NEWS O C H L A S R A S I H Mid-year • Issue 28 – 2005 AL UN MNII P A UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA S M S ears A y T 5 0 0 1 2 9 9 5 - WELCOME TO THE 2005 ANNUAL APPEAL EDITION OF ALUMNI NEWS n 2005, we celebrate the tenth anniversary of a program that has touched every faculty within the University. Over the past 10 years the Tasmania IScholarships program has grown twelve-fold. This year alone, we will distribute around $3 million in scholarship and bursary support to the budding minds who are this State’s future. Around 10 per cent of all domestic students at UTAS receive some sort of scholarship or financial assistance. Currently over 130 businesses, including state and local governments, generous individuals and endowments provide this significant scholarship support. The development and growth of this initiative into one of the most successful sponsored programs in the country is exceptional by any standards. But its existence would not be possible without the generous and visionary support of the hundreds of sponsors over the decade. We thank you for your commitment and the solid investment you are making in our State’s most valuable resource – an educated and skilled community. It is your vision that helps us continue to grow and support excellence in Tasmania. By celebrating our scholarships and our scholars, we celebrate our University, which continues to make far-reaching educational, cultural and economic contributions to Tasmania and beyond. Daryl Le Grew Vice-Chancellor Contents Alumni News is the regular magazine for graduates of the University of Tasmania. Message from the Chancellor 2 It is prepared in the Public Relations and 10 years of the Tasmania Scholarships program 3 University Extension Unit (PRUE). Fabulous four: Alumni Scholars 4 Editor: Elizabeth Bailes Marie Edwards Art Gift 6 Contributors: Lou Southwell, Alison Andrews, The price of democracy 8 Lisa Morriset, Nurshahidah Richard Rowe, Ambassador to Sweden 10 Syed, Elizabeth Bailes Max O’Toole 12 Design: Clemenger Tasmania UTAS Graduate Awards 2005 14 Alumni Manager: Greg Parkinson Latest honorary doctorates 16 UTAS Alumni Office Chickpea research good for the heart 18 University of Tasmania, Locked Bag 1350, Parkinson’s – the search for a cure 19 Launceston, Tasmania 7250 Magical mushrooms of Tasmania 20 Phone: (03) 6324 3033 Fax: (03) 6324 3402 [email protected] New appointments in medicine 24 40-year celebrations for the Medical School 27 Cover photo: Celebrating our scholars – Over the past 10 years, nearly 2,000 students have Vale – in memory 30 been helped in their studies by scholarships and bursaries. 0824 Mid-year 2005 Alumni News 1 A MESSAGE FROM THE CHANCELLOR pread around Australia and of academic excellence at the University. Sthroughout the world are some Assistance offered to students by the Tasmania Scholarships 50,000 of our fellow graduates. For program is second to none in the country. The program is a us, our education and experiences at remarkable initiative and its growth relies on commitment and the University of Tasmania provided vision. It would not be possible without the support of the many a foundation on which to build our business, community and individual donors who contribute to the careers and our lives. scholarships. Such support is exceptional by any standards. Collectively we can make a difference The University Foundation is making impressive progress in to the education, opportunities and accumulating capital funds, the earnings from which will, over time, experiences of today’s students. make a difference to the quality of academic activities and maintain Universities operate in a very different UTAS’s reputation for excellence. environment compared with the past. There is a much greater The Annual Appeal is your opportunity to be a part of this vital reliance on external funding; the provision of scholarships and program. Every gift you give, regardless of the amount, is an support for students is generated primarily through the generosity important contribution towards addressing these worthwhile of past graduates, business and wider community. initiatives. Through the Annual Appeal you can contribute to the success of I urge you to join me and support the 2005 Annual Appeal. the bright young stars that are the scholarship recipients of today. Similarly, you can help make the difference for students whose Dr Michael Vertigan AC circumstances make attendance at university a real challenge. Chancellor, University of Tasmania Finally,Finally, you can contribute in a way that supports the maintenance eopleeople acrossacross thethe communitycommunity recogniserecognise thethe influenceinfluence andand positivepositive impactimpact ofof UTASUTAS Peveneven whenwhen theythey haven’thaven’t studiedstudied here.here. Dr Vivian Barlow was a ninetyninety-two-year-old-two-year-old retired medical practitioner.practitioner. The University FoundationFoundation recently received the bequest of his estate to establishestablish accommodation support for medical students. His significant gift demonstratesdemonstrates how TasmaniaTasmania and the University can touch and inspire a persopersonn ttoo make a contribution. DrDr VivianVivian NevilleNeville BarlowBarlow waswas bornborn inin 1912.1912. HisHis fatherfather waswas BritishBritish andand hishis mothermother a colonialcolonial Indian.Indian. HeHe hadhad twotwo brothers.brothers. Dr Barlow studied medicine in the UK and then practised in India. HeHe served as a major in the British Army during WorldWorld WarWar II, and then transferred to thethe British Navy from 1942 to 1945, as he thought he would be of more benefit there. HeHe alsoalso livedlived inin ZimbabweZimbabwe forfor manymany years,years, workingworking asas a governmentgovernment medicalmedical practitioner.practitioner. WhileWhile inin AAfricafrica hhee pprovidedrovided iillustrationsllustrations fforor tthehe Central African JournalJournal ofof MedicineMedicine. In 1983 Dr Barlow arrived in TTasmania,asmania, spending a year at PPortort ArthurArthur.. HHee Dr Vivian lived for a period at Dodges FerryFerry and spent the last years of his life in Mount Nelson. He did a lot of painting around the lookout area. He never married. He was a small man, who took no medication and cooked for himself.himself. Barlow – An DescribedDescribed asas ““aa pperfecterfect ggentleman”,entleman”, DDrr BBarlowarlow kkeptept mmeticulouseticulous ddiariesiaries ooff hhisis day-to-dayday-to-day lifelife andand producedproduced hhundredsundreds ooff oobservantbservant aandnd qquirkyuirky ssketchesketches ooff thethe peoplepeople hehe crossedcrossed pathspaths with.with. TheseThese records,records, asas wellwell asas otherother medicalmedical unexpected booksbooks andand hhistoricalistorical ooddities,ddities, wwereere aamongmong tthehe ccontentsontents hhee llefteft ttoo UUTAS,TAS, HobartHobart CollegeCollege andand thethe TasmanianTasmanian MuseumMuseum andand ArtArt Gallery.Gallery. TheThe salesale ofof hishis estateestate hashas createdcreated a significantsignificant fundfund thatthat willwill provideprovide fourfour $3,000$3,000 gift scholarshipsscholarships eacheach yyearear ttoo mmedicaledical sstudentstudents aatt UUTAS.TAS. A ppassionateassionate aartrt llover,over, hehe keptkept a largelarge cataloguedcatalogued librarylibrary ofof artart booksbooks andand includedincluded thethe TasmanianTasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart College and the Salvation Army in his will. (With thanks to Mr Doug Reid for his recollections of Dr Barlow) 2 Alumni News Mid-year 2005 O C H L A S R A S I H N I P A S M S ears A y T 5 0 0 1 2 9 9 5 - Top: James Oakley and Melanie Cheah YEARS OF THE Top left: some of the first round of Tasmania Scholarships recipients on their first day at uni Above: Virginia Horscroft and Caitlin Ryan talk 10SCHOLARSHIPS PROGRAM to Scholarships Officer Eoin Breen en years ago the Tasmania Scholarships program was initially, continues to work tirelessly at sourcing funding support for launched. Its aim was to attract talented students, both locally the program across the State. Tand nationally, as well as try and counteract the ‘brain drain’ The success of the program mirrors the success of the University from students choosing to study interstate. of Tasmania Foundation, which commenced its operations in 1994. The number of scholarships offered in the program has increased The Foundation has been instrumental in building and supporting steadily over the years; the introduction of equity-based the Tasmania Scholarships program from the start. Commonwealth Learning Scholarships has almost doubled the The Foundation has become an important cornerstone of the scholarships pool over the past year. University. Its success is best demonstrated in the growth over the The State Government has been a valuable supporter of the past 10 years of the scholarship funds it manages, from virtually program since its inception, providing three of the most valuable nothing in 1994 to more than $16 million by the end of 2004. awards every year through the Premier of Tasmania’s National Undergraduate Scholarships. The Foundation also owes much to the contribution of two key Over the past 10 years there has been substantial growth in people – Nick Cretan and Ian Roberts. Nick was the inaugural corporate support; industry contributions now make up the Foundation Board Chairman from 1994 to 1998 and established backbone of the Tasmania Scholarships program. Eoin Breen has the solid basis for its growth during what was a challenging