Sydney Alumni Magazine Issue 01 — Semester One 2015
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SYDNEY ALUMNI MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 — SEMESTER ONE 2015 NOEL PEARSON ON AMBASSADOR FOR THE BOOKS THAT THE APP THAT INDIGENOUS RECOGNITION AFRICAN LEADERS CHANGED MY MIND BARRY BUILT 6 28 36 40 SYDNEY ALUMNI MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 – SEMESTER ONE 2015 WELCOME WELCOME TO YOUR NEW-LOOK SYDNEY ALUMNI MAGAZINE WHERE WE SHARE THE STORIES OF OUR ALUMNI AND THE DIFFERENCE THEY MAKE TO THE WORLD. SAM celebrates the University of Sydney community As part of this new approach, SAM will now be – those who follow their passions, challenge the status published twice a year, in April and October, and will quo and inspire others. be complemented by a new interactive e-newsletter Within these pages you will read about alumni who that will feature news and information about events are fighting ebola, tackling mental health problems and people. The first edition will be delivered to your in young people and transforming Sydney’s built inbox early next month. environment. Lawyer, academic and activist Noel We hope you enjoy your new SAM, and would love Pearson argues the case for constitutional reform, to hear your feedback. and we find out how much has changed for Aboriginal people in the 50 years since the first Freedom Ride. With such wonderful stories to tell, it’s important that the magazine itself is engaging. It gives us great pleasure to welcome you to a redesigned SAM, with compelling content that we hope will keep you reading Belinda Hutchinson AM, Dr Michael Spence, about your fellow alumni and the University. Chancellor Vice-Chancellor BEc Sydney, FCA and Principal BA LLB Sydney DPhil PGDipTheol Oxf Please send your feedback to: [email protected] —WELCOME — 01 ADVERTISEMENT Honour our extraordinary alumni Every day our alumni are making a remarkable difference and enriching the lives of others. We invite you to recognise their achievements by nominating them for an Alumni Award. With a wide range of categories, the awards honour alumni who are established in their careers and those who have recently finished their studies. Nominations close on 15 May 2015. Find out more at sydney.edu.au/alumni/awards CONTENTS The Conservatorium turns 100 Architect’s beachside inspiration Global game-changer Time to celebrate 12 Andrew Burges 16 Anna Lau 32 At the front News, research and events 4 On my mind – Noel Pearson 6 On my desk – Duncan Ivison 8 Youth mental health – Ian Hickie, Ben Veness 10 In the middle Freedom rides revisited 22 My favourite – Margaret Zhang 26 Dealing with dictators – Matthew Neuhaus 28 Books that changed my mind 36 Steady as she goes – Barry de Ferranti 40 Man who busts medical myths – Andrew McLachlan 44 At the end Classnotes: Catch up with what your peers are up to 49 Gothic splendour – Philip Cox 52 Publishing Editor Produced by Cover: Architect Andrew Burges Inside back cover: Quidditch on Michael Visontay Marketing and Communications Photography: Victoria Baldwin the front lawn, March 2015 The University of Sydney, The University of Sydney Photo: Bill Green Level 7, JFR Building, NSW 2006 Inside cover: Female students from 02 9036 6372 Printing managed Sydney Teachers’ College doing a Member of the Circulation Audit sam @sydney.edu.au by Publish Partners physical drill behind MacLaurin Board. Audited circulation Hall, 1923. 176,467 copies Illustration Photo: University Archives, Green Peas for Breakfast G3_224_2439 15/4551 ISSN 1834-3929 ©2015 The University of Sydney — CONTENTS — 03 RESEARCH NEWS BEFORE YOUR NEXT GLASS Drinkers have long toasted the health after work each night: a regular dose of benefits of moderate alcohol intake, but a alcohol is better for you than none at all’. new study published in the British Medical “But this new research sheds doubt on Journal pours cold water on the idea. the belief that alcohol has robust benefits The study challenges claims that and that there is a ‘healthy’ dose. moderate drinking is good for your health “Our study found that once ex-drinkers and reveals that the protective benefits – who may have quit due to alcohol-related from moderate alcohol consumption have health issues or abstain due to poor health been overestimated or exaggerated by in general – were removed from the pool previous research. of non-drinkers, the protective benefits One of the study’s authors, Associate of alcohol for moderate drinkers virtually Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, disappeared and there was little to no from the Faculty of Health Sciences, protection provided by alcohol says the research has important public consumption at any level. health implications. “A large number of “The message from this study is studies have suggested that moderate Australians should not use claims of consumption of alcohol may protect alcohol’s health benefits as a licence to against cardiovascular disease and this has drink, and the alcohol industry should become accepted wisdom,” he says. not use health-related messages to “The message to drinkers has been promote its products.” ‘don’t feel guilty about a few glasses of vino CULTURE GALLIPOLI ON STAGE Clem Gorman’s (BA ’67) play Gallipoli 2015: A Manual of Trench Warfare (1979) is touring nationally in this centenary year. The drama takes place in a sandbagged trench at Gallipoli and puts a perspective on the Great War’s legend of heroism. The main character is Barry Moon, a country boy battling not only the enemy, but himself and the establishment. Dates can be found at www.davidspicer.com.au AUSTRALIA’S BEACH ROMANCE UNIVERSIT Y AND THE WAR Historian Caroline Ford has been writing and researching the history of Sydney’s beaches and Australian beach culture since 2001. She completed her PhD at the University Do you have information and stories about of Sydney in 2007 and has worked as a history researcher with the Surf Lifesaving the University and the Great War? Association as well as for the NSW government in heritage and policy. She is an honorary Our online database of students, associate of the University of Sydney’s Department of History. alumni and staff who fought in the Sydney Beaches (NewSouth Books, 2014) tells the story of how Sydneysiders developed Great War, Beyond 1914, contains the their love of the beach – from the 19th century picnickers to the surfing and sunbaking biographical entries from the University pioneers a century later. World War 1 Book of Remembrance and Sydney’s beaches also have another history, one that is lesser known and more other archival material. However, it does intriguing. Our world-famous beach culture only exists because the first beachgoers not contain the complete record for each demanded important rights. Ford’s book tells the story of the battle for the beaches as entry. We are looking for family members well as the story of how a city developed a relationship with its coast and a nation created and the public to fill in the gaps. a culture. Please see www.sydney.edu.au/ beyond1914 — AT the Front — 04 ART RESEARCH LET YOUR BRAINWAVES KEEP CALM AND AVOID DO THE PAINTING A HEART ATTACK Losing your temper is not just a social hazard. It’s also a health risk, with new research showing that the chance of a heart attack is 8.5 times higher in the two hours after a burst of intense anger. In the first Australian study to investigate the link between acute emotional triggers and high risk of severe cardiac episodes, researchers found that “episodes of intense anger can act as a trigger for a heart attack”, says lead author Dr Thomas Buckley from the University of Sydney Nursing School who is also a researcher at Royal North Shore Hospital. “The data shows that the higher risk of a heart attack isn’t necessarily just while you’re angry – it lasts for two hours after the outburst,” Dr Buckley says. “The triggers for these bursts of intense anger were associated with: arguments with family members (29 per cent); arguments with others (42 per cent); work anger (14 per cent); and driving anger (14 per cent).” The data also reveals that anxiety can also raise the risk of a heart attack. High levels of anxiety were associated with a 9.5-fold increased risk of triggering a heart attack in the two hours after the anxiety episode, Dr Buckley says. The study, published in February in European Heart Journal: It sounds like a dream for The University of Sydney Acute Cardiovascular Care, involved investigating consecutive arty types who can’t be project was led by Dr Caitilin patients suspected of heart attack and confirmed by angiography bothered picking up a brush: de Bérigny, a lecturer in the reports at Royal North Shore Hospital. “Our findings highlight painting with your mind. Last Master of Interaction Design the need to consider strategies to protect individuals most at risk November a group of students and Electronic Arts program, during times of acute anger,” Dr Buckley adds. from the University created and international lighting Senior author Professor Geoffrey Tofler, of the University’s Mind Paintings, an interactive designer Bruce Ramus. Department of Preventive Cardiology, says: “Potential preventive project that reads brainwaves “For the first time, we approaches may be stress-reduction training to reduce the and enables people to “paint can get a creative glimpse of frequency and intensity of episodes of anger, or avoiding activities with their mind”. a person’s state of mind. The that usually prompt such intense reactions – for instance, avoiding Users are equipped with a more meditative and relaxed an angry confrontation or activity that provokes intense anxiety. wireless device and a wearable the state of a person, the greater “Our message to people is they need to be aware that a burst of headset that picks up their the visual impact on the digital severe anger or anxiety could lead to a coronary event, so consider electroencephalogram (EEG), canvas,” Dr de Bérigny says.