Sect 1 Front Sect Yellow Magenta Cyan Black 10-05-20 07:56:44 25755_Melb_Uni_magazine alumni.online.unimelb.edu.au Connecting online has its rewards June 2010 Did you know that as an By connecting with us, you alumnus you’re entitled to can take advantage of these a range of exclusive benefits? and future benefits. Simply: s #HANGEYOURPERSPECTIVE Sign-up for Alumni eNews* and each on exclusive Director’s tours at month we’ll deliver the latest alumni the Ian Potter Museum of Art. announcements straight to your inbox. s 3HARPENYOURKNOWLEDGE Tell us what you’re interested in and and enrol in discounted study under we’ll tailor an e-news bulletin to suit you. the Community Access Program. s %XCITEYOURINTELLECT and attend the Public Lecture Series. s #ONSULTTHEEXPERTS and browse the University’s range of online journals. s +ICKSTARTYOURCAREER via the online Sign-up for job search and networking services. Alumni e-News by July 31, 2010 and To know more, visit unimelb.edu.au/alumni/benefits you’ll go into the draw to win a $1000 travel voucher. ‘I enjoy reading about the events and news of the University, even though I am no longer part of that world. There are always opportunities to learn something new or attend entertaining events.’ Alumni eNews reader The Longevity Risk: Word of warning or window of opportunity? Alumni unravel Australia’s latest demographic trends. Melbourne University *Available only and free to University of Melbourne alumni. Magazine MUM_2010_Cover.inddMUM_2010.indd 38 1 5/5/10 9:26:28 AM MUM_2010.indd 1 5/5/10 9:26:239:33:16 AM 40% 80% M 40% 80% C 40% 80% K 40% 80% Y 40% 80% M 40% 80% C 40% 80% K 40% 80% Y 40% 80% M 40% 80% C 40% 80% K 40% 80% Y 40% 80% M 40% 80% C 40% 80% K 40% 80% Y 40% 80% M 40% 80% C 40% 80% K 40% 80% Y 40% 80% M 40% 80% C 40% 80% K 40% 80% Y 40% 80% M 40% 80% C 40% 80% K 40% 80% Y 40% 80% M 40% 80% C 40% 80% K 40% 80% Y 40% 80% M 40% 80% C 40% 80% K 40% 80% Y 40% 80% M 40% 80% C 40% 80% K 40% 80% Y 40% 80% M 40% 80% C 40% 80% K 40% 80% Y 40% 80% M 40% 80% C 40% 80% K 40% 80% Y 40% 80% M 40% 80% C 40% 80% K 40% 80% Y 40% 80% M 40% 80% C 40% 80% K 40% 80% Y 40% 80% M 40% 80% C 40% 80% K 40% 80% Y 40% 80% Sect 1 Back Sect Yellow Magenta Cyan Black 10-05-20 07:56:44 25755_Melb_Uni_magazine Melbourne University Magazine 37 Contents Our Features � Letter from the Vice–Chancellor � Contributors The Cover Story: � University Update Alumni in � Alumni Voices Conversation � Events Calendar p10 �� Alumni in Conversation: The Longevity Risk Last Word of warning or window of opportunity? Alumni unravel Australia’s latest demographic projections. �� Crusader for Change Visionary Word �� Visionary People People The Bionic Eye project marks a new era in research. It may not be a common reason for enrolment, but as alumnus Sean Dooley of the theatre department, coff ee p14 lounge and neighbouring pubs far bet- �� Project Inspiration explains, becoming a law student was the best way he could think of to ter than any lecture theatre, over the Students and alumni in the developing world. launch a career in comedy. years I did begin to fi nd, much to my surprise, that my interest in the law �� Postcards There are many reasons for doing law at There were kids of seventeen with side actually grew. I attribute this to the Project �� Passing the Stress Test Melbourne Uni: the prestige, the social parts and patent–leather briefcases. fact that being involved in theatre and contacts, the quality of the teaching, Some of the girls wore pearls. I wore a comedy opened my eyes to a wider Inspiration �� A New Era in Indigenous Programs being a part of a great academic tradi- Pogues t–shirt and a fl oppy fringe that world and generated a hunger to explore p18 Leading the way with greater access to learning. tion that goes back to the ����s. These covered my eyes, hiding a look of utter it more fully. The latter years of the law virtues and many more were repeat- bewilderment as everyone around me course gave the opportunity to do just �� Surveying the past to model a brighter future edly pointed out to me by parents, bantered knowingly about jurispru- that and my marks steadily improved �� On the path to excellence teachers and career counsellors—even dence, mens rea and chambray shirts, year after year. (Notwithstanding the A New Era in �� Food for Thought by other students in my class who were which, it turns out, was not the name year I got zero for every subject because Indigenous �� Parkville Revisited already mapping out their path to the of a seventeenth–century French jurist. I ‘forgot’ to sit my exams as I was in a Programs �� Class Notes: In Your Words Supreme Court. I was out of my depth but held on show at The Last Laugh.) But for me, studying law at Mel- with grim determination to my goal By the end of my degree, I was even �� The Last Word p24 bourne was desirable for one reason of getting into the Law Revue. Trouble at the point of contemplating practis- only—in this city, it was the tradition- was, I failed the audition. I couldn’t ing. I decided to give myself two years al route to get into comedy. believe it. How could quoting TS Eliot to see if I could earn a living out of my Would you prefer to read Melbourne University Magazine online? It all began at sixteen with a phone while pretending to be a piece of frying creativity. Two years and a couple of call from Mick Molloy, who had been bacon be anything but a sure–fi re win- gigs as a �� writer later, I gave myself Join the online community by visiting mag.alumni.unimelb.edu.au two years ahead of me at school. I had ner? I spent a bleak year fl ailing about another two years. More than a dec- been in school plays with Mick and and was about to chuck it all in when, ade on I have not exactly earned from appeared in revue sketches that he had luckily, they brought forward the next writing comedy what I would have as Melbourne University Magazine 2010 Editorial Board written. He was now at Melbourne year’s revue to fi t in with the Comedy a lawyer, but I am still doing what my This magazine is for alumni of the University of Eliza Bellmaine: Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry University, albeit briefl y, and rang Melbourne. All correspondence relating to the and Health Sciences Festival. The auditions were held in ��–year–old self desperately wanted to editorial content of the magazine, and postal and Leonie Boxtel: Advancement Office up to say that I might get a kick out November, right around exam time, do, and when negotiating a contract email address updates should be addressed to: Shane Cahill: Marketing and Communications of seeing a show he was in called the and this time I got in. (I also somehow with a producer or television network, The Alumni Relations Team Chris Charman: Melbourne School of Engineering Melbourne Uni Law Revue. Catching managed to scrape through fi rst–year the degree comes in handy—I summon The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010 David Cookson: Melbourne Research Office the train up from Seaford I was like law with marks in the low fi fties.) up everything I learnt about law at Phone: +61 3 8344 1751 | Fax: +61 3 9348 0013 Greg Honeyman: Melbourne Law School Email: alumni–[email protected] Katherine Loftus: Advancement Office a country rube gaping slack–jawed at Though I came to know the interior Melbourne Uni and call a lawyer. Associate Professor Chris Mackie: Faculty of Arts The paper used for ��� is certified them big buildings and funny looking Magazine Editorial & Design Team Monique Macritchie: Graduate Marketing and under the Responsible Forestry Practices folk wearing black, but the real revela- Justine Costigan (BA 1993): Editor Recruitment program (����). P��� is a framework tion came as I sat in the Union Theatre for auditing forestry operations and John Marnell (BA (Hons) 2005, MA (Edit&Comm) Di Rachinger: Student Engagement and watched Mick and his mates 2008): Copy editor Lauren Roe: Advancement Office promoting sustainable forest management Got a passion for the law? Lieu Pham (BA 2001): Proofreader by actively reducing the effects on the mucking about on stage. Chase & Galley: Design and art direction environment. Furthermore, the paper for It hit me like a shot. This was The Melbourne �� cohort of ���� is that have experience across forty the text pages is Australian made, has ISO exactly what I wanted to do with my bursting at the seams with students areas of professional life ranging Views expressed by contributors are not 14001 Environmental Accreditation and is life—come to Melbourne to do law so I who have explored their fi rst pas- from anthropology to visual eff ects Chlorine Free. M�� is also printed using necessarily endorsed by the University could be in the Law Revue. sion, who are now studying law to and video game development.