A most unusual gift The Drakensberg Trust and the University of Melbourne Juliet Flesch The University of Melbourne has (WEHI) publicly recorded its The Rotary Club of Horsham, the been the recipient of numerous gifts gratitude for the trust’s support of Victorian town in which Brownstein and benefactions, many described its building extension in 2008.2 This worked as a general surgeon for and celebrated in these pages. Those involvement was shared for 14 years many years, recorded another from the Drakensberg Trust are with Eddie’s second wife, Beverley. typical, practical instance of Eddie’s different because they are not rare After Eddie’s death, Professor David non-financial support for his local books, objets d’art, manuscripts or Vaux acknowledged Eddie’s personal community when the club described paintings: in fact the most significant involvement with WEHI over many the ‘fatigue zones’ established on the are in microform. An earlier paper years. He had also served on its Western Highway after Eddie had outlined some of the history of the human research ethics committee for compiled statistics on deaths and trust and its effect on the University over a decade.3 recommended action. These were Library.1 The recent death of its Between 2011 and 2013 subsequently set up by the Country founder, however, has led to a greater the Burnet Institute, Amnesty Roads Board throughout Victoria.5 appreciation of its importance to the International and Médecins sans This interest in practical solutions university as a whole and provides an Frontières all expressed their gratitude to problems is exemplified in the opportunity to record it. for Eddie’s years of personal interest support provided by the Drakensberg The Drakensberg Trust was and substantial financial support for Trust to the university. This support established in 1978 in Australia their work in the field. In 2013 Eddie has been exceptional in its duration, by Edward George Brownstein Brownstein was recognised for his the amounts of money involved and (1933–2014) as an incorporated 50 years of defending human rights especially in what the funding has charitable trust registered in the around the world, for campaigning to enabled. This article will provide State of Victoria. Its capital base free prisoners of conscience, and for some personal information on was part of an inheritance from his speaking out on behalf of individuals Eddie Brownstein, what motivated father, Marcus Louis Brownstein, a at risk, when he received the first his benefactions and how these leading member of the Johannesburg Amnesty International Australia expanded the university’s research stock exchange for 40 years. The Freedom Award. He had joined collections and furthered its scholarly philosophy of the trust (named the Victorian branch of Amnesty mission. after the mountains of its founder’s shortly after arriving in Australia, Edward George Brownstein was homeland), is grounded in a firm and in 1964 established its Horsham born in South Africa in 1933 and adherence to Judaeo-Christian branch.4 lived there until the age of 23. His religious ideals and the primary Making a difference ‘at the mother died when he was only three concepts of trust and benevolence. coalface’, as Eddie put it, was always years old. He took his Bachelor Many charitable organisations a strong priority. The Benalla and of Medicine from the University have benefited from the support District Memorial Hospital greatly of Witwatersrand (long a site of of the Drakensberg Trust. The benefited from the trust’s support of opposition to apartheid) in 1956. In Walter and Eliza Hall Institute the district palliative care services. a 2003 interview with his grandson 46 University of Melbourne Collections, issue 16, June 2015 Eddie Brownstein with one of his grandchildren, James. Photograph courtesy the Brownstein family. James, he recalled becoming which obliged them to carry reference Eddie was made a Life Governor intensely aware of the repercussions books containing their personal of the Wimmera Health Care of government policy that he had details at all times. The police shot Group, a distinction bestowed opposed as a student: at random: 69 people were killed and on people whose actions or 180 were injured. contributions have changed the I worked in the hospitals in The Brownsteins realised the organisation. He became a Fellow South Africa for two and a half situation in South Africa was unlikely of the Royal Australasian College years and there could see the to change in the near future and, of Surgeons in 1965. Professor Vaux difference in treatment between although they felt strongly that they had been impressed, while working black and white and see the should stay to work to improve it, with Brownstein and Bennett the horrible results of apartheid. they were persuaded by a family priest year before, by Eddie’s knowledge It was dreadful to see in the in Edinburgh to take their children of transgenic mice, oncogenes and hospital system … and at that to a more stable and peaceful place. their activation by chromosomal time the violence was beginning In Australia Eddie soon discovered translocations.9 to grow opposing apartheid.6 that ‘it was impossible to get work The Brownsteins had another as a general surgeon in Melbourne, five children, eventually moving It was at Witwatersrand that because everyone specialises’.7 He to a 40-acre hobby farm, where Eddie met Anne-Hazleton Mills, established himself for the next 25 Eddie could indulge his fondness known as Kitty. After their marriage years at the Wimmera Base Hospital for building and gardening. They in the Anglican Church they both in Horsham, where both David Vaux both loved the Wimmera and the converted to Roman Catholicism. and Kate Leslie recall his talented Grampians, as the flat plains and He undertook his surgical studies at partnership with the anaesthetist Rex mountains in the distance reminded the University of Edinburgh and their Bennett. Professor Leslie noted: them of Transvaal. As we have seen, second son was born in Lancashire. Eddie was also deeply involved in Eddie became a Fellow of the Royal I remember my internship at the local community. His son John College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Horsham Base Hospital with recalled at his funeral: in 1960 and the family returned to great fondness. It was my first South Africa. rotation (in 1986) and the day Dad left his mark on a lot of On 21 March 1961, what I arrived was very hot and dry … people’s lives. We continue to became known as the Sharpeville As soon as we got down to work encounter grateful patients Massacre occurred. It proved a with Rex and Eddie Brownstein and family members. While defining moment in the fight everything turned out okay. Rex working [at] Swan Hill a man against apartheid. About 300 armed was a very gifted teacher and an told me his story of Dad saving policemen faced a crowd of 5,000 expert and calm anaesthetist, and the life of a lady who had her Black men, women and children I know that Eddie and the other legs crushed against the front protesting against the ‘pass law’, surgeons trusted him implicitly.8 of Poon Ming’s grocery store Juliet Flesch, ‘A most unusual gift’ 47 by a car. Dad had also operated In 1986, when their children the university in May 1992. The on this man and encouraged him had all left home, the Brownsteins proceedings were published as The into the teaching profession. moved to Melbourne to be closer dynamics of change in southern Africa. Dad delivered first aid lessons to to them and Eddie began studying The book contains edited papers from his students.10 for the BA that he took from the the conference and two additional University of Melbourne in 1990. In contributions and attempted an An event that did not involve 1999 he took his Master of Bioethics up-to-date survey of political and funding provides another illustration from Monash University with a economic trends in southern Africa.12 of the practical form of assistance thesis on pain relief and causation The proceedings of a 1994 conference that Eddie Brownstein favoured, of death in the context of palliative were published as Reaction and and is recorded in the Surgical News care. Kitty died in 2000. renewal in South Africa.13 Paul Rich of the Royal Australasian College It was in 1987, when he was also published State power and Black of Surgeons.11 He had been given a enrolled in arts, that Eddie politics in South Africa, 1912–51 and set of surgical instruments in 1981 Brownstein became aware that the several journal articles as a result of by Thomas Walpole, a doctor who University Library’s collections research enabled by the Drakensberg had served in the New Guinea of materials in political science Trust.14 campaign of World War II and had generally, and South African history In 1991, the trust made another been involved in setting up field and politics specifically, were far-reaching pledge to the university. hospitals. Having decided that these woefully inadequate to support even The Centre for Philosophy and instruments, unused for over 30 undergraduate work. He made the Public Issues (CPPI) had been set up years, should not be incorporated library an exceptionally generous in 1989 under Professor Tony Coady. into those of the Wimmera Base offer. Initially intended as a five- It was entirely dependent on outside Hospital, Eddie took them home year project, funding from the funds and voluntary support. Money and stored them. In 2004 a fellow Drakensberg Trust, at the rate of came from business and professional surgeon, David Price, mentioned $15,000 a year, eventually reached ethics workshops that the centre that he was taking a voluntary locum $195,000 over 13 years.