period is included, order’’ and arranged by theme or format. too. It documents her life as a public Opposite: a 1969 portrait The correspondence files, for instance, intellectual and environmentalist. by Bryan Wharton, which are stored in a group of about 40 filing Dean will travel again to Essex to hangs in the National

Portrait Gallery, London. cabinet drawers. “There is also an pack up the collection in coming weeks. 3010 COPYRIGHT BRYAN WHARTON index which is a good guide but is not

Bryanwharton.com comprehensive,” she says. CONTINUED PAGE 18 18 DOCUMENTING A LIFE NOW AND THEN 19 unimelb.edu.au/3010 GERMAINE THE INTERVIEW Professor Greer discusses her archive in an email exchange. Opening the gate WHY DID YOU If someone writes me a letter, it does not occur to me to throw

KEEP THE it away after I have answered it or even if I haven’t answered HOPKINS CHRIS PICTURE: PAPERS OVER it. I have kept files ever since I was a student – files of my on history THE YEARS? research, my written essays, and, once I became an academic, of my lectures and of my interaction with students.

WHAT HAS The importance of the correspondence files is that they offer BEEN THEIR a genuine insight into the processes of historical change. The SIGNIFICANCE letters, reviews and so forth provide documentary evidence of TO YOU? the gradual change in awareness that has taken place over the last 50 years. There are bits and pieces from celebrities, and

PICTURE: CHRIS HOPKINS CHRIS PICTURE: biographers of a whole range of people will find material to interest them. ‘The art of fulsome WERE THERE If there were, there still are, especially to Australians correspondence on matters ANY SURPRISES who have no idea what I have been doing since IN THE PAPERS? The Female Eunuch. of substance seems to have ARE THERE I have not spent my life re-reading my own correspondence waned as email and most REFLECTIONS and recycling my own research. It is now time for other people ABOUT THE to use this enormous resource to track down not me, but the forms of social media are COLLECTION development of the issues that have kept me busy, whether They made for an imposing entrance to the University of Melbourne, YOU WOULD LIKE they be women’s health or abortion rights or eco-feminism where they had stood in Grattan Street since 1876. But soon after the photograph not the mediums for this.’ TO SHARE? or conservation or Australia or none of the above. below was taken in 1957, the large gates and pillars were dismantled and removed. DR KATRINA DEAN WHAT INTERESTS I use the papers to remind myself of what I have already UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE ARCHIVIST The gates from what was then Gate 6 (now known as Gate 10) were relocated to YOU MOST written about certain issues, especially when I am accused, FROM PAGE 17 ABOUT THE as I have been, of changing my mind, being inconsistent, near the Botany School. The Gothic-inspired pillars were designed by the architects COLLECTION? being a ratbag, and so forth, but I don’t do (that) so often. Reed and Barnes. Joseph Reed designed several significant campus buildings, She says important unpublished parts of the collection, such as Greer’s own WHAT DO YOU That depends upon the others. A sociologist will use the including the old Wilson Hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1952. Reed also designed correspondence, will be converted to BELIEVE WILL collection differently from a psychologist or a historian or a the Melbourne Town Hall, the original State Library, Trades Hall, the Royal Exhibition digital form. PROVE TO BE OF graphologist or a linguist. A great deal will depend upon the The extent of Greer’s archive, with INTEREST TO retrieval system, which will probably involve digitisation of the Building, Ormond College, Rippon Lea House, and a great number of churches. its extensive correspondence – including OTHERS? originals so that they are machine-readable. The cataloguing a “nutter file” – is unusual, says Dean. system, too, will direct readers in certain ways, which will not MAKING AN ENTRANCE: Gate 10 on Grattan Street as it is today (above), and as it was as Gate 6 in 1957 (below). She believes that in a computer age it will and should not be under my control. become increasingly rare to find such a rich and varied collection. DO YOU HAVE I am always delighted to receive a letter from a friend, from “The art of fulsome correspondence A FAVOURITE my godchildren, and most delighted to get one from my sister. on matters of substance seems to have CORRESPONDENT These days I get wonderful emails from a young botanist waned as email and most forms of social OR MORE THAN known online as Plant Nerd. He sends me really hard stuff, media are not the mediums for this,” she ONE? which I regard as a huge compliment. says. “People are more likely to outline arguments and personal perspectives in WHY DID YOU I have had letters from a young man threatening to burn himself blogs these days but the fact that these KEEP THE at a May Ball, from a woman I had never met who wanted to are self-published online means they have ‘NUTTER’ FILE? plunge a knife into my stomach because I denied her love a slightly different character, no longer and so forth and so on. One such person actually came to my a personal communication between house several times and ended up keeping me pinned to the individuals: more like a printed circular kitchen floor for four hours. We keep letters from such people in letter.” the file under the names they are using, with copies and cross Dean expects it will take a year to references to the nutters file, so that we can check when the same provide basic access to the collection, handwriting appears over different names. In most cases we have which will be open to researchers and succeeded in getting help for the disturbed person. the public, and detailed cataloguing and selective digitisation will take three years. WHAT’S IT LIKE I haven’t done it yet. I’ll tell you when the 200 file drawers The acquisition of the archive was HANDING OVER A are empty. possible due to the support of a number SIGNIFICANT PART of donors, but the fundraising continues. OF YOUR PAST?

To donate, visit bit.ly/1ky1te6 unimelb.edu.au/3010 3010 21

PICTURES: CHRIS HOPKINS

TEACHING THE TEACHERS THE TEACHING An external, independent review in 2010 surveyed independent external, An in Other conducted surveys new teachers of School see to the Graduate pleasing is it says He World Symonds) QS (Quacquarelli The andthe research “Thereflects our QS ranking choose to the decision McDonald, Matthew For the At creative. more do something to wanted “I its graduates employed in primary and secondary in primary and employed graduates its the after survey The schools. months six was taken of 90 per cent found It job. started their first graduates their for those prepared surveyed well they said were new profession. Kingdom the United and States the United Australia, are new teachers of 40 per cent about reveal typically for them prepared courses their way with the satisfied Rickards. to according the classroom, international the only from global recognition receive subjects. university of the quality examines that measure the of league table annual Rankings an is University subject, by the 2014 rankings For universities. top 689. ranked and 3002 universities QS evaluated teacher on impact its including research, that of impact our alsohow reflects “It says. Rickards education,” employers what and us rank the world peers around graduates.” our of thethink quality of doesn’t he one is law of instead a career as teaching me given it’s and “The was great degree regret. law when I “But says. he skills,” and knowledge fantastic realised I firms I didn’t law at do placements started to a lawyer. as life my of years many spend to want a making I was that feel to I wanted the day of end someone. helping I was that life, in someone’s difference teaching.” chose I reason was the That PROFESSOR FIELD RICKARDS FIELD PROFESSOR DEAN, MELBOURNE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION OF SCHOOL GRADUATE MELBOURNE DEAN, By the the By numbers MGSE the Since offering began graduate- teaching only courses: 7000 • Almost have students completed than more 8000 courses than • More 3000 students become have qualified and primary secondary school teachers ‘We need teachers who can stretch ‘We need teachers who can stretch the brightest students and understand most the misunderstandings of the struggling students.’ “We need teachers who can stretch stretch who can need teachers “We slow Australia’s says Rickards have schools our level a broad “At Melbourne of University The its traditional replaced University The courses, education traditional Unlike clinical School’s the Graduate Despite why it is important for education courses courses education for important is it why rigorous. more become to understand and students the brightest the most of the misunderstandings “Teaching says. he struggling students,” challenging and complex the most is trying all because of we’re profession who children deal of to classes with experiencesand learning different have trying we’re and backgrounds different every growth a year’s least at achieve to extraordinarily in everyyear It’s child. work.” complicated of in the rankings slide steady but also results test student international system schooling the nation’s reveals critical a point. has reached for way in a similar things been doing I and changes the world decades but changed have schools believe our don’t tochanges,” those to adapt sufficiently Master needwe a why “That’s says. he always has Teaching degree. Teaching of it’s But been profession. a challenging challenging and complex even more now the next equip better need so to we and can skills with that teachers of generation environment.” the changing to adapt model of overhauled an introduced a seeding in 2008 with training teacher Victorian and the Federal from grant Education the Catholic and governments an extralater year A Melbourne. Office in the Rudd by provided was $8 million years. three the next for Government graduate- the two-year, with courses The course. Teaching of entry Master model” based a “clinical is on program with teachers equipping training, of skills act diagnostic to higher-order in their classrooms. researchers as analyse collect to and taught are Trainees take a more to use it and data student their pupils’ to approach interventionist needs. learning time week each of spend a lot trainees Many in schools. learning and working practical less much offer universities because mainly time in schools, training highly is expensive. it is run, to it expensive model being more results. impressive achieving Demand for places is outstripping outstripping is places for Demand the Graduate month, the same In criticised regularly has been system The urgency gained has criticism The evidence the PISA reveals says Rickards supply, and in February the Graduate the in February Graduate and supply, the of School recognised was one as was faculties. It best education world’s QS World in the latest second ranked Subject. Rankings by University a more pioneering for reputation School’s led training teacher model of rigorous the appoint to Government the Federal to Rickards, Field Dean, Professor school’s reviewing for expert responsible an panel education teacher beleaguered Australia’s system. surveys in teacher several studies and ill-equipped graduates producing for classroom of the demands handle to courses, diploma One-year teaching. into entrance very tertiary for low scores weak links between courses, theorysome practical enough not and practice and listed were in classrooms training teacher by courses run many of flaws the main as nationwide. universities in slide Australia’s of a backdrop against results test international of the rankings and PISA, as known students, school for the is quality teacher evidence showing students. on influence biggest McDonald is in his third year as an an as year third in his is McDonald a high as academic record stellar His placement, with block placements on top top on placements block with placement, idea take an could you meant It that. of university at learning were you what from school your at tryand immediately it never were you meant … It placement in a vacuum.” operating Leonard’s St at history teacher and English was he Last year Brighton. College, in Excellence a National for nominated the role taken on has and Award Teaching the at co-ordinator debating student of school. a graduate then as and school student earning Melbourne, of the University of in 2010, honours with degree arts law an diverse but the high calibre of typical is to who apply graduates of backgrounds of Master School’s the Graduate enter program. Teaching atthew McDonald is one of of one is McDonald atthew data-savvy of a new breed whose school teachers, expertise been has honed

CAROLINE MILBURN CAROLINE

TEACHING THE TEACHERS THE TEACHING

He is an alumnus of the Melbourne the Melbourne of alumnus an is He bag their teachers of a lot hear “You at a week days three spent “We M BY by a teaching degree ranked as one of the of one as ranked degree a teaching by best. world’s (MGSE), Education School of Graduate for global recognition won which recently teacher to approach ground-breaking its training. didn’t because it course training teacher the of the reality for them well prepare “But says. (below) McDonald classroom,” been has very overall course useful. my tutors and lecturers inspirational had We everythingand a practical had application, theory. just wasn’t it in a school a week days two and university offers a model for transforming our schools. our schools. transforming for model a offers Amid rising alarm at Australia’s decline decline Australia’s alarm at rising Amid the rankings, student in international Education of School Graduate Melbourne Pathway to top ofPathway the class 20 unimelb.edu.au/3010 3010 23 CONNECTIONS “I chose Chile because my mum is from there and I have I have and there mum is from Chile because my “I chose it wasn’t June 2012 and around I applied in Santiago. family in media with a double major I am doing a BA get in. to hard so I studied and Spanish and communications arts electives scholarship a $4000 language I received and Spanish. per semester as a HECS loan and also received and $6000 studying full- because I was allowance youth Centrelink home. The from studenttime as an independent away with the language and settling in, dealing parthardest was and homesickness barrier I can at the beginning. cultural there. a lot when I was and travelled speak Spanish now a you build because to travel is different Doing exchange culture. the into integrate friends and really make there, life you will off the better zone, comfort The further out of your back.” get be when you of do 12 weeks to course of my a requirement “It’s a vet with travelling so I combined placement extramural in October and in Thailand. I filled in the forms placement Park at the Elephant Nature but the program okayed was because get into it is an extremely to harder itself was Scholar so Young Dow Lee a Kwong I was program. busy The best part was the University. from $1000 I received the culture and discover Thailand to travel being able to with some amazingly beautiful elephants and interact and for day every all day, hands-onpeople. Doing work physical elephants and hearing the sad stories had of how a week part.” the hardest been abused was

of Chile ARTS BRAND January 2014 SCIENCE Park, Thailand, Park, Thailand, at the Pontifical at the Pontifical SUTTON AINSLEY AINSLEY Work placement at placement Work Catholic University Catholic University VETERINARY VETERINARY GABRIELA GABRIELA the Elephant Nature the Elephant Nature Spent 2013 studying Spent 2013 , 24,763 students undertook , 24,763 students “We sent 365 students abroad that that abroad 365 students sent “We institutions, of thenthe number Since every alone; Australian aren’t “We are There a free-for-all. isn’t it But complete must students be eligible, To for available spaces five have we “If time over that finding are we “So the all of out lays website MGM’s are options funding of array An more choosing often are Students mobility.unimelb.edu.au administration in Denver in the in US. in Denver administration America and North to mainly year, then student “Back says. he Europe,” a was It exchange. meant only mobility the but abroad a year for passage of rite needed students and big weren’t numbers themselves.” opportunities source to the study types and of options funding to According swelled. have options International Outgoing the 2012 report University Australian of Mobility Students experiences across study international universities. 38 Australia Cossar, says this,” like is university global increasingly an who credits dollar Australian the strong community, OS-HELP the Commonwealth and in outgoing the surge for scheme loan numbers. competition and standards minimum steep. is courses for prestigious they depart, before study of a year a have and plan a financial complete per 65 cent, of mark average weighted 70 to like more higher, usually is it “but 75 per cent”. School in Pennsylvania the Wharton willoffered five be in the US then the top Cossar says. the places,’’ to going to open are students more an the UK if they want Canada or English-speaking destination.” selection options, funding courses, program The critical dates. and criteria offers and sessions also runs information at counter personal service the front at office. the MGM the Melbourne including available, $1000-$2500 of grant Global Mobility a course. into accepted allto students are more 98 or of ATAR an with Students loans OS-HELP offers a grant. guaranteed the HECS with back $7500, paid to up of also is funding available. Faculty debt. they plan experience. “If one than course they do a short enough can internship, an and a semester overseas, Cossar. says all abroad,’’ AC (BA(Hons) 1952, LLD 2000, (BA(Hons) While self-funded international self-fundedWhile international Abroad the 1990s the Melbourne In than more sent 1997 the University In the in 2007 and grew, Momentum CVO KSJ QC KSJ CVO Newman College) with an overseas study study overseas College) an with Newman experience. the University at studied have students after arrived more 1853, many since 1951 when the Commonwealth-funded hundreds and commenced Plan Colombo the Asia-Pacific across from students of ran This the institution. joined region the mid-1970s. until exchange outbound an managed Office of budget annual a meagre with program $100,000. a founding was and overseas 90 students 21 (U21), an Universitas of member 27 research of network international U21 members 19 countries. in universities an host to agree and years five for sign up of the life over students of equal number fund their own Students the agreement. is tuition but accommodation and passage credited is completed coursework free and degree. the student’s to back by ex-student led opened, office MGM 28 had 2006) who at Cossar (MIntBus exchanges overseas been two already on abroad in education worked had and LLD 1973, Ormond College) and former former College) and LLD 1973, Ormond Gobbo James Sir Governor Victorian

NIGEL COSSAR NIGEL MGM ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE MGM Elliott aims to lift the outward-bound outward-bound lift the to aims Elliott Director Associate MGM year, This were overseasscholarships first The ‘Back then student mobility only meant exchange. It was a rite of passage for a year abroad.’ study experience by 10 per cent a year and and a year 10 per experience cent by study programs of array an leading is team her every for possible study overseas make to student. 11 mobility of team his Cossar and Nigel 4500 than more will administer officers in (1500 coming movements student $2 million and out) 3000 going and in office an from funds in scholarship Carlton. Street, Swanston shipping by in 1850s, the funded offered of the travel support to companies Rhodes universities. British to students 1900s started in the early scholarships II scholarships War World after and former of the likes providing increased, Cowen Zelman Sir Governor-General LLM 1941, 1939, LLB 1940, (BA(Hons)

he UK is hot in 2014 hot UK is he is time the first for and Ivy America’s outstripping a as League universities

ANGELA MARTINKUS ANGELA

CONNECTIONS

Europe has an enduring attraction attraction enduring an has Europe an while completing overseas Studying a mere a decade ago over A little sends more fact, the University In (Engagement) Vice-Chancellor Deputy to graduate is program “Theof the aim been have scholarships overseas While T BY for studying abroad. abroad. studying for the plentiful options options plentiful the take advantage of of advantage take in big numbers to to numbers in big are hitting the road road the hitting are Learning takes on a foreign accent a foreign on Learning takes students Melbourne study destination of choice. choice. of destination study students Commerce Arts students. for fancy the US. Science, Technology, (STEM) Mathematics and Engineering America, Japan North favour students Science, China, whileand Veterinary are Dentistry and students Medicine Africa into venture to those likely most South-East Asia. and masters or postgraduate, undergraduate, has Melbourne of the University at degree accessible. or popular, beennever more overseas an had all students of 0.1 per cent experience. 18 per Last cent year study students graduating the University’s of global short-term or in a long participated a becoming fast is it and program study experience. the student part of routine Australian other any than abroad students the doubling than more institution, 8.2 per cent. of average national the oversees Elliott Sue Professor (MGM) Global Mobility Melbourne which the University under program, in 43 189 universities partners with accredited to access provide to countries students. to programs study to attuned who are globalactive citizens in a competent and difference cultural says. she environment,” globalised business a than more for life University part of promoting this is new global push century, short-term flexible as such options, more work clinical and internships, programs, placements. 22 24 90 YEARS OF FARRAGO 90 YEARS OF FARRAGO 25 Good stories, good times unimelb.edu.au/3010 . . . and the odd angry shot

have a captive university audience. Still, Tsiolkas was editor in 1988 with yet understand that you don’t have to it’s surprising that in the era of sprawling Julia Cabassi, Lauren Finestone and agree with everything you publish.” social media, Farrago maintains its role Mandy Brett. He says the team thought As well as being a training ground for reflecting the interests, issues and causes of themselves as “independent left” but a career in journalism, Farrago provides celébrès of University students. the ALP campus politicians thought they editors with lessons in the cut-throat Its first editor was Randal Heymanson were a “pack of femo-nazi, Trotskyist, political process from students who are in 1925. Among its editors since then aesthete dilettantes”. often on training wheels for a life in Student newspaper have been dozens who made careers “The BOP Farrago was a rejection of politics. in journalism, literature or public life, leftist asceticism and probably the first of “We covered a federal election (Hawke Farrago, an incubator including Bill Tipping, Amirah Gust (later the Farragos to be influenced by the style versus Fraser) in our first issue and battled for writers, journalists Inglis), Geoffrey Blainey, Morag Fraser, politics that came in the wake of punk it out with student politicians, several of Lindsay Tanner, Pete Steedman, Arnold and post-punk,” says Tsiolkas, who is whom stayed in the game (Julia Gillard, and politicians, Zable, Kate Legge, Kathy Bail, James best known now for his novels, including Lindsay Tanner),’’ says Bail. “We got sued Button, Nam Le and Christos Tsiolkas. The Slap. for defamation and lost funding for an issue is about to turn 90. Its current team of four editors, Farrago has influenced generations as a result. We reviewed arts and cultural elected as Student Union media officers, of students who went on to careers in events, and published essays, comics, BY RAY GILL is Zoe Efron, Kevin Hawkins, Michelle journalism, creative writing, acting, posters, fiction and poetry. See-Tho and Sean Watson. The issues comedy, publishing and politics, and “All this – the mechanical production former editor of Farrago, the covered in the first two editions for many, many more who resumed the line, negotiations, mistakes, scoops and University student newspaper, 2014 included smoking restrictions on direction set by their courses. friendships made along the way – was once offered a lament of her campus, homophobia in Africa, female Those who take the reins as editors just the right training for a career in A time on campus in the 1970s. masturbation and the East-West Tunnel. learn as much about themselves as they media and publishing as it turned out,’’ “Right place. Wrong time. I started at While the list doesn’t sound all that do about the hard work of producing a she says. Melbourne University in 1976 with a different from the kinds of stories Farrago newspaper. sneaking suspicion that I missed out on all has been covering since the 1970s, a lot Tsiolkas says, in retrospect, he wishes Raymond Gill (BA 1983, LLB 1984, Ormond the fun,” wrote Kate Legge in More Memories has changed around Farrago if you haven’t he and his co-editors had been a lot more College) unsuccessfully ran for a Farrago of Melbourne University (MUP). been on campus for a while. mischievous and less self-righteous. editorship in 1984 with journalist Luke Every student since the tumultuous The editors are still elected in a week- “I think I’d tap the young Christos on Slattery and writer Joanna Murray-Smith, 1960s has probably wondered what it long campaign of balloons, speeches Once upon a time the windowless Rolling Stone and is now chief executive the shoulder and shout at him, ‘Be a little whom he married. might have been like to be at the centre of and stunts. The four editors each receive bromide room was where Farrago editors of UNSW Press, recalls that the “look’’ bit more responsible, mate’. But I learnt so a cultural revolution. But each generation $19,000 a year (once it was a one-person repaired for Machiavellian student politics her team created was influenced by the much about editing from working with since has had its wars to oppose and its labour of love), and they publish about plots, drugs and sex, sometimes all at the Popism show at the National Gallery of Mandy Brett that has been so important for ideological battles to win, even if during 4000 to 5000 copies of each edition. same time. Victoria in 1982. my writing life now.” my time in the 1980s the only on-campus Fortnightly publication is long gone. “What’s a bromide?” asks Hawkins. “Oh, “In a campaign short on policy and Button, too, wishes he’d been more demonstration I remember was a scuffle- Farrago Magazine, as it’s now known, is yeah we’ve heard about what things went full of promises to tell good stories and tolerant of opinions he didn’t agree with. free protest against a multinational produced only eight times a year, but the on.” Bromides, Stanley knives and wax all have a good time, we were all up for a “A young guy wrote a piece on winning a contract to run the Union caff. online version is updated regularly and it disappeared sometime in the 1980s. year learning how to run a newspaper,” (former RSL State President) Bruce The personal may have become has a Facebook and Twitter feed. From my ’80s perspective, I Bail says of her year in the chair. Ruxton. He had gone to a lot of trouble political by then but what still endures The chaos once characteristic of putting think Farrago changed radically in 1983 “The world was changing. People were to challenge Ruxton and wrestle with his is Farrago, where the editors and together a student paper from its office on when Kathy Bail, John O’Hagan and Bruce wondering whether it was possible to be views, but he also had respect for some contributors like to believe they are the first floor of Student House has also Permezel were its editors. They were non- a left-winger and read Vanity Fair,” recalls of the things Ruxton said. And I think shaping the world. given way to a more orderly schedule. party-affiliated left who ripped the paper former Age journalist James Button, who in hindsight it was a pretty good job. Farrago is 90 years old next year. It Hawkins says the four editors were out of the dull hands of the campus political became editor with Deborah Cass and I think it ran – though I can’t even may be staffed by a few, lowly paid editors elected late last year under the non-party- clubs who had used it as a plaything. Tania Patston in 1985. swear to that – but certainly it took and a team of volunteers, but in its time it aligned “Independent Media” ticket. Now BOP (an acronym of their initials), “They (BOP) captured the zeitgeist a politically driven cut in a few has outlasted dozens of other Melbourne they are working 9 to 5, Monday to Friday were pop in the best sense. They used of the ’80s: the emphasis on look and places. I regret that now. I didn’t

newspapers that have crumbled under and slipping off to lectures throughout the a sophisticated visual language and design, the witty detachment, the PICTURE: FAIRFAX PHOTOS changing tastes and the continuing day. (Hawkins finished his degree last year embraced the world beyond campus transformation of student politics away PRESS GANG: Kathy Bail, onslaught of the digital revolution. but the others are all still students.) politics. Art, fashion and style were not from a faith in revolution into something John O’Hagan and It helps, of course, that Farrago can When they asked for volunteers verboten. Given it was the age of Madonna, less conventional – John O’Hagan’s piece, Bruce Permezel rely on funding from the Student Union to write, contribute to and sub-edit ideological warfare often found expression “Could you be an anarchist without (above), editors (though this is never certain as it depends the publication, they received 180 in the battle between the ’70s feminists and knowing it?” and Chris Tsiolkas’, dare in 1983; and Pete on the ideology of whichever federal applications, compared with the 60 who the first wave of post-feminism. Semiotics I say it, seminal piece on being a gay Steedman, editor government comes along), and it does volunteered last year. was big. Bail, who went on to be editor of G re e k .’’ in 1967. 26 27 alumniprofiles stay connected alumni.unimelb.edu.au

GILLIAN TRIGGS THE HUMAN RIGHTS LLB 1967, PhD 1982, Janet Clarke Hall THE OPERA COMMISSIONER and International House SINGER illian Triggs offers a businesslike handshake about the difficulties of championing human rights and beams an intense, penetrating power under a Coalition Government nettled by Andrew gaze. It’s instantly clear that a mistake has Bolt’s transgression of the Racial Discrimination Act’s G been made; the President of the Australian controversial section 18C, they were dispelled in the Human Rights Commission believes I’m at her Sydney last week of March. offices for a job interview. With the error corrected, This was the week in which Attorney-General Emeritus Professor Triggs, a noted international lawyer, George Brandis, after first declaring that “people do softens. “This should be much more pleasant,” she says have the right to be bigots”, announced plans to repeal with a smile, her blue eyes widening. sections 18C and D of the act. It comes as no surprise The conversation turns quickly to the Commission’s that Triggs, wary of attempts to position the Commission inquiry into children in detention and her recent visit as a creature of the left, is keen to emphasise its breadth. to the Christmas Island immigration facility, where 315 Indigenous social justice, women, age, gender, children, children are held behind a wall of wire. She describes disability, freedom; all come within its bailiwick. the conditions as “disgraceful”, and the adjective Triggs notes the Commission’s work on the new is uttered in an emotional minor key. “It’s really disability insurance scheme, the military’s gender SPINTO heartbreaking to be there,” she says. culture, and a $12 million project on bilateral human SOPRANO: OLIVIA CRANWELL Having been offered a glimpse of Gillian Triggs rights with China and Vietnam commissioned by the “I really do get BMusPerf 2010, BA 2011, MMusic woman of steel, thanks to a case of mistaken identity, Department of Foreign Affairs. that rush from (Opera Performance) 2013 a woman of compassion is now laid bare. It’s clear that Much of her own work as President is focused on singing.” both qualities are needed to operate effectively in the issues around asylum seekers, in part because she has PICTURE: inging in a fat suit while playing the wombat in the politically charged arena of human rights. the power to hold an inquiry and compel evidence – CHARLIE KINROSS new Australian opera The Magic Pudding was part Triggs was born in London in 1945 to parents who an example is the new children in detention inquiry. of the program for Olivia Cranwell when she was both served in the war. Her accent still bears the imprint of She concedes, though, that she faces a dilemma in S studying her Master of Music (opera performance). a middle-class English childhood. This “Paddington Bear” her management of the body’s public face because the Cranwell, a soprano, was one of eight singers chosen to take life, as she calls it, may have been socially conventional, but lightning rod issues grab all the attention. part in the University of Melbourne’s inaugural postgraduate it was ethically broad, humane and sympathetic. “Our work on asylum seekers and racial vilification opera performance degree in 2012 and 2013. Forty-five singers “Both parents had good wars,” she recalls. “And what are very important and of course the public is interested auditioned for the program; each of the eight chosen was emerged from it is that they had marvellously open in them,” she explains. “But those who object to the granted a scholarship. minds on issues of race and shared a strong sense of Commission’s position in those areas tend to transfer The program, a collaboration between the Melbourne social justice. These attitudes were part of my world.” that concern to other areas of our work, and in that Conservatorium of Music and the Victorian Opera, is the first En route to Australia as a 12-year-old, immediately sense I’m attempting to defend the quality of the work time a training institution has partnered a professional opera after the British and French invasion of Suez, she vividly we do most of the time here. company. As well as hamming it up as a portly marsupial, remembers the poverty in Aden and Cairo and its “I’d like to see us mainstreaming our work so that Cranwell studied Italian language, German, French, English effect on her. “I realised at this time that I’d come from more Australians understand what we do. But of and Italian diction, researched soprano singing techniques and a terrace in north London and was looking at a wider course many Australians see us as standing against performed in Puss in Boots. world.” When, more than a decade later, she graduated government policy and against the views of the Taking part in the inaugural program was wonderful, she with a law degree from the University of Melbourne and majority of Australians.” says. “You got to shape and develop it, to fit what you wanted.” a specialisation in international law, she headed to the The Commission operates independently of She has a spinto soprano voice, which she describes as United States to work as an adviser to the Dallas police government, even though it is government-funded. a young dramatic voice. “It is a very difficult to categorise,” chief on civil rights legislation. That “wider world” But after criticism from Brandis that it “has become she says. “It is more of a rare voice type. There is not a lot of became her world. She has inhabited it ever since. increasingly narrow and selective in its view of human information about it.” “I was hugely stimulated by the United Nations rights”, it is undergoing a period of reorientation. Cranwell says she always loved singing. “When I am having Universal Declaration of Human Rights from 1948, Triggs takes the criticism, or at least the essence a bad day, it gives me an endorphin kick. I really do get that COMPASSION AND STRENGTH: in which Australia and ‘Doc’ Evatt played such an of it, as a fair cop. “There is an element of truth in the rush from singing.” Gillian Triggs was imbued with important role, and in particular how these ideals, argument that there is too much emphasis on anti- At school she performed in school choirs, taking voice a strong sense of social justice once articulated, are implemented,” she says. discrimination law and not enough on freedoms. That’s lessons in Year 11. Her singing teacher asked if she had ever by her parents. Along the way, as she sees it, fortune favoured her. an argument that should be listened to. The trouble considered singing opera. “I hadn’t really,” she says, adding that PICTURE: FAIRFAX PHOTOS “I was lucky enough to do Melbourne law and then, comes when you re-balance with antiquated ideas she loves opera now. after my PhD in 1982, to walk into a lectureship. That that are often legally bankrupt and misconceived and This year Cranwell is performing as Rapunzel in Stephen wouldn’t happen today.” Until 2005 she was director seriously out of date.” Sondheim’s Into the Woods with the Victorian Opera and as a ‘I was hugely stimulated by the United Nations of the University’s Institute for Comparative and It’s hard to imagine Gillian Triggs with a use-by soloist in the Victorian Opera Gala; she is also singing in the International Law. She has also practised commercially date, and not only because questions of human rights chorus in Carmen and Eugene Onegin with Opera Australia. Universal Declaration of Human Rights from 1948, as a barrister and consultant. and freedoms, as vexed as they are, animate the big She recently visited Germany and England, and Triggs took up her appointment as President of the international issues of the day. She seems to have acknowledges that there are more opportunities overseas in which Australia and ‘Doc’ Evatt played such an Australian Human Rights Commission in August 2012 burned brightly from a young age. for young singers. after five years as Dean of Law and Challis Professor of Before leaving I ask what she does to unwind. “I’ve “One needs to be modest, but not too humble,” she says. important role, and in particular how these ideals, International Law at the University of Sydney. just been riding around Paris on a motorbike,” she says. “You have to put yourself in a position where you are heard. A little over a year later a Liberal-National Party And there it is again: that blue-eyed smile. If you don’t believe in yourself, why would anybody else?” once articulated, are implemented.’ Government was elected. If she harboured any illusions LUKE SLATTERY BA (HONS) 1983 KATHY KIZILOS 28 29 alumniprofiles stay connected alumni.unimelb.edu.au

PHILLIP URQUIJO EUAN FERGUSON ‘. . . in my first three or four years as a THE SCIENTIST BSc(Hons) 2003, PhD Science 2007 DipForSc 1977, BForSc(Hons) 1980 young forester I did an awful lot of

hillip Urquijo is the Justin Bieber of the f he had wished, during his days at the firefighting . . . fire for me was a constant physics world. Well, sort of. Like Bieber he’s University in the late 1970s, Euan Ferguson everywhere. Not in the tabloids, but by the might have spent some time in a laboratory and recurring theme and experience P end of March he had already published five I carrying the family name. It was named for academic articles for the year and last year he published his father, Arthur, who had been Reader in Electronics, and I enjoyed it.’ an astonishing 67 of them. He’s young too. and it remains a mark of the Fergusons’ abiding bond At 31 he is the youngest ever co-ordinator of a with the institution. large-scale physics experiment. He’s not just a star, he’s But Ferguson preferred another University landmark, THE CFA CHIEF a “protostar”. Granted, the similarities between one of the small botanic garden behind the Agriculture and the most exciting minds in high-energy collider physics Forestry buildings. It was tranquil and spoke to the love to emerge from the University of Melbourne and a of the outdoors that had brought him to the place. Canadian teen who can sing end there – but the point It also encapsulated the lifelong sense of collegiality is, Urquijo is big in physics. and learning that the University imparted, he says. Talking to him, though, you’d never know it. The “I can recall sitting out there in the sunshine, having scientist, who completed his PhD in 2007 and spent lunch and talking to people from my forestry course. nine years working in Japan, France and Germany, I just got a real buzz being with a group of like-minded wouldn’t describe himself as a science whizz at school. people and having stimulating conversations.” The Healesville High School student arrived at He has been Chief Officer of the Country Fire the University in 2000 and four years later moved to Authority (CFA) since 2010. The qualities of equanimity Japan to join the Belle experiment, the first of four and consultation he says he took from his university large experiments – Belle, ATLAS, LHCb and Belle II days held him in good stead when he took the role – – that he has worked on. and to face future risks posed by climate change. Particle collider physics experiments are carried Ferguson, who came to the job from a similar role out at large facilities, such as KEK in Tokyo or the in South Australia, says Victoria’s fire agencies have Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, the European been through significant change recently and continue Organisation for Nuclear Research in Geneva. to work through the lessons and the recommendations These campus-style facilities house machines of the Black Saturday Bushfires Royal Commission. that accelerate and collide particles so scientists can But there are new challenges: “There are real observe and analyse how they react. “These are huge uncertainties about what I call extreme weather into experiments with hundreds of people working on the the future. Clearly fire in rural Australia is going to main experiment and hundreds more required to put present enormous challenges – and that requires us together the greater facility and they cost hundred of to continually look with a scientific mind at what’s millions of dollars to build,” says Urquijo. happening around us and try to explain it. While both experiments re-created conditions shortly “We’re not in control of a lot of the natural after the Big Bang, the Belle experiment at the KEK lab environment as a consequence of severe weather. We described the difference between matter and antimatter, need a culture of shared responsibility between senior and the ATLAS experiment at the LHC was made managers, bureaucrats and scientists and members of famous in 2012 with its discovery of the Higgs Boson – the community who have a part to play, but also may the particle that explained how particles attain mass. be victims if we don’t do our job properly.” Urquijo moved there in 2007 as the facility was Ferguson’s love of the outdoors was sparked at being built, before the experiments started in 2008, and Melbourne Grammar, where he was involved in the worked at the Geneva facility “with a mixture of PhD cadets and hiking club. By the time he finished he students and post-doctoral researchers” for more than had “a passion to do forestry”. In 1975 he went to the three years, regularly working 10 to 12 hours a day, six Victorian School of Forestry at Creswick where the then or seven days a week. It was an intense time. Forestry Commission offered a diploma course, before He had wanted to live in Europe and work in a doing Honours at Melbourne. university environment for a while, so he accepted a He initially worked as a field forester in East Gippsland PICTURE: DARREN JAMES junior professorship at Bonn University and continued and “was very lucky, or unlucky I suppose, that in my first to work on experiments while teaching a Masters three or four years as a young forester I did an awful lot course. of firefighting… fire for me was a constant and recurring ‘These are huge experiments with hundreds He also joined the SuperKEKB experiment and theme and experience and I enjoyed it”. was later appointed as the Physics Co-ordinator. He is He later became one of Victoria’s early forest fire of people working on the main experiment now working on the project as part of an Australian managers, based in Geelong, and joined the CFA as an Research Council Fellowship at the University of operational officer in 1992, before being recruited to and hundreds more required to put together Melbourne. South Australia’s Country Fire Service in 2001. His ambition was always to make his way back to Ferguson, who holds an MBA from Deakin University, the greater facility and they cost hundred Australia, so being able to co-ordinate the experiment is still a member of the rural fire brigade at his wife’s home while working in Melbourne is a highlight. town of Woosang, north-west of Bendigo. PICTURE: COURTESY CFA of millions of dollars to build.’ ANGELA MARTINKUS GARY TIPPET 30 alumniprofiles alumninews 31

ALUMNI COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL

New alumni welcomed home Get involved International alumni returning and make a home after their graduation were invited to Welcome Home events in early 2014. Held in Singapore, difference Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, PICTURE: TOM M Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, the events introduced graduates to the University’s local alumni networks. c

GHEE More than 300 alumni participated in the events, which reinforced to graduates that — to leave. Everyone really QUAN LAU INDRAN PURUSHOTHAMAN despite their time in Melbourne appreciated the opportunity to BE(Civil) 2012 MAppFin 2001 coming to an end — their meet new friends,” she says. connection to the University Similar enthusiasm was evident continues. at the Singapore event (pictured), ince delivering the valedictory speech to her lobal financier Indran Purushothaman has been doing for The events provided the which involved a wine education graduating cohort in December 2012, Quan Lau has decades what labour market pundits predict is the work The Alumni Council, established just three years ago, is opportunity for alumni old and and tasting session, together with wasted little time establishing her civil engineering path of the future – pursuing a project-oriented career as already making a real difference to the alumni community new to enjoy fine food and guest speakers. S career. Having landed on her feet at global consultancy G an independent consultant. and the University. networking activities and to “It was a great night, and a AECOM, Quan has been putting what she learnt at the Working on large-scale transformation and infrastructure projects This talented group of alumni is led by Council celebrate the achievements of great excuse for a nice mix of Melbourne School of Engineering into practice – all the while throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the Middle East and North President David Laidlaw (LLB 1975), a Melbourne lawyer. recent graduates. graduates — both old and new maintaining her extensive volunteer efforts. America seems like a glamorous lifestyle – but in reality, it’s tough. Like many alumni, David (pictured above) made many More than a quarter of — current students and speakers “The most exciting thing about my job is working on real “As a consultant you live by your capabilities and you need to be long-term friendships at Melbourne and his studies opened University of Melbourne graduates to get together,” says the projects that will affect real people and enhance the world we live comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty,” he says. the door to a very satisfying professional career. And like are now international students, Vice-President of the Singapore in,” says Quan, reflecting on her position as a graduate engineer at Two factors, he says, are key to maintaining a successful career as all those on the Council, David sees his involvement as an many of whom return home upon alumni association, Thomas one of the world’s largest engineering firms. a consultant – your capabilities and your networks. Purushothaman important way for alumni to give something back and to completing their degree. Welcome Danny Jeyaseelan These projects have spanned a diverse range of areas, has paid a lot of attention to both. bring about change in a meaningful way. Home events are held in those (MA(Edit&Comm) 2008). including climate change flood-risk assessments, integrated water Since obtaining his accountancy credentials Purushothaman has “The Alumni Council is the peak body representing the countries where there is a high The largest event was held in management and model stormwater flows in urban environments. been studying. He completed honours in accountancy, an MBA and university’s alumni. It is vital that alumni voices are heard concentration of international Jakarta, where Dr Avery Poole Being exposed to this work has helped Quan work towards her later a Masters in Applied Finance. and that we continue to strengthen the ability for alumni alumni and associated activity. (BCom 1999, BA(Hons) 2003), a career ambition of “making a meaningful and effective difference Early on he identified what parts of his CV needed attention and to connect with each other, and play a role in supporting Ms Sunny Chen (GDipArts lecturer in international relations to the world” – an ambition also embodied in her volunteer work. sought out roles that filled the gaps – moving from bread and butter the University. We are all about promoting educational Mgt 2003, GDipEd 2004), Office from the Faculty of Arts, spoke to As a student, Quan became involved with the not-for-profit accountancy, to project work, into strategy and later external advisory excellence and enriching the student and alumni Manager of the University’s Beijing an enthusiastic audience. organisation Engineers Without Borders (EWB) via its University roles with KPMG. He also landed work on the privatisation of Victoria’s experience,” he says. Office, says the Beijing event was a The University hopes of Melbourne chapter, which is made up of students with a dream utility industries, valuing gas contracts “to the tune of $1.1 billion”. “The Council is focused on making a real difference as great success. to extend Welcome Home events of combating engineering challenges in developing countries. If Purushothaman needs experience in a particular area he’ll chase part of the University’s engagement agenda. We are working “After the lunch, no one wanted to more countries in 2015. “The work of EWB is incredibly meaningful and makes a big the work regardless of its location. An appetite for complex transactions on how we can encourage alumni networks to grow, how impact in the communities we work in,” says Quan, who is the led him to New York and then a 12-month contract working at the alumni can play a greater role in enhancing the student regional vice-president for the organisation’s Victorian chapter. housing finance giant Fannie Mae, in Washington. Leading a project experience and how we build awareness of the roles alumni Making a local connection “I believe extreme poverty can be ended in our lifetime and to improve the closing of monthly accounts, he came face to face with can play in supporting the University. Understanding the organisations like EWB are part of a global movement working the impact of the Global Financial Crisis. changing landscape of higher education is also important Moving to a new country to study Since the program’s launch in to achieve this goal.” “The transactions were so complex that I don’t think anyone so that we are aware of the context of decisions and focus can be a daunting experience – 2009, more than 500 students Quan’s commitment to this goal saw her travel to southern undersood the impact,’’ he says. on the most critical issues.” but University of Melbourne have been matched with hosts. India with EWB in 2013. She spent three weeks visiting renewable Now, he observes, networking is the only way to get prime roles. Since its establishment in 2011 the Council has steadily alumni are making it easier for one Many of the pairings have energy projects and observing integrated water management in “In the US I went to a lot of industry functions, while in Abu Dhabi I built its profile through ties with alumni groups around the group of international students. developed enduring friendships. rural Tamil Nadu. attended a lot of geo-political talks. You never know who you will meet. world and with key University representatives. Each semester, the Welcome to The students are undertaking Her volunteering extends beyond EWB to Oaktree, Australia’s “A third of your time needs to be networking and drumming up “This is a great time to be involved,” says David. “The Melbourne program pairs alumni postgraduate studies and come largest youth-run aid and development organisation. In 2012 new business. If you can’t do that then consulting is going to be a University has a firm commitment to engagement and with Australia Awards (formerly from developing nations around Quan was the national director of a program supporting challenge.” I sense an increasing appetite among alumni to explore AusAID) Scholarship students the world, including countries in international schools through fundraising efforts. But the lifestyle isn’t for everyone. “It has an impact on your opportunities to connect. There is a lot of good work ahead arriving in the city. Africa, South East Asia and the “As national director I managed a team across six states to personal life. I remain single, as it’s hard to maintain family links let of us.” Typically the hosts invite the Pacific. implement our development education and mentoring programs, alone a relationship when you are working in different countries.” David is encouraging alumni to consider standing for students to share a home-cooked and in December 2012 I led a trip to Cambodia to visit our Back in Melbourne contemplating a project management refresher or voting in the next Council election, to be held later this meal, visit one of Melbourne’s New hosts are always welcome. To partner schools,” she says. course, Purushothaman’s advice is simple. “Cultivate networks from year. “It’s not hard to be involved and it is very rewarding.” hidden gems, or enjoy a snack at register your interest in taking part, For Quan, giving up such extensive time to these causes is an an early stage in your career. Build capabilities and understand the one of the city’s famed cafes. contact the Alumni Relations team at easy decision based on a deep-seated philosophy of giving back. dynamics of the business. Make sure you are always learning.” For more information on the election visit The local connection helps the [email protected] or JOE FENNESSY ANGELA MARTINKUS alumni.unimelb.edu.au/ students settle into Melbourne life. call +61 8344 1746. 32 33 alumnimilestones stay connected alumni.unimelb.edu.au

GOLDEN REUNION BOOKS EXHIBITIONS AND SENIOR UNIVERSITY AWARDS AND PUBLISHED PERFORMANCES APPOINTMENTS HONOURS

Journalist and Distinguished health economist Teacher and World-leading Celebration stirs memories former Young Labor Professor Barbara McPake has been disability advocate clinical neurologist member Aaron appointed Director of the Nossal Dr Christine Professor Sam and rekindles old friendships Patrick (BA 1991, Institute for Global Health at the Durham (MEd 1992) Berkovic (Bachelor Ormond College) University of Melbourne School of is Victorian Senior of Medical Science chronicled the Julia Population and Global Health. Since Australian of the 1974, MB BS 1977, Tales of women’s liberation, famous classmates, post-war Gillard/Kevin Rudd 2005, she has been Professor of Year 2014. Dr MD 1984) was just history and mischievous antics filled the air at the biggest- leadership feud in his book Downfall, International Health and Director of Durham’s life was turned upside one of many alumni to be rewarded ever gathering of the University’s ‘golden alumni’ – those which appeared shortly before the the Institute for International Health down when she sustained a serious in this year’s Australia Day Honours. who graduated 50 or more years ago. 2013 Australian Federal Election. and Development at Queen Margaret brain injury in a horrific car accident. Professor Berkovic was recognised The celebration, held at Wilson Hall in October, attracted Mr Patrick identified the key issues University, Edinburgh. She will Determined to return to teaching, she as a Companion of the Order of more than 420 alumni from across 10 faculties and Parkville and challenges facing the Federal succeed retiring Foundation Director, used her experience to inspire her Professor Peter Singer AC Australia, along with fellow alumni, and Mildura campuses. branch of the Australian Labor Party. Professor Graham Brown AM, in July. students. In 2012 she completed a (BA(Hons) 1968, MA 1969, Ormond renowned physicist Professor Bruce Chancellor Elizabeth Alexander AM (BCom 1964, PhD examining ways to empower College) has been named the McKellar (DSc 1976, Ormond College) people with brain injury. and Professor Ed Byrne (DSc 1995), St Hilda’s College) hosted, with guest speakers including Melbourne ophthalmic surgeon Professor Sharon world’s third most influential Harry Lew (MB BS 1970) released his Lewin has been Vice-Chancellor of Monash University. distinguished alumni Dr James Guest AM OBE (BSc 1938, contemporary thinker in a study fifth book, Lion Hearts – A Family named the Distinguished Australian historian conducted by Swiss think tank the MB BS 1941, Trinity College) (pictured) and Professor Saga of Refugees and Asylum inaugural Director and former Dean of the Faculty of Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute. He was Four Melbourne alumni, including Adrienne Clarke AC (BSc(Hons) 1959, PhD 1963, Janet Seekers. Dr Lew’s book follows on of the Peter Arts Professor Emeritus Geoffrey the only Australian in the top 100. three current staff members, have Clarke Hall). from his previous work, The Stories Doherty Institute Blainey AC (BA(Hons) 1950, MA 1955, The study measured the signifi- been elected to the Fellowship of the Professor Clarke’s speech recalled a very different Our Parents Found Too Painful To for Infection and LLD 2007, Queen’s College) has been cance of thought leaders’ networks Australian Academy of Science in University to that of today, with the 1950s figuring heavily. Tell. Lion Hearts builds a portrait of Award-winning soprano Elena Immunity, which opens later this year. awarded the University’s inaugural across countries and subject areas, recognition of their outstanding (BMusPerf (Hons) One recollection though presaged a coming era of rebellion. pre-war Poland, the Holocaust and Xanthoudakis Professor Lewin is an internationally Tucker Medal. The award recognises as well as their presence on social contributions to and application of 2001, MMus MusPerf 2003, “We were very innocent in those days, but I remember events that moulded Jewish renowned researcher in HIV/AIDS and his contributions to the University, media. scientific research. The School of migration to Melbourne. GDipOpera 2003) performed at a currently heads the Department of the Faculty of Arts and to public life. Botany’s Professor Barbara Howlett one person stood out, swooping around the campus dressed special fundraising concert in Infectious Diseases, Alfred Health and Researcher, educator and mentor (BSc(Hons) 1969, PhD 1981, University all in black with black make-up around her eyes – it was February. The concert – Mozart Dr Kay Dreyfus (BMus 1964, MMus Monash University and is co-head of The University’s Emeritus Professor Simon Turner College), the Department of Germaine Greer. We were all horrified.” Magic – raised money for The 1966, PhD 1972, University College) the Centre for Biomedical Research, Deputy Vice-Chan- (BVSc(Hons) 1972, DVSc 2011, Mechanical Engineering’s Professor Melbourne Musicians, an For many alumni, it was a rare chance to return to detailed the life of noted Australian Burnet Institute. cellor (Engage- Ormond College) has been awarded Ivan Marusic (BE Mech&ManufEng orchestra providing experience see the many changes to the Parkville campus that have violinist Alma Moodie in Bluebeard’s ment), Professor the American College of Veterinary (Hons) 1986, PhD 1992) and and support to local musicians for occurred since their time there. Indeed, many remembered Bride: Alma Moodie, Violinist. Alumna Professor Susan Elliott, has Surgeons (ACVS) Founders’ Award Professor Ingrid Scheffer (PhD more than 40 years. Miss the moment when Wilson Hall’s predecessor burnt to the Ms Dreyfus deftly constructs an Karen Day been named the for Career Achievement. Professor 1998) from the University and Florey Xanthoudakis has built a glittering image of an expatriate musician who (BSc(Hons) 1977, Vice-President of Turner was the first University of Institute of Neuroscience and Mental ground in January 1952. international career, one highlight performed with the likes of the Berlin PhD) has returned the Asia-Pacific Association of Melbourne veterinary graduate to Health joined alumnus Professor Deep personal connections to the campus abounded. of which was winning the 2006 Philharmonic Orchestra during a to Melbourne as International Education (APAIE). become a member by examination Craig Moritz (BSc(Hons) 1979, Trinity Many a true love bloomed among the plane-tree-lined paths. International Mozart Competition period spanning decades, from World the new Dean of Professor Elliott (MB BS 1982, MD of the ACVS, and the only Australian College), now at Australian National “I made lifelong friendships, met my wife and – strange for singers in Salzburg, Austria. War I, to the Weimar Republic and the Science. Professor 1992) is the first Australian and first veterinarian to date to be recognised University, on the list. as it might seem – actually enjoyed most of my lectures too,” rise of the Third Reich. Day, a renowned international female academic to hold the position by the American Veterinary Medical recalled Professor Douglas Williamson RFD QC (LLB(Hons) biologist, was previously a Professor at APAIE, which promotes the interna- Association for lifetime achievement Eye health expert Professor Hugh 1955). Jazz pianist Monique diMattina in the Departments of Microbiology tionalisation of higher education in in research. Taylor AC, Melbourne Laureate Professor Williamson is one of many protégés of the late (BMusPerf 1994, BLitt 1999, MMusPerf and Medicine at the New York the Asia-Pacific region. Professor and the University’s 2001) has been prolific in recent Sir Zelman Cowen – the Dean of Law who later became University School of Medicine. A Eight University of Melbourne Harold Mitchell Chair of Indigenous times, recording five albums in as former resident of Trinity College, Professor Patrick alumnae were included in the 2014 Eye Health, has been named Governor-General of Australia. He described Professor many years. Ms diMattina spent nine Ormond College and International McGorry AO (MD Victorian Honour Roll of Women. President of the International Council Cowen as “simply an inspiring man”. years working in New York City, House, she has also worked at 2002), Executive Honour roll inductees are recognised of Ophthalmology. Professor Taylor As Jennie Vaughan (BAgrSc 1956, GDipEd 1974, Janet where she performed with greats Imperial College, London, and the Director of Orygen for their remarkable leadership and (Bachelor of Medical Science 1970, Clarke Hall) recalled, it was not unusual to retain a lifelong such as Lou Reed and Bjork. Her Dr Danielle White (BA(Hons) 1991, University of Oxford. Youth Health, is the expertise in a range of fields. The MB BS 1971, Grad.Diploma – latest album – Nola’s Ark – was friendship with one’s academic inspirations. GDipWH 1992, MA 1995, PhD 2003) first researcher Melbourne alumnae included were: Ophthalmology 1975, MD 1979, LLD recorded in New Orleans. Late last “My favourite lecturer by far was Professor Nancy Millis,” explored the history of Sacred Heart Leading researcher Professor outside the US to Professor Marilyn Anderson 2012, Ormond College) is the first year she headlined the Melbourne Mrs Vaughan says. “We became close friends College, Kyneton, in Faithful Always Stephen Smith has joined the Univer- win the National Alliance on Mental (BSc(Hons) 1972); from the southern hemisphere to be Women’s International Jazz Festival and kept in touch over the years.” – Celebrating 125 Years 1889-2014. sity as Dean of Medicine, Dentistry Illness Scientific Research Award. Dr Helen Durham (BA 1989, appointed to this role. and the Wangaratta Jazz Festival. The Golden Alumni Celebration was Dr White, who runs two agricultural and Health Sciences. Previously The award, presented by the USA’s LLB(Hons) 1991, SJD 2000); a reminder that a university is not just businesses in the Macedon Ranges, Vice-President (Research) at Nanyang largest grassroots mental health Professor Mary Galea (BA 1986, Professor also writes about rural life in her blog, Visual artist Carolyn Cardinet Technological University (NTU), organisation, recognises Professor Emeritus Miles bricks and mortar – it is a community, PhD 1992, GDipEpid&Biostat 2004); The Countryphiles. thecountryph- (BFineArt 2004) produced a “one-day Singapore, he was also founding McGorry’s role in developing Professor Christine Kilpatrick Lewis AM drawn together by love, spirit and iles.com/author/drdanni/ installation” for the Sustainable Living Dean of the Lee Kong Chian School of treatments for young people with (MB BS 1976, MD 1986, MBA (Exec) II (BArch(Hons) 1967, friendship. Festival, held in St Kilda. The Medicine, a joint initiative of NTU and mental disorders, and the influence 2007); BA 1970, PhD 1973) Aid worker Tom Bamforth (BA(Hons) French-born artist has a fast-growing Imperial College, London. Professor he and colleagues have had on health Fiona McLeod SC (BA/LLB 1987, is the winner of 1999, MDevSt 2004) published Deep international reputation, with solo Smith succeeded Professor James policy. Professor McGorry has also MPub&IntLaw 2012), the 2014 Neville Field: Dispatches From The Frontlines and group exhibitions appearing in Angus AO, who stepped down last been voted President-Elect of the The Honourable Nicola Roxon Quarry Architectural Education Prize, of Aid Relief, his account of working Delhi, Singapore and Dubai. Mrs year after nearly a decade leading the Schizophrenia International Research (BA/LLB(Hons) 1990); awarded by the Australian Institute of in dangerous humanitarian Cardinet has also had her work faculty. Society and will take up the position Professor Emeritus Sally Ann Architects. The prize recognises his operations across the globe. exhibited at the French Consulate in in 2016. Walker (LLB(Hons) 1976, LLM 1980, teaching in architectural history and Mr Bamforth’s memoir emphasises Melbourne. Janet Clarke Hall); heritage and his decades of influence how life can change dramatically in Dr E Marelyn Wintour-Coghlan on heritage and conservation. an instant. (MSc 1963, PhD 1972, DSc 1988). CHRIS WEAVER (BA/LLB 2006) 34 LETTER FROM ARNHEM LAND Want more? Go online! Dogs, Visit unimelb.edu.au/3010 for more alumni news and updates. And join a network of more than 100,000 alumni on social media: dust linkd.in/ze48YK and long facebook.com/melbourneunialumni twitter.com/uomalumni days flickr.com/photos/unimelb_alumni/ in the pinterest.com/unimelb/alumni-in-the-news/ stone country

BY CAMERON RAW

am sitting with my legs stretched out over bags, food outside the local shop. They’re healthy looking dogs from any veterinary supplies and banana boxes packed with standpoint – they’ve been desexed, which decreases dog-to-dog our food for the next two weeks. Ochre dust kicks up and dog-to-human aggression and allows them to maintain a better I from under the wheels and the back door squeaks body condition, and they have been treated for parasites, leading to rhythmically as we round a final corner towards Gunbalanya. healthy skin, healthy digestive systems and less parasite spread to Herons crouching around the nearby billabong give us little humans. The program and the treatments really work. attention, ever wary of hungry reptilian eyes sitting just above As our first week in Gunbalanya ends, we prepare to head the surface. Injalak and Arguluk hills rise up before us as we out to the associated outstations of Kabulwarnamyo, Malgawa, enter the settlement and the great stone escarpment stretches off Manmoyi and Gamargawan with our basic but very effective over the horizon, a vast interlude to the surrounding floodplains. mobile treatment facilities. Days of driving are rough, with While the floodplains are green, it’s July and the middle of the around seven hours out to the furthest outstation, crossing dry season – which is just as well. The only way in or out of here rivers, sand stretches and rocks, but this is more than made up during the wet season is by plane or boat. for by the immense diversity and beauty of the surrounding For the next two weeks I will be working in a group of stone country. eight providing veterinary services to remote Indigenous As a veterinary student it’s something I’ve been looking EDITORIAL BOARD communities as a part of the Western Arnhem Land Dog Health forward to all year. An opportunity to undertake an incredibly Program, or WALDHeP. Dogs, locally known as durruk, are unique project and experience, to practise field surgical and LEONIE BOXTEL SIMON MANN such an important part of the community in areas such as this, anaesthesia skills – not to mention it’s a welcome break from the Director, Alumni Relations and Editor, The Citizen, Centre for Communications, Advancement Advancing Journalism and indeed are part of creation stories concerning the lands regular stresses of hospital rotations. surrounding Gunbalanya itself. The human-animal bond is a As an Indigenous person it’s something I have wanted to do ADRIAN COLLETTE LARA McKAY This publication is produced on a Forest Vice-Principal (Engagement) (MA 1980) Director, University Marketing central part of life here. my entire life. To be able to combine my passion for veterinary Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified paper that is produced at an FSC certified paper mill under an For almost 10 years the program has been travelling to this part medicine with work in Indigenous communities to help bring SUE CUNNINGHAM PROFESSOR PETER McPHEE AM ISO14001 environmental management system, Vice-Principal (Advancement) Melbourne Graduate School of Education/ of the world, and each year the evidence of the impact about better health outcomes for both animals and humans using elemental chlorine free whitening processes. Melbourne University Publishing (BA(Hons) that previous years’ work has made is profound. has been something I have always hoped to be a part of. JOHN DUBOIS 1969, MA 1973, PhD 1977, LLD 2009, With the nearest veterinary clinic four hours’ drive The chance to connect with and experience life in a remote Director, University Communications Printed by Complete Colour, an ISO14001 Trinity College) environmental management system and ISO9001 away, this is the only veterinary attention that most Indigenous community is a privilege I will always treasure. DR CHRISTOPHER KREMMER DR DAMIAN POWELL quality management system certified printer of these dogs will ever get. As our troop carrier Senior Lecturer, Centre for Advancing Principal, Janet Clarke Hall (BA(Hons) 1989) with FSC (Chain of Custody) certification and turns down the main street I can see some of Dr Cameron Raw (BVSc 2013) is a veterinarian at the ILLUSTRATION: ROBIN COWCHER Journalism Sustainability Victoria Wastewise Gold certification, KATHERINE SMITH the patients of last year’s trip hoping for some Rochester Veterinary Practice, Rochester, Victoria. printing on an ecologically rated printing press PETER KRONBORG University Communications (BA(Hons) 1989, using a chemical recirculation system and produced University of Melbourne Alumni Council MA 1992) with vegetable based inks made from renewable (MBA 1979) resources. This publication is fully recyclable — PROFESSOR DORIS YOUNG please dispose of it wisely. SIÔN LUTLEY Chair of General Practice and Associate Director of Development, Advancement Dean (Academic), MDHS (MB BS 1972, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR TIMOTHY LYNCH MD 1998, International House) Views expressed by contributors are not Graduate School of Humanities necessarily endorsed by the University. and Social Sciences ISSN: 1442-1349

We welcome your feedback. Contact us at [email protected] The Alumni Relations Team, The University of Melbourne, Vic, 3010, Australia