the graduate union newsletter
MARCH 2020
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What’s on at Graduate House Italian Conversation Dinner Bridge Night
Tue, 3rd, 17th march 6:00pm Dine while learning to speak Italian with an experienced teacher. $17 Members $25 Non-members
Wed, 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th march 6:50pm for 7:00pm start Do you enjoy a sociable game of duplicate bridge? Register at reception. All levels of bridge players welcome. $ 2 Members $6 Non-members Includes tea/coffee/biscuits
Monthly luncheon
Wed, 4th march 12:00pm for 12:30pm start
Special Morning Breakfast
Tue, 10th march 7:30am to 8:30am
Women’s Forum
Ms Helen Parker OAM $10 Resident Members $30 Non-resident Members $35 Concession $40 General public
Non-resident Members are welcome to join Resident Members for a hearty breakfast at Graduate House. Free for Resident Members $20 Non-resident Members
Wed, 18th march 10:00am for 10:30am start Come along to discuss: Juvenile Remand Centres in Melbourne with special reference to Turana The Forum is free. All are welcome. Lunch is at Member and non-member prices.
College Table
fri, 20th march 12:00pm for 12:30pm start
WELCOME BBQ
fri, 27th march 6:00pm ONWARDS
Ms Janet Farrow OAM $12 Members $20 non-members $15 Loyalty card holders
Free for Resident Members $ 22 Non-resident Members $32 Guests and non-members
BOOK NOW: www.graduatehouse.com.au I (03) 9347 3428 I admingh@graduatehouse.com.au
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Contents dates ahead
GU Collegiate
4 International Days
26 Graduate House Year at a Glance
5 Graduate House 2020 Calendar
27 Annual Influenza Vaccination Day
features
28 March Monthly Luncheon
6 Building Partnerships for Sustainability
29 March College Table
8 Stardust inside Murchison Meteorite
30 Graduate House Welcome BBQ
by Greg Hunt
by Suzannah Lyons
10 Tech Girls Movement: STEM Superheroes
31 What is a Welcome BBQ?
12 Spatium Capital
32 Feedback
The Journey of Nick Quinn and Jesse Moors
reviewS
Explaining this Australian tradition
33 Women’s Forum
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS
16 Graduate House Monthly Luncheon Review with Ambassador Izzat Abdulhadi
Eulogy
33 January 2020 Listings
Other
19 The Honourable Mr John Cain
by former Chairperson of Council, Neil Taylor
34 First Nations: The Owl and the Flood by Life Member, Mr Louis A Coutts
Graduate house news 20 Third Annual Melbourne Medical School Research Symposium by Elisabeth Lopez
22 Karlsruher Konzert-Duo
Reinhard Armleder and Dagmar Hartmann
35 Innovation
GPS Rainfall Forecasting
36 One Thousand and One Nights Serial
The Story of the Fisherman and the Jinni
38 The UN Sustainable Development Goals Guide to the SDGs in the Tertiary Sector
23 Graduate House Award Opportunities Now Open
24 Graduate Women Victoria 2020 scholarship program
25 Graduate Women Victoria
1920 to 2020 Centennial Celebration
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UPCOMING DATES
international days In 2020, Graduate House is raising awareness of some of the international days marked by the United Nations. These days help to educate the public and provide an opportunity to mobilise societal will and resources to address global problems. The days for March are:
Clean up Australia Day 1st March
Clean Up Australia Day aims to inspire and empower communities to ‘clean up, fix up and conserve our environment’. Now the nation’s largest community-based environmental event, it has seen more than 17.7 million Australians give their time to this day over the last 30 years.
Zero Discrimination Day 1st March
Spearheaded by the UNAIDS agency, Zero Discrimination Day calls all countries to examine discriminatory provisions in their laws and support reforms of these structures. The day aims to facilitate positive changes in government structures to ensure equality, inclusion and protection for all.
World Wildlife Day 3rd March
World Wildlife Day’s theme for 2020 is ‘Sustaining all life on Earth’, with this year regarded as a ‘biodiversity super year’. The purpose of this day works to raise awareness of the incredible diversity of animal and plant life and the importance of preserving and maintaining wildlife through sustainable development.
World Book Day 5th March
World Book Day was established in 1995 with the goal to give every child a book of their own to read. Celebrated in more than 100 countries across the world, the day is a UNESCO initiative which honours both books and reading, especially among younger readers.
International Women’s Day 8th March
International Women’s Day applauds and recognises the achievements of women globally regardless of their differences — national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. Established in 1909 in the United States, the day works at furthering the women’s movement and addressing gender inequality.
Labour Day (Victoria) Labour Day celebrates the eight-hour working day, which was a significant victory for workers in Victoria in 1879. Originally known as the ‘Eight Hour Day’, the day would have 9th March processions attracting tens of thousands of people to the parades in Melbourne, and was renamed Labour Day in 1934. Holi 10th March
Holi is one of the most iconic and celebrated festivals in India and in the Hindi calendar. Known as the festival of colour, it is sometimes referred to as the ‘festival of love’ and aims to unite people and help them to forget all resentments and bad feelings towards each other.
St Patrick’s Day 17th March
St Patrick’s Day celebrates the patron saint of Ireland and is the country’s national holiday. While not a public holiday in Australia, the day is widely observed due to the significant number of Irish descendants in Australia.
International Day of Happiness 20th March
The International Day of Happiness recognises the relevance of joy and well-being as universal goals, with a focus on making them central to public policy. The establishment of the day was initiated by Bhutan, a country where the value of national happiness is more important than the national income.
International Day of Nowruz 21st March
Proclaimed an international day in 2010, International Nowruz Day is a traditional day marking the first day of Spring and the renewal of nature. The day promotes the values of peace and solidarity in families and has a long cultural tradition, predating the Georgian calendar celebrations.
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UPCOMING DATES
World Poetry Day 21st March
World Poetry Day revels in poetry’s ability to capture the creative spirit of the human mind. One of the main aims of the day is to boost linguistic diversity via poetic expression, as well as to support endangered languages by providing an opportunity to be heard in their own communities.
Established in 1966, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination International was created to fight against racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerence; and Day for the Elimination of Racial instead nurture more equality in the community. Discrimination 21st March Harmony Day 21st March
Harmony Day is a day of cultural respect in Australia, from traditional owners to immigrants from around the world. The day seeks to facilitate and foster an environment of diversity, and sense of belonging to everyone. Harmony Day appropriately coincides with International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
World Water Day 22ND March
World Water Day addresses the increasing scarcity of potable water globally. The day highlights the effect climate change is having on water, and how adapting will protect health and save lives. The day advocates for more efficient use of water, action on climate policy and adoption of circular production systems for water.
World Tuberculosis Day 24th March
World Tuberculosis (TB) Day commemorates the day, in 1882, when Dr Robert Koch announced the discovery of the bacterium that causes TB, facilitating the diagnosing and curing of this disease. TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious killer, with 4,500 people dying because of this illness every day. The theme in 2020 is ‘It’s TIME’ (to eliminate this disease).
March Stella Langford
An image excerpt from our 2020 calendar which is available for purchase at our reception or online! 5
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FEATURE
Building partnerships for sustainability by Greg Hunt, Executive Officer, Western Port Biosphere Foundation and Board Member, John Cain Foundation
Preaching to the choir, dealing with fellow travellers, talking to the usual suspects – we’re comfortable with People Like Us (PLUs) but we’ll never bring about the broad-scale change needed if they are all we talk with. Moving from PLUs, we are halfway through a partnership program of going beyond the already engaged to attracting a new audience for sustainability. of homes a strong sustainable living option. For example, as part of the display village on the estate, they have built a zero-emissions 8-star house.
‘We’ is the South East Councils Climate Change Alliance (SECCCA), an incorporated grouping of eight member councils in Melbourne’s southeast on whose behalf we conduct mitigation, adaptation and sequestration projects (check the website at https://www.seccca.org.au/aboutseccca/). SECCCA supports member councils with community energy efficiency programs across the south-east.
The four partners behind Selandra Community Place include City of Casey (local government), Stockland (property developer), Henley Properties Group (builder) and the South East Councils Climate Change Alliance (sustainability project delivery organisation). These four partners found a strong confluence of interests in offering SECCCA’s Sustainable Homes Program through the City of Casey’s Selandra Community Place (SCP) (https:// henley.com.au/news/selandra-community-placea-sustainability-initiative), built by Henley in Stockland’s display village.
SECCCA member council, the City of Casey has a greenfield site, Selandra Rise, on Melbourne’s urban fringe that will eventually have 18,000 residents. Typically a council follows the population with provision of community services in its Community Centre or Neighbourhood House when the numbers reach a minimum number. However, if residents work out for themselves lifestyles and behaviours in the absence of services, by the time the council arrives to deliver them they are not readily retrofitted. Casey decided that it should provide support from the very start and as residents moved into the estate, they could attend resident’s coffee mornings, new parents’ groups, evening yoga classes and the rest of the community-building programs that councils offer.
SECCCA staffs the Selandra Community Place from Thursdays to Sundays when there is a strong throughput of intending residents for Selandra Rise and other greenfield sites across the region and elsewhere. Visitors to the house, which looks like any other house on the estate, but certainly feels more comfortable for all of the sustainability measures – insulation, double-glazing draught proofing, etc. are approached by SECCCA staff and engaged in conversation about their housing intentions, building plans and living patterns. They are offered enrolment in SECCCA’s Sustainable Homes Program, a free building consultation based upon a range of changes they could make to improve the environmental performance of the house they build and they can take away a set of information cards to include in the brief to their builder for the house they’d like to live in.
The development at Selandra Rise is being rolled out by Stockland, a major greenfield developer with a clear need for the commercial success of their developments. The desirability of one estate over another is in part determined by the breadth of the offer to new residents. A volume builder on the Selandra Rise estate is Henley and they are carving out a market niche that includes in their range www.graduatehouse.com.au
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FEATURE
SECCCA receives a weekly report on how many attended, what questions they were asking and what services they would like. Striking findings are that many people have never considered sustainability issues before, it is not part of their experience and they often don’t even know what questions to ask. They are not the usual suspects. Having a staff member approach them and lead them through the discussion is of inestimable value. Visitors are told how they can win the Energy Efficiency Trifecta by: (i) installing insulation, (ii) double-glazing windows and (iii) draught-proofing the house, to gain maximum benefit. Whereas each measure will bring about an energy saving, adopting all three gives a much bigger synergistic benefit with consequent bigger dollar savings.
The partnership has proved spectacularly successful with each partner receiving a direct response to the need which led them to the partnership. SCP has been recognised in a number of awards for planning, service delivery and collaboration. Perhaps of greatest importance, random visitors on a weekend jaunt to a display village come away with enthusiasm for the sustainability message and the means to incorporate energy efficiency into their lives. This article was first published in ozEEnews, the quarterly newsletter of the Australian Association for Environmental Education aaee.org.au.
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FEATURE
Stardust found inside Murchison meteorite in Victoria is oldest-known solid material on Earth By Suzannah Lyons
But unfortunately, traditional dating methods geochemists use on Earth don’t work when you’re dating stardust, Dr Heck said.
A seven-billion-year-old grain of stardust — older than our solar system — has been discovered inside a meteorite by an international team of scientists.
Instead the researchers measured how long the grains have been exposed to the cosmic rays shooting through the universe.
This makes it the oldest solid material found on Earth the researchers said. It’s even older than our Earth and the Sun, which are 4.5 and 4.6 billion years old, respectively.
When a cosmic ray — a stream of high energy particles, mainly protons and alpha particles — penetrates a presolar grain it occasionally splits one of its carbon atoms into fragments.
And this stardust has an Australian connection. It was extracted from the Murchison meteorite, which fell to Earth in the Victorian country town of Murchison in 1969.
By counting all the fragments produced by the cosmic rays, and knowing how often they are produced, scientists can work out how old the stardust is.
“This meteorite is really a treasure trove for science,” said cosmochemist Philipp Heck, of the Field Museum in Chicago, who was the lead author of the paper published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“Each grain probably came from a different star,” Dr Heck said. “We have some grains which are a billion years older than the Sun, making them 5.5 billion years old … a few grains that are 2 billion years older and we have one grain that is 3 billion years older [than the Sun].
How do you date stardust? First of all, you have to get the stardust out of the meteorite. The stardust is made of grains of presolar silicon carbide, a mineral formed before our solar system was born.
The cosmic ray method doesn’t give us an absolute age of the stardust, said planetary scientist and meteorite hunter Phil Bland of Curtin University, who wasn’t involved in the research.
“The presolar grains are a tiny fraction of meteorites like Murchison, only parts per million,” Dr Heck said.
But it’s our best approximation so far.
“We use a chemical recipe of different chemical reagents, mainly acids, to dissolve away everything else, and then we extract those minerals.
An astronomical baby boom
“We image them, we analyse their isotopic composition to find out what type of star they came from, and then we can start our study … to find out how old they are.”
While some astronomical models assume stars form at a constant rate, Dr Heck and his colleagues’ work shows that isn’t the case.
The ages of these grains of stardust are not only important in themselves, but also because of what they tell us about the evolution of our galaxy.
“In order to explain our age distribution, where we have many more younger grains than we would otherwise expect, we have to explain this by this dust forming from more stars than normal,” he said.
The ratios of carbon-12 to carbon-13 isotopes in these grains were a perfect match to what astronomers have observed in the clouds of dust and gas around ageing stars like the Egg Nebula and the Ring Nebula. www.graduatehouse.com.au
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FEATURE
Presolar grains found in the Murchison meteorite may be from the clouds of dust and gas around ageing stars like the pictured Egg Nebula. (Supplied: NASA, W. Sparks (STScI) & R. Sahai (JPL) & inset Janaina N. Avila)
we find that same distribution of stuff or is there something weird about this one?’.”
“We came to the conclusion that about 7 billion years ago there must have been an episode of enhanced star formation, probably about 50 per cent more stars formed than normal.” Or in other words, a star-making baby boom.
For Dr Heck, this latest research is one of the most exciting studies he’s worked on, but he’s sure it won’t be the last.
And that’s a fascinating result, Professor Bland said.
“Murchison is so important, and so rich and full of surprises,” he said.
“That peak in star formation about 7 billion years ago … is really interesting because there’s a target that other people can chase,” Professor Bland said.
This article was originally published on abc.net.au on 14th January 2020. Read our story on the Murchison Meteorite, published on page 11 of the October 2018 Newsletter: http://bit.ly/30Wnlb2
Now he said, we need more statistics from a different meteorite. “What I would do now is pick another sample and go through the same process and say ‘Okay, do 9
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FEATURE
Tech Girls Movement: STEM Superheroes
Businesses need more qualified staff than are currently available and want to hire 4th year university graduates in engineering, tech and science. However, not enough students, particularly women, are studying STEM at university, or if they choose a STEM discipline area, they are often not making it past the first year of their studies. In Australia, the demand for technology workers is predicted to grow by 100,000 between 2018 and 2024, with the technology workforce increasing to 792,000 workers.
The Tech Girls Movement is a not-for-profit organisation which promotes positive female STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) role models to encourage and raise awareness of technology career options for girls. The Tech Girls Are Superheroes books form the basis for the organisation’s campaign.
The Tech Girls Movement was launched on 8th March 2014 with the launch of the book Tech Girls Are Chic! The Tech Girls Are Superheroes campaign is based on decades of research by their Founder and CEO, Dr Jenine Beekhuyzen and others around the world. The research shows that girls opt out of STEM at six years old, partly due to a lack of visible female role models and a lack of understanding of what STEM professionals do.
The Tech Girls Movement’s vision is to engage 10,000 girls directly in STEM Entrepreneurship by 2020. They strongly believe that all girls should have access to business and technical skills, and those who complete their program are instantly employable, or in a position to begin their own entrepreneurial journey by starting their own business. Some alumni have created companies, and some are studying Computer Science and Engineering at university. There is a clear sense of pride to support the Tech Girls who are both changing the world and solving important problems.
Dr Beekhuyzen single-handedly distributed 20,000 free copies of the book to schoolgirls across Australia. In 2013, Dr Beekhuyzen met Anna Kalma, who said she was studying at university after reading the pink book in school. So it was time to expand the Tech Girls are Chic! concept, but how? The thinking was, kids love to dress up, so why not get them to dress up as Tech Girl Superheroes? The superhero concept is powerful and is about having that one special skill or ‘power’ that one can use when a challenging situation arises. Similarly, using the form of a story is a strong medium to portray a message.
Currently, there is a worldwide STEM workforce shortage, which is costing Australia and other countries billions of dollars each year in opportunity costs. Now, Australia is 44th for employee training in STEM and 53rd in graduating scientists. Most concerning is that in 2015, Australia was in the top ten! Australia has also fallen in other rankings: from 3rd to 5th with countries of similar populations; and from 2nd to 5th with counties in the Asia-Pacific. www.graduatehouse.com.au
The Tech Girls Movement’s mission is to give girls access to technology and programs to build their skills and confidence. They present real life female role models – women working in STEM and as mentors – in their Tech Girls Are 10
FEATURE
Tech Girls Are Chic! book
Tech Girls Movement Founder and CEO, Dr Jenine Beekhuyzen with one of the Tech Girl Superheroes
Superheroes books, as superheroes who change the world. To inspire young women to solve important community problems with technology skills and business acumen they hold an annual online Search for the Next Tech Girl Superhero competition. They also run hands-on workshops for entrepreneurship, robotics, electronics and more.
The inspiring stories showcase to all young girls that they can have a successful and rewarding career in STEM. Their Search for the Next Tech Girl Superhero competition had 18 girls participating in 2014, with each year since growing in participation: 132 in 2015, 510 in 2016, 1,020 in 2017 and more than 1,000 in 2018. Their hugely successful program has reached many regions of Australia and New Zealand and continues to grow. Each year they launch their campaign on International Women’s Day (IWD) 8th March, and this year the Tech Girls Movement is looking to rebrand to coincide with IWD.
So far, the Tech Girls Movement has distributed more than 80,000 free books, placing one in every primary and secondary school in Australia (almost 10,000 schools). Used as a career resource, the books use storytelling and strong powerful avatars to counteract the negative STEM stereotypes presented in the media. 11
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FEATURE
Spatium Capital The Journey of Nick Quinn and Jesse Moors
Several years ago at a cafe on Melbourne’s Southbank, long-term associates from high school days, Nick Quinn and Jesse Moors, came up with the concept of Spatium Capital. Spatium Capital represents an emerging breed of fund managers, with a vision to pioneer new investment processes for yielding value from the financial markets. In doing so, Nick and Jesse hope to inspire their investors through a clinical and disciplined investment process to strive for better returns on their capital.
environments great and that often your first idea may not be your best (so learn to trust your team!).
On a recent visit to Graduate House, we spoke with Nick and Jesse about their respective graduate pathways which lead them to forming Spatium Capital. Nick has a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance & Economics) from The University of Melbourne and is the Investments Director at Spatium Capital. Jesse has a Bachelor of Arts (Criminology and Spanish) from The University of Melbourne and a Master of International Business from the Melbourne Business School, and is the Operations Director.
Jesse: For me it was about balance and organisation. Throughout my university years, I held down a 20-25 hours a week part-time job and coached field hockey teams whilst completing full semester loads. I always looked at that experience as a challenge to myself to maintain balance across various endeavours. What is your earliest memory of having an interest in your field? Nick: As mentioned earlier, I have had an interest in finance from an early age. In my early teens, I was set up with a brokerage account with a few hundred dollars under a parent’s name – a future “18th birthday present” if you will. I’ll never forget the feeling of my first trade and knowing that this was what I wanted to do. From then on, I was motivated to develop an idea – which evolved into an investment thesis – that could help identify investment opportunities. At 16, I started building what has evolved into our current investment strategy.
What was your educational background? What did you study at university and why did you choose to study that? Nick: Finance and maths have always been my passion, so I pursued these areas further at university, which has given me a solid grounding in the skills required to be where we are today. Jesse: Early on I was eager to pursue further studies in law, however when I realised that wasn’t for me, the Master of International Business was the sensible choice to pursue a career in business strategy.
Jesse: My brother and I had always explored business ideas growing up. We explored mowing lawns in primary school, then considered buying and selling second-hand postman bikes in high school! On each occasion we would end up doing crude financial modelling, only to realise our time and margins on the investment would be minimal. Eventually I took my first job at 14 for $7 an hour in a pizza shop but remained curious, and made my first equity investment at 20 years of age.
What did you learn during your tertiary education – not just academically, but what ideas did you form and what perceptions? Did any of your views change significantly when you went to university? Nick: That education serves as a multiplier of existing skills, the linking of concepts from various disciplines is the “spice” that makes team www.graduatehouse.com.au
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FEATURE
From left: Spatium Capital’s Nick Quinn and Jesse Moors
What has been your pathway since graduating? What was your first job after graduation and how did that job prepare you for your later positions? Any lessons learnt?
with a firm that had a true international presence and offered continual challenges. Presentation and communication were paramount in this role, and this enabled me to make a move into a relationship management role (with another organisation) with a portfolio of interstate clients. Eventually this evolved into an international development and business strategy role with a portfolio of countries across the South Pacific.
Nick: I took a job as a Software Project Manager at a mining manufacturer. Software was an angle I had been exploring with a close friend, so naturally I saw this as a great opportunity to expand that interest and contribute to some very interesting projects. My next step was into a Big Four accounting practice, as part of the transfer pricing team. I had developed certain behaviours and traits in my former role that allowed me the opportunity to come in as a lateral hire and work on many complex jobs within that firm.
Did you have any residencies, internships or anything else that ultimately led you to where you are today? Nick: I always had part-time work, however I do fondly remember completing a two-week placement with an accounting firm shortly after completing high school. I still remember the buzz I felt from connecting dots to solve the problem at hand.
Jesse: My first role was as an Associate within the Corporate Finance and Restructuring team of an international consulting firm. Fresh from my masters, I was attracted to the idea of working 13
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Jesse: Part-time work had been part of my life from early on, so whilst I never had the opportunity to complete an internship, I had been fortunate to develop many early-career skills that employers were seeking. Years later, I also realised that coaching field hockey had had a profound effect on my ability to manage and deal with conflict resolution.
What have you been most proud of in your career? Nick: Seeing good team chemistry deliver great outcomes. Industry roles taught me the focus required for longer term projects and the reward of seeing them take shape. Professional services taught me that sometimes the best outcomes come from pairing with the right people, especially under time pressure. Developing this strategy since my mid-teens and now seeing it take shape has proven to be my proudest achievement to date.
What are the goals of Spatium Capital and what are you ultimately trying to achieve? Nick: For me, it is to pioneer and lead new investment processes for yielding value from the financial markets. All investment professionals should be striving to make the industry more efficient, transparent and rewarding for clients.
Jesse: Hard to pick a particular project or event, rather I take pride when reflecting on the skills developed, and experiences I’ve had to this point. It is difficult not to be proud of where we are right now, and where we are looking to guide the firm in future.
Jesse: I look at the satisfaction of our clients. We chose to move on from our corporate roles and establish the firm because we believe in our investment strategy and niche. If the needs and goals of our clients are being met, then I see that as achieving the goals of the firm. We operate a systematic investment strategy that seeks to identify equities that have been oversold or undervalued relative to the market due to herd mentality and market psychology. Our approach supports us to identify these equities at their opportune moment and benefit from their appreciation.
What are some of the greatest challenges in your line of work and how did you overcome them? Nick: One of the largest challenges is stripping emotion from decision making. Our most profitable trades come from the overreaction of markets – many times a stock’s current price can deviate heavily from its fair value. Developing processes and strategies to “walk in as everyone is running out” is necessary to handle the emotional risk of second guessing yourself. You need to believe that the reason we have performed in the past is the reason we strive to perform in the future – we find great companies at suppressed valuations.
Who has been the biggest influence on your life and what lessons did that person teach you? Nick: My grandfather instilled many of the lessons I hold dear to this day, including the value of family, honesty, integrity and always wanting to learn from others. He would be proud of the journey we are on and the family who still miss him daily.
Jesse: A 2018 IBISWorld report published that there were 312 Funds Management firms in Australia. The industry is particularly unforgiving and the barriers to entry are some of the highest around. There are daily challenges with running the firm, however I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s the sort of professional challenge that is evolving consistently.
Jesse: My wife for her quiet confidence and poise, Mum for her passion, Dad for his patience and my three brothers for their humour and empathy. Also my grandparents for their resilience – they came to this country as migrants from war-torn and human-rights violated countries. What were some of your major milestones?
What did you develop during this time – professionally and personally – in terms of your ideas, and did they change?
Jesse: To find a feasible option to launch our firm and Fund was a significant turning point; all the late nights and weekends had paid off! The other major milestone was having the Fund finalised and receiving initial capital investment. It’s validating to know people other than yourself also believe in your professional approach, ideas and most importantly, character.
Jesse: Professionally, establishing the ‘voice’ of Spatium Capital has been a phenomenon that
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Nick: Professionally, we have learnt that no two clients are the same. They each have different requirements and reasons for wanting to join this journey. Personally, it has been about learning to enjoy the story as it’s being written – no two weeks are ever the same.
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Jesse: The ultimate goal is to still be leading Spatium Capital into continued success for the long term.
only recently we’ve acknowledged. We’ve looked back over the journey and it’s incredible to see how far Spatium Capital has come from both an internal and external perspective. Personally, taking moments to appreciate what we’ve achieved; it’s been seven months since we left our corporate roles and we now have a fullyfledged firm. It still amazes me what Nick and I have been able to achieve with full focus on the Fund.
What advice would you give graduates? Nick: Ask that person for a coffee meeting – the doors that open from a good conversation and an eager mind are endless. Jesse: Remain inquisitive, read for knowledge and strive to leave positive influences on as many people as possible; you just never know when some of them may come back into your life.
What is the most important thing that can make you successful at your job? Nick: A disciplined process – with so much noise, news and data flowing around, it can be easy to be swept up in the commotion. Our aim is to find the most undervalued companies regardless of the movements of the markets or the daily news cycle. Having a team that ensures these processes are being maintained when things are either going for you or against you helps immensely. Four eyes are always better than two!
Finally, what do you like doing when you are not working? Nick: Helmet on and jacket half open – there’s something about a motorcycle that brings a smile like no other. My Labrador, Bentley, still wonders if I’ll let him on the back one day. Jesse: Any opportunity to travel with my wife is always a favourite experience. I also enjoy cycling as both a means to challenge my body and clear my head. Any time I can spend with my dog, Jolie, and getting into my garden are other hobbies that keep me stimulated outside of running a Funds Management firm!
Jesse: Persistence, resilience and self-motivation. From a corporate sense, implementing productive habits and fundamental infrastructure from inception. Customer relationship management (CRM) systems, cloud storage, websites, etc. – all these assets are relatively cheap if not free to access and should be front of mind for any service-providing business. What are you working on for the future? Nick: Continuing to see Spatium Capital grow. Ensuring that further development is made on the processes and strategies that make Spatium Capital what it is and envisaging where that might take the company going forwards. Jesse: It’s hard not to be excited by future opportunities, however it’s important that we balance the short-term needs of the firm. Continuing to raise awareness of the firm and how we are different is an exciting prospect that will require nothing short of a lot of hard work! What is your next goal? Do you have an ultimate goal that you are working towards? Nick: The current goal is to grow Spatium and see how the business and team develops over time. Future aims will be guided by this development and client demand; there have been many changes to the industry in the last five years – if we see an opportunity, we are going to take it.
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REVIEW
Monthly Luncheon with Ambassador Izzat Abdulhadi
“This is not just affecting Palestine. We are a part of this globe and promoting and enhancing global democracy and global governance, so this affects the whole world. It is a violation of international law. And it’s based on power and might, and even naked power.”
The February Monthly Luncheon hosted Ambassador Izzat Abdulhadi, a professional diplomat who has worked widely within the Palestine’s Non-Government Organisation (NGO) sector. Speaking on the topic Of Why Palestinian People Reject President Trump’s Plan, ‘The Deal of the Century’, he mentioned that he had previously planned to speak on another topic, but changed to this one, which he felt was both timely and important.
Describing Palestine as “vibrant” prior to Israel being formed, Mr Abdulhadi said that historic Palestine under the British mandate had a population of one million people, national boundaries and a national currency: the Palestinian pound. The country enjoyed a peaceful co-existence with its Jewish community.
Mr Abdulhadi’s previous experience includes establishing the Bisan Centre for Research and Development, an NGO committed to community development and civil society strengthening in Palestine. In this role, his organisation helped to establish the Palestinian NGO network (PNGO). He was also part of the establishment of the Arab NGO Network for Development, where he became a member of its steering committee. Following this role he became a part of the Palestinian Diplomatic Corp, and was then appointed Head of the Embassy of the State of Palestine to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific nations.
In the Belfour Declaration of 1917, the British “pledge Palestine to the Israeli people”, Mr Abdulhadi said. The letter written by the British Foreign Office to a Jewish millionaire, Lord Rothschild, promises a “Jewish state in Palestine”. The letter does not, however, provide for the rights of “Palestinians to self-determination, or political and national rights of Palestinians”. The British treat them as “just people”. This approach is very similar to the Trump Plan which fails to recognise that Palestinians are now 13 million people, and 21 per cent of the population in Israel, Mr Abdulhadi said.
Mr Abdulhadi began his presentation by briefly outlining the reception that President Trump’s plan had received since its launch and the historical context behind the Israeli and Palestinian conflict, preceding the new plan. Acknowledging it as a very long and intensive document, Mr Abdulhadi says the new ‘Peace to Prosperity’ Plan represented the “vision, strategy and approach” of the government in Israel.
After a lot of fighting between Israel and Palestine in the 1930s and 1940s, the United Nations established a UN Partition Plan in 1947, which is referred to as a ‘two-state solution’. This proposed plan was then rejected and it created the ‘Al Nakba’ catastrophe, which led to 800,000 Palestinian refugees expelled in 1948. These refugees went on to migrate to several neighbouring countries like Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and in some cases, to North America and Australia. These refugees - now more than seven million Palestinians - gave rise to the Palestinian refugee issue, which brought about UN Resolution 194 in 1948 to provide for Palestinian refugees the rights to return to their homes and to compensation for those choosing
Since its launch, the plan has been rejected by the European Union, the Arab League Council and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation countries; and been ruled out by the Palestinian people and leadership. This unanimous rejection gives a sense of the process, content and foundation of the plan, and its sustainability, Mr Abdulhadi said. www.graduatehouse.com.au
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Palestine than before. Palestine still remains the longest occupation in the world, from 1967 until now, Mr Abdulhadi said. In 1993, the Oslo Process (later to become an agreement) was started. Beginning in a time of optimism, a detailed agreement was reached, to be implemented over five years. In this agreement, the country was divided into three areas, with separate areas for each state and one area having joint security control. One objective of the Oslo Plan was to create an independent, separate Palestinian state, with both sides agreeing that four years had to pass to gain trust between the two sides. Many key issues were postponed to be discussed after this time.
not to return. These rights have never been given to Palestinians, Mr Abdulhadi said, while every Jew in the world has the right to return to Israel and have an Israeli passport. In 1948, the UN also established a relief agency for Palestinian refugees, called the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), whose funding has been cut by the Trump administration. That same year, Israel exceeded its borders to 78 per cent of historic Palestine.
The five key Oslo Agreement issues were: the status of East Jerusalem, establishing borders, the status of Israeli settlements, water rights and refugee rights. During this period, no one had the right to undertake settlements or to make changes.
The conflict situation worsened in 1967 with what is now called the ‘Six Day War’, after which Israel occupied another large portion of Palestine. From that time, Palestinians have referred to this as the Israeli occupation, Mr Abdulhadi said.
After five years, these five key areas were dealt with over 15 days at Camp David in 2000. These discussions collapsed because of Israel’s claim of Jerusalem as its eternal capital, which is unacceptable to Palestinians. Furthermore, Israel also went on to claim new settlements and built a huge separation wall, which divided Palestinian communities. The resettlement of Israeli people
Ever since this conflict, Palestinians have been asked to “compromise on the compromise”, moving away from the initial UN Partition Plan, and being offered significantly less historic 17
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REVIEW
was considered illegal, with 800,000 settlers in the occupied territories, Mr Abdulhadi said.
These include the establishment of an abortive Palestinian entity with no control over its borders, air space, or armed forces. Furthermore, in a four-year period, the state would include the successful implementation of certain standards by the Palestinian Authority. These would include, and not be restricted to, the disarmament of Hamas in Gaza, recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and ceasing to join any international agreements.
Mr Abdulhadi showed the continual loss of land experienced by the Palestinians since 1947 with a map that is also used by the Trump Administration (see image on previous page). The new Trump Plan is a clear violation of international law and United Nations resolutions, and reinforces the illegal activity by the Israeli occupation, Mr Abdulhadi said. “Our vision as Palestinians is to live peacefully alongside the state of Israel on a 22 per cent concession border of 1967, and the right of refugees to return to Israel,” said Mr Abdulhadi. Mr Abdulhadi outlined reasons why this new plan is unsuitable from a Palestinian perspective. Most importantly, the authors of this plan did not seek the approval of the Palestinian party along with the offer of mediation by the US. The Plan is considered by the Palestinians to be a unilateral agreement between Israel and the US, said Mr Abdulhadi.
Mr Abdulhadi also pointed out that the ‘Peace to Prosperity Plan’ came at an ‘opportunistic’ moment when both international leaders, President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Netanyahu, were being investigated. Arguably, the timing of the plan may be more related to the internal political needs of the two leaders, with President Trump in a high profile impeachment trial and Mr Netanyahu being prosecuted on bribery charges.
The Plan makes little concessions to Palestine as a state and supports conditions that are heavily ‘pro-Israel’, including maintaining occupied East Jerusalem as part of Israel, no evacuation of illegal Jewish settlements, no right of return to Palestinian refugees and no withdrawal from the Jordan Valley. Mr Abdulhadi also pointed out some unworkable aspects of this new plan. One of these is the lack of recognition of international law and conditions placed on the Palestine state. The Plan itself is colonial in its tone and attempts to rewrite the maps of the region, as occurred during the First World War, he said.
Mr Abdulhadi finally asked “what is the sequence result of this process?”, to which his response was that he believes the plan is a disaster and shows the demise of a ‘two-state solution’. “This is terrible for the people, as the country is now entrenched in what Palestinians regard as an ‘apartheid’ system. Far from working towards dismantling the Israeli occupation, the goal of the Palestinian state has changed to dismantling the ‘apartheid system’ which the Trump Plan suggests,” he said.
The Plan also tries to further the powers of the Israeli state even more. While President Trump wants to mislead the world by saying he supports a ‘two-state solution’, there is no basis for this. “He says it [the Plan] has the creation of a Palestinian state, but this is a Mickey Mouse state,” Mr Abdulhadi said. The plan would be a false solution, one not contiguous with geographical links, and conditional on the Palestinian state meeting certain conditions over the four years, effectively being a performancebased proposal.
www.graduatehouse.com.au
Mr Abdulhadi said the only viable solution to the problem is still a ‘two-state solution’. Committed to this goal, Mr Abdulhadi continues to advocate for more education, peace and justice for the people of Palestine.
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EULOGY
The Honourable Mr John Cain by former Chairperson of Council, mr Neil Taylor
Photo source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/23/john-cainformer-premier-of-victoria-dies-aged-88
John Cain, and as the Chairman, I found his advice and suggestions always relevant, wise and appropriate. From time to time, he would call me Bob – I would whisper to him, “I am Neil, Bob is my brother”. Bob had worked with John as a senior public servant. John commented that we had the same mannerisms and approach, hence his confusion – he would always apologise for this later.
When I became Chairman of The Graduate Union in 2004, one of the Agenda items at our first meeting was suggestions for a new President of Council following the retirement of Mr Frank Lees AM MBE, whose term of office had expired. I asked for ideas as to whom we could invite to become our new President. Premier John Cain was suggested and 10 of the 11 people present agreed and one new member on Council asked, “Who is John Cain?”
John was a pleasure to work with, always helpful and when suggestions came to contact someone on Graduate Union business, he often commented, “I know this person, do you wish me to contact him/her?” John’s contacts always resulted in the desired outcome.
I informed this Councillor of John Cain’s background and this Councillor said, “Seeing 10 of you agree immediately, I will join you so the vote can be unanimous.” John was approached and accepted our invitation, after he had sought a copy of our constitution and relevant background information.
John Cain was an excellent President, and after his term had expired, he kept in contact with The Graduate Union by holding the monthly meetings of the John Cain Foundation at Graduate House.
John proved to be a conscientious President. He attended meetings and studied all the background material and agenda. Sitting beside 19
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GRADUATE HOUSE NEWS
Third annual Melbourne Medical School Research Symposium by Elisabeth Lopez, Media and Communications Manager, Melbourne Medical School
“Serendipity, wanting more, and moving outside your comfort zone” were the common themes presented at the third Melbourne Medical School (MMS) Research Symposium held at Graduate House on 5th December 2019. Four The Moth-style talks headlined the event, with speakers sharing the uncertain origins of what became stellar research careers variously forged around, despite and because of, curve balls in life and work.
Committee in 1985, she maintains that “the last 30 years have taught me to make friends with failure”. Associate Professor Natalie Hannan shared the story of her first encounter with Susan as a patient, which led to an enduring professional collaboration, while Dr Vanessa Cropley shared her journey from her parents’ dairy farm to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Professor John Prins, Head of Melbourne Medical School, opened the event at Graduate House. The symposium also heard from the winners and finalists of the School’s Publication Prizes across the early career researcher and student categories.
“Medicine is so much more caught than taught,” said Professor Susan Walker, clinician and researcher on complex, high-risk pregnancy care – work that has garnered her an Order of Australia. Belying the bumps on the road, such as being hauled up before the Unsatisfactory Progress
From left: Associate Professor Natalie Hannan, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, MMS; Professor Susan Walker, Head, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, MMS; Dr Vanessa Cropley, Senior Research Fellow, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, MMS; Associate Professor Tillman Ruff, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (2017), Chair, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Associate Professor, Nossal Institute, School of Population and Global Health
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GRADUATE HOUSE NEWS
Back: Professor Fred Hollande, Deputy Head, Department of Clinical Pathology, MMS; Associate Professor Margie Danchin, Director, Clinician Scientist Pathways, MMS; Dr Ahmed Mohan Al Saedi, Medicine - Western Health, Early Career Researcher Publication Prize finalist; Dr Mervyn Kyi, Medicine - Royal Melbourne Hospital, Student Publication Prize finalist; Dr Gregory King, Paediatrics, Student Publication Prize winner; Professor John Prins, Head, MMS Front: Dr Ada Cheung, Medicine - Austin Health, Early Career Researcher Publication Prize finalist; Dr Laila Farah Binti Ibrahim, Paediatrics, Early Career Researcher Publication Prize winner; Ms Martha Alexandra Blank, Medicine - St Vincent’s Hospital, Student Publication Prize finalist; Professor Nicola Lautenschlager, Deputy Head and Research Director, MMS
Our Meeting and Function Services We offer a range of tailored meeting and function packages, affordable pricing and friendly and professional services.
Book your function now! Please contact the Hospitality Manager by: Phone: +61 3 9347 3428 Email: meetingservices@graduatehouse.com.au OR submitting an online enquiry at www.graduatehouse.com.au/contact-us/enquiries/#meetingservices 21
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GRADUATE HOUSE NEWS
Karlsruher Konzert-Duo Reinhard Armleder and Dagmar Hartmann
Life Member, Mrs Suzie Driver, recently recommended to the Karlsruhe Konzert-Duo, cellist Reinhard Armleder and pianist Dagmar Hartmann, that they stay with us at Graduate House during their time in Melbourne. The Karlsruhe KonzertDuo are on tour from Germany to play a series of concerts in Australia, with a free concert at The Scots’ Church Melbourne, on Tuesday, 3rd March at 1:00PM. This concert is part of the not-for-profit Music Matinee Inc.’s 2020 Fine Music Concert Series.
From left: Reinhard Armleder and Dagmar Hartmann
and South America, the Middle East, Asia, and countries of southern Africa. To date the duo has traveled to 70 countries and has been celebrated at renowned national and international festivals such as Beethoven Music Society Washington,USA; Schubert Society London, Great Britain; Festival de Musique au Château de Bourglinster, Luxembourg; Art-November Festival in Moscow, Russia; International Music Festiva “Kharkiv Assemblee“, Haifa Music Festival, Israel; Johannesburg International Mozart Festival, South Africa; Rovinj International Music Festival, Croatia; Concert Series Museu de Arte de São Paulo, Brazil; Friends of Jordan Festival, Amman, Jordan; Barenboim-SaidFoundation Ramallah, Palestine and Bir Miftuh International Music Festival, Malta.
The Karlsruhe Koncert-Duo was formed in 1999 and has established itself as a successful and sought-after duo in Germany and abroad, not least through winning several international competitions. The duo regularly earns high praise and fascinates its audiences with profound and captivating interpretations, brilliant technique and imaginative programming. In their repertoire, the two musicians concentrate on classical-romantic literature and 20th century music. For their ensemble they are particularly interested in the rediscovery of lesser known composers and works, but they also dedicate themselves, time and again, to the music of the modern age and bring works dedicated to the present to their world premieres.
The concert duo’s creative works have been documented in numerous radio and television productions as well as on CDs recorded under the Fiori Classics label.
The two artists studied at the University of Music Karlsruhe, Trossingen and Berlin. As a duo, they have won first prize at various international competitions such as the Lorenzo Perosi Competition in Biella (1999), in Moncalieri (1999), and at the Racconigi Competition (2001). In France, the Karlsruher Konzert-Duo won the Concours Pierre Lantier in Paris (2000) and the U.A.F.M. competition in Chaville (2003). Their success in these competitions brought the two musicians a great deal of attention and opened up engagements on national and international podiums, setting the stage for concerts worldwide.
Reinhard Armleder and Dagmar Hartmann are committed to the training and promotion of young musicians. In addition to their work as lecturers at the University of Music, Karlsruhe and the Conservatory of Baden, Karlsruhe, they regularly give master classes at home and abroad. To quote praise by a specialist publication: “... it is rare to find a duo with such a fortunate and intense combination of a kindred musicality, affinity and interaction with their instruments.” See more free Music Matinee Inc. concerts: https://www.musicmatinee.org/test
Today their concert calendar includes regular tours throughout Europe, as well as to North, Central www.graduatehouse.com.au
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GRADUATE HOUSE NEWS
Graduate House Research Scholarship, Bursaries and Margaret Watson Travelling Fellowship Applications Now Open!
From left: Past recipients of Graduate House Research Scholarships and Bursaries: Thomas Nante, Fatema Yasmin and David Allinson
Margaret Watson and family
Graduate House offers a Research Scholarship and Bursaries, and the Margaret Watson Travelling Fellowship, to its Resident Members to assist them in reaching their research, academic and career goals: • Research Scholarship - $3,000 awarded to one Resident Member. • Bursary - $500 awarded to up to four Resident Members. • Margaret Watson Centennial Travelling Fellowship - $2,500 awarded to one Resident Member. Applications are now open and close Wednesday, 1st April 2020 at 4:00PM. Details and the online application: www.graduatehouse.com.au/learn-here/awards-and-opportunities/scholarships-and-bursaries/
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GRADUATE WOMEN VICTORIA
GRADUATE WOMEN VICTORIA Serving and empowering women through education and advocacy
Graduate Women Victoria is pleased to announce our 2020 scholarship program for women enrolled in universities in Victoria. Our scholarships and bursaries range in value from $3,500 to $8,000 and are offered to female students enrolled in 2020 at Victorian universities, or at the Victorian campuses of the Australian Catholic University. Scholarships and bursaries are available to female students enrolled in the following courses: • PhD and doctoral degrees - including the Judith Rodriguez Scholarship for students of poetry, literature or visual arts • Masters Coursework, Masters Extended or Masters Research • Master of Education/Teaching – including a bursary for students preparing to teach STEM • 4th Year Honours in Arts/Humanities We are also offering a scholarship ($5,000) to an Indigenous female student enrolled in an undergraduate degree. To mark one hundred years of continued existence for our association, we are also offering the Centennial Scholarship ($9,000), open to applicants for the PhD, Masters and Education Masters Scholarships. Only Australian citizens or permanent residents are eligible for the above scholarships. Applicants are asked to demonstrate that they are or have been experiencing disadvantage in the pursuit of their studies. An online application system has been established to make the process easier for students and their referees. Full details can be found at our website: http://gradwomenvic.org.au/ Closing date for applications: 31st March 2020 www.gradwomenvic.org.au ABN: 65 475 228 451 Registered Incorporated Association: A0030910N
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GRADUATE WOMEN VICTORIA
GRADUATE WOMEN VICTORIA Serving and empowering women through education and advocacy
1920 to 2020
Centennial Celebration Join us for the launch of the GWV Centennial year and a celebration of our ongoing Scholarship Programme supporting Victorian women. Past and present members and scholarship winners, benefactors and friends of GWV are all welcome. Our keynote speaker is Viv Nguyen, Chairperson, Victorian Multicultural Commission, who will speak about
What social cohesion looks like in the next 5 or 10 years Come and drink a toast to Graduate Women Victoria!
Date of GWV Centennial Launch Sunday, 22nd March 2020 at 3:00PM Cost $10 for students $20 for all others Venue Leitch Academic Centre, University College College Crescent Parkville, VIC 3052 RSVP through www.trybooking.com/book/ event?eid=606180& by 12th March 2020
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GU COLLEGIATE
2020 GU COLLEGIATE YEAR AT A GLANCE We thank you for your support in attending and promoting these functions.
FUNCTION
MONTH
ITALIAN CONVERSATION DINNER
MONTHLY LUNCHEON
RESIDENTS’ SPECIAL MORNING BREAKFAST
BRIDGE NIGHT
RESIDENTS’ MEET AND GREET
WOMEN’S FORUM
COLLEGE TABLE
JANUARY
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FEBRUARY
4th, 18th
5th
11th
5th, 12th, 19th, 26th
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19th
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MARCH
3rd, 17th
4th
10th
4th, 11th, 18th 25th
17th, 27th
18th
20th
APRIL
7th, 21st
1st
14th
1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th
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15th
24th
MAY
5th, 19th
6th
12th
6th, 13th, 20th, 27th
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20th
15th
JUNE
9th, 23rd
3rd
9th
3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th
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17th
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JULY
7th, 21st
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14th
1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th
24th
15th
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AUGUST
4th, 18th
5th
11th
5th, 12th, 19th, 26th
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19th
14th
SEPTEMBER
1st, 15th
2nd
8th
2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th
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16th
18th
OCTOBER
6th, 20th
7th
13th
7th, 14th, 21st, 28th
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21st
16th
NOVEMBER
17th
11th
10th
4th, 11th, 18th, 25th
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18th
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DECEMBER
1st, 15th
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8th
2nd, 9th
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16th
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SINGLE DATE EVENTS 2020 GU INFLUENZA AND VACCINATION DAY
GU ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND DINNER
RESIDENTS’ CHRISTMAS IN JULY PARTY
28th APRIL
28th MAY
24th JULY
DONOR THANK YOU DAY
CHAIRPERSON’S COCKTAIL PARTY
MEMBERS’ CHRISTMAS PARTY
4th OCTOBER
27th NOVEMBER
11th DECEMBER
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GU COLLEGIATE
Graduate Union Annual Influenza Vaccination Day
In collaboration with Immunisation Coalition, The Graduate Union presents its ninth annual Influenza Vaccination Day. This is a free community service — all Members (Resident and non‑resident) are welcome to come and receive a free flu shot at Graduate House.
Graduate House, 220 Leicester Street, Carlton
Tuesday, 28th April 2020
Graduate House again extends a warm welcome to the organisations that provide this service and the vaccination free of charge.
A registration link will be available at the beginning of April. To secure a booking before this, please contact Graduate House.
For more information, phone 03 9347 3428 or email admingh@graduatehouse.com.au
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GU COLLEGIATE
Graduate House Monthly luncheon wednesday, 4th March 2020 12:00noon arrival for 12:30pm start With guest speaker ms Helen Parker OAM Creating Communities for Australia’s Vulnerable Women At the age of 20, Helen Parker faced an unplanned pregnancy mid-way through her university degree, with no job, no family support, and nowhere to call home. Despite the challenges, she wanted to have her baby. Her determination put the young Melbourne mother on a path for transforming countless lives in her local community. Helen noticed many gaps in services, and huge numbers of overwhelmed women falling through them. Helen knew there must be a way to support and empower women through such a vulnerable time. That belief inspired her to found The Babes Project, a not-for-profit crisis pregnancy service providing free, holistic and nurturing perinatal support to women doing it tough. Since 2009, The Babes Project has grown to support hundreds of women every year, offering the support they need through crisis, and building confidence and empowerment in their motherhood.
Telephone
(03) 9347 3428
admingh@graduatehouse.com.au
As CEO, Helen remains determined to ensure all women have support in their pregnancy and early parenting, and to change how our society values all mothers.
Venue
Graduate House 220 Leicester Street, Carlton, VIC, 3053
In 2018, The Babes Project expanded its operations beyond Melbourne’s south and eastern suburbs, taking its successful model nationwide, via The Babes Project App and the National Triage hotline, delivering on-phone support, advice and recommendations that replicates Babes’ proven perinatal program. www.graduatehouse.com.au
Cost
$10 Resident Members $30 non-Resident Member $35 concession $40 general public
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GU COLLEGIATE
Graduate House college table Friday, 20th March 2020 12:00noon arrival for 12:30pm start Ms Janet Farrow OAM will lead the discussion on Parental anxiety about adolescent drug use Janet holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from The University of Melbourne, a Master’s degree in Business Administration from RMIT University and a Graduate Diploma in Law from Monash University; and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2001 and in 2003 completed the Williamson Community Leadership Program. In 2016, Janet was awarded The Order of Australia Medal for services to community health in a variety of roles. Janet has clinical experience in the drug treatment services, mental health, child and family welfare, disability and aged care sectors and has held senior clinical and executive roles in mental health and drug treatment services. For a five-year period, Janet was CEO of UnitingCare Moreland Hall (now ReGen) and was a senior policy adviser in the Victorian Government’s Department of Premier and Cabinet.
Telephone
(03) 9347 3428
She has taught at tertiary level in a variety of subject areas. During 2010, Janet took a career break and resided and worked in statutory child welfare services in the UK.
admingh@graduatehouse.com.au
Venue
Since early-2005, Janet has been appointed as a Director to several statutory bodies and non-government boards and from 2009 until 2019 operated a sole practice consulting to Government and non-Government organisations.
Graduate House 220 Leicester Street, Carlton, VIC, 3053
Cost
$12 Members $20 non-Members $15 loyalty card holders
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GU COLLEGIATE
GRADUATE HOUSE
WELCOME BBQ FRIDAY, 27 MARCH 2020 6:00pm ONWARDS TH
This event is free for Resident Members
Join us for a mixed grill BBQ as we welcome new and returning Resident Members to a new academic year! Non-resident Members $22 Guests and non-members $32 RSVP by email: admingh@graduatehouse.com.au Phone: (03) 9347 3428 or register at the Reception desk
www.graduatehouse.com.au
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GU COLLEGIATE
What is a Welcome BBQ? Graduate House explains this Australian tradition
Graduate House has in recent years created a tradition of hosting a Welcome BBQ for new residents in March. This event is seen as an informal way of gathering the many different groups of visitors and students in our community and celebrating their arrival for the academic year. This year Graduate House’s Welcome BBQ will be held on Friday, 27th March. The BBQ will have a varied menu, offering a range of vegetarian and meat food options, including vegie burgers, grilled summer vegetable salad as well as more traditional options like porterhouse steak, lamb chops and barbecued tikka chicken. Gourmet sausages with onions and sauce, as made famous by the Bunnings sausage sizzle, will be available. Dessert will also be served, providing another Australian favourite, pavlova with blueberries. BBQs are a great Australian tradition, and are an iconic way of bringing people together. These outdoor gatherings have evolved from the old, charred ‘meat’ version of yesteryear, moving on from the famous, tourism clip from the 1980s with Australian actor, Paul Hogan inviting you to ‘put another shrimp on the barbie’ – ‘shrimp’ being an American word for ‘prawn’! Today, Graduate House’s BBQs have diversified, being multicultural and inclusive spaces, welcoming everyone from all walks of life.
Come to Graduate House’s Welcome BBQ! When: Friday, 27th March 2020, 6:00PM onwards Where: Graduate House, courtyard area Cost: Non-resident members $22, guests and nonmembers $32, Resident Members free RSVP: by email at admingh@graduatehouse.com.au or phone (03) 9347 3428. 31
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FEEDBACK
Feedback Dining Room Feedback
Your feedback is important.
RE: Members Christmas Party Dec 2019: What a wonderful night! I loved the theme - bright happy, rhythmical music, free fun photos, free raffle, where almost everyone won a substantial prize.
The lucky feedback winner for February is Peter Fuller who won a bottle of De Bortoli Sacred Hill Brut Cuvée. All Dining Room Feedback Forms will be in the Monthly Draw and in the running for the Year‑End Prize of a $500 Coles Myer Gift Voucher drawn at the Members Christmas Party on Friday, 11th December 2020.
An incredible amount of work went into organising such a large event, from the forwarding and follow-up of the Invitation to the personal greeting of the guests on arrival (thank you Priya and Rosie). The lighting was superb, the food was beautifully served and the wait staff were very helpful. The staff joined in with the fun without forgetting to look after their guests. At the end of the night the staff were still there, dismantling the tables and setting up for the next morning’s breakfast. We, Members of The Graduate Union, are so lucky to have such a team as yours, Kerry. Member Mary Kelleher I have had four meals – lunch to dinner during January 2020. Today’s soup, lamb and dessert was the best combo of tastes and highest standard. Well done! Member Roscoe Howell
Happy Lunar New Year! Prosperity Toss Salad The Graduate House team ushered in the Chinese Year of the Rat with the prosperity salad tossing on 31st January. Our Prosperity salad platter, featuring three blind mice, with freshly shredded and pickled vegetables was enjoyed by all. Prior to devouring, staff gave the platter the finishing touch by decorating it with peanuts and crackers and drizzling it with plum sauce. With chopsticks at the ready, the salad was tossed by all while chanting “Huat Ahhh...” (meaning ‘Prosperity in abundance’). It is said the higher you toss the salad, the luckier you will be, so judging by the flying ingredients (or mess!), everyone will be lucky for a while!
The Year of the Rat comes after the Year of the Pig (2019) and before the Year of the Ox (2021). The Rat is the first of all zodiac animals. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor ruled that the order would be decided by the sequence in which they arrived at his party. The clever Rat tricked the Ox into giving him a ride. Then, just as they arrived at the finish line, the Rat jumped down and landed ahead of Ox, thus becoming first!
Our platter was 100 per cent vegetarian and a delight to eat with its refreshing, tasty ingredients, such as radish, white daikon, carrots, cucumber and a mixture of crunchy peanuts, sesame seeds and crackers.
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Rats are well known for being quick witted, quick thinkers and successful, but content with living a quiet and peaceful life. In Chinese culture, rats were seen as a sign of wealth and surplus and as a result of their reproduction rate, married couples also prayed to them for bearing children. 32
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS
ACADEMIC and PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS The following groups from The University of Melbourne have convened meetings, workshops and events at Graduate House during the months of January 2020.
Advancement Office
Northwestern Alumni
School of Social and Political Sciences
UoM Operational Performance Group
31st January 8 attendees
23rd January 16 attendees
29th January 11 attendees
21st January 60 attendees
The patronage of organisation Members in charitable, not-for-profit, government and professional development sectors is acknowledged, as is that of our many Members who hold their functions at Graduate House.
Australian Calabrese Cultural Association
Australian Hemp Manufacturing Company
College of Health Psychology (Victoria)
Dental Health Services Victoria
15th January 8 attendees
15th January 6 attendees
21st January 7 attendees
31st January 20 attendees
International Coach Federation (ICF) Australasia Victoria
Profware Pty Ltd
Rotary Club of Carlton
The Graduate Union
17th January 16 attendees
20th, 21st January 56 attendees
28th January 37 attendees
15th, 22nd, 29th, 31st January attendees
Women's Forum Wednesday, 18th March 2020: Juvenile Remand Centres in Melbourne, with special reference to Turana. The discussion for the following Women’s Forum on Wednesday, 15th April 2020 is on: ‘Is Fake News infectious?’ 10:00AM for 10:30AM start. The forum is free. Lunch is at Member and non-member prices. 33
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FIRST NATIONS
Wominjeka (Welcome)
The Owl and the Flood by Life Member, Mr Louis A Coutts
This dreamtime story reminds me of the biblical story of the flood and Noah’s Ark.
A little boy discovered an owl which was a bird no one had ever seen before. He told all the other members of his tribe to come and to look at this strange bird. What they didn’t realise was that the owl had been sent by their creator, Wandjinu to find out if there was anything he could do to help these people. Not knowing this, the young boys grabbed the owl and threw it into the air, and let if fall on the ground. They broke one of its wings and then the adults pulled out its feathers and replaced the feathers with spinifex and plunged the points into the owl’s body. The owl wondered what would become of it when one of the boys once again threw it into the air, but instead of falling to the ground, to the surprise of everyone,
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the owl flew up into the sky and out of sight. Wandjinu had decided to rescue the owl and take it back into the sky. But he also decided to punish the people, except for the few that tried to intervene to stop the torture of the owl. So Wandjinu ordered the plains to be flooded and one by one the people who had tormented the owl were drowned but those who had tried to save it were dragged by the Kangaroos to safety. The people who were saved by Wandjinu were very caring people and since then have grown into a larger very caring group of people. Excerpt from The Dreaming of Aboriginal Australia collected by Jean Ellis with Aboriginal Support Penrith Art Printing Works 2006.
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INNOVATION
Innovation GPS helps to forecast rainfall predictions in real time
Global Positioning System (GPS) signals reaching Australia are being used to help improve the accuracy of rainfall predictions by calculating atmospheric water vapour in real time. By using the data on the delay of GPS signals, information is collected which helps predict rainfall events by delivering feedback on the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere. This data alleviates the challenge of accurately predicting rainfall events. The new finding is the outcome of a collaboration between Geoscience Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology, FrontierSI, RMIT and AuScope. The collaboration has made it possible to use GPS signal data to calculate atmospheric water vapour in real time and in a consistent way across the Australian continent.
“Water vapour has traditionally been very difficult to measure, involving methods such as launching weather balloons for localised assessments,” Dr Le Marshall said. “Data on the delay of GPS signals is being collected and incorporated in Bureau of Meteorology weather forecasting models. It has been tested around Australia and is a promising advance towards more accurate rainfall predictions.”
Geoscience Australia, National Positioning Infrastructure Head, Leesa Carson said including this data in weather forecasting models was an example of a geodetic scientist’s trash being a meteorologist’s treasure.
Ms Carson said innovations such as the inclusion of GPS signal data into weather forecasting are a return on investment for the Australian Government, which committed $224.9 million to Geoscience Australia’s Positioning Australia program in the 2018-19 budget.
“In real-time, Geoscience Australia collects data from more than 250 GPS receiving stations deployed across the country that enable our geodetic scientists to measure and monitor changes in the Australian continent with sub-millimetre accuracy,” Ms Carson said.
The Positioning Australia program is providing a national capability that will accelerate the adoption and development of location-based technology, with further funding supporting the development of an Australian Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS). Further funding has also been dedicated to the upgrading of Australia’s ground network through the National Positioning Infrastructure Capability.
“When analysing this data, we have to routinely correct for ‘noise’ that delays the GPS signal as it passes from the satellite, through the atmosphere, to the GPS station on the ground. “This ‘noise’ is actually atmospheric water vapour and the delay that we have to correct for can be converted into an estimate of water vapour in the path of the GPS signal.”
Find out more at: https://www.ga.gov.au/newsevents/news/latest-news/change-in-forecast-forgps-signal-data
Bureau of Meteorology’s Senior Principal Research Scientist, Dr John Le Marshall said the consistent national coverage of the data was particularly valuable in a large and sparsely populated country like Australia. 35
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GRADUATE HOUSE SERIAL
Scheherazade and Shahryar by Ferdinand Keller, 1880
THE STORY OF THE FISHERMAN AND THE JINNI — One thousand and one nights serial “It has reached me, O august King,” Scheherazade began, “that there was an old fisherman who had a wife and three children, and they were very poor. Now it was the fisherman’s custom to cast his net every day four times and no more. One day he went about noontide to the seashore where he laid down his basket, tucked up his shirt and, plunging into the water, made a cast with his net and waited until it settled to the bottom. Then he gathered the cords together and pulled at it but found it weighty, and could not bring it up. So he carried the end of the cords ashore and drove a stake into the ground and fastened the net to it. Then he stripped and dived into the water and worked hard until he brought it up. He rejoiced on landing, put on his clothes and went to the net. But all he found in it was a dead ass which had torn the meshes. When he saw this, he cried in grief: “This is a strange manner of daily bread.” Then he said, “Courage! I shall have better luck next time, please God!”
I sally forth to seek my daily bread And find my living vanished into air. He threw away the jar, wrung his net, cleansed it and returned to the sea the third time to cast his net and waited until it had sunk. He pulled at it, but found only potsherds and broken glass in it. Raising his eyes towards the heavens, he said, “O my God! verily you know that I cast not my net each day save four times; the third is done and as yet you have vouchsafed me nothing. So this time, O my God, grant me my daily bread.” Having called on God’s name, he threw his net and waited its sinking and settling, whereupon he pulled at it but could not draw it in because it was entangled at the bottom. He cried out in vexation, “There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in God!” He stripped and, diving down to the net, busied himself with it until it came to land. He opened the meshes and found in it a jar of yellow copper, evidently full of something, whose mouth was made fast with a leaden cap.
The fisherman got the dead ass free of the toils and wrung the net and spread it out. He plunged into the sea and cast again, saying, “In God’s name!” and waited until it grew heavy and settled down more firmly than the first time. He thought it was full of fish. Doffing his clothes, he went into the water and dived and pulled until he drew it upon land. He found a large jar full of sand and mud in his net. When he saw this, he was greatly troubled again and repeated the following verse:
Seeing this, the fisherman rejoiced and said, “If I sell it in the bazaar, it’s worth ten golden dinars.” He shook it and finding it heavy, continued, “I wonder what is inside. I will open it and look to its contents and store it in my bag and sell it in the market.” Taking out a knife, he worked at the lead until he loosened it; he laid it on the ground and shook the vase to pour out the content. He found nothing in it. He wondered greatly and put the vase on the ground. Presently there came forth from the jar a smoke which rose towards
Anger of Fate, have pity and forbear, Or at the least hold back thy hand and spare! www.graduatehouse.com.au
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GRADUATE HOUSE SERIAL
release me, I will enrich him forever.” But a hundred years passed and no one set me free. I entered on another century and said, “Whoso shall release me, I will open to him the treasures of the earth.” Still no one set me free and another four hundred years passed. Then I said, “Whoso shall release me, I will grant him three wishes.” Yet no one set me free. After this, I said to myself, “Henceforth, whoso release me, I will kill him and let him choose what death he will die. Now, as you have released me, I give you full choice of deaths.”
the sky, passed over the face of the earth, then the thick vapour condensed and became a jinni (genie) — huge of bulk whose head touched the clouds while his feet were on the ground. His head was like a dome, his hands like pitchforks, his legs like masts and his mouth big as a cave; his teeth were like rocks, his nostrils like trumpets, his eyes two lamps and his look was fierce and lowering. Now when the fisherman saw the jinni, his side muscles quivered, his teeth chattered, his spittle dried up and he became blind about what to do. But the jinni looked at him and cried, “There is no god but God, and Solomon is the prophet of God”, then said, “O Prophet of God, slay me not; never again will I gainsay thee in word nor sin against thee in deed.” The fisherman said, “O Marid (evil spirit), did you say Solomon is the Prophet of God? Solomon died thousand and eight hundred years ago, and we are now in the last days of the world! What is your story, and why did you enter into this vessel?”
The fisherman, hearing the jinni’s words, exclaimed, “O God! the pity of it that I should not have freed you until now!” Then he said to the jinni, “Spare my life that God may spare yours.” But the jinni answered, “there is no help for it; you must die; so choose what death you will die.” The fisherman again addressed the jinni and said, “Forgive me as a generous reward for having freed you.” But the jinni said, “Did I not tell you that is why I will kill you?” “O Chief of the Jinn,” the fisherman implored, “I did you good and you repay me with evil!” The jinni only answered, “No more of this talk, I must kill you.”
When the jinni heard the words of the fisherman, he said; “There is no god but God: I have news for you, O fisherman!” “What news?” asked the fisherman and the jinni responded, “that you are going to die an ill death in this very hour.” The fisherman said, “You deserve the withdrawal of God’s protection for this news, O jinni! Why will you kill me and what thing have I done to deserve death? I freed you from the jar, and saved you from the depth of the sea, and brought you up on the dry land.” The jinni replied, “Ask of me only what manner of death you will die.” “What is my crime,” the fisherman asked, “is this my reward for setting you free?” The jinni said, “Hear my story, O fisherman!” and the fisherman said, “Say on and be brief for my heart is in my mouth.” The jinni then said “Know, O fisherman, that I was a heretical jinni; I rebelled against Solomon, I and Sekhr the genie, and the Prophet sent his minister to seize me. This vizir brought me against my will and led me in bonds to him and he placed me standing before him like a suppliant. When Solomon saw me, he invoked God’s aid against me and exhorted me to embrace the faith and submit to his authority, but I refused. So he sent for this vessel and he shut me up in it and stoppered it with lead and sealed it with the Most High’s name and commanded the minister to throw it into the ocean. There I abode a hundred years, during which I said in my heart, “Whoso shall
Upon this the fisherman said to himself, “This is a jinni and I am a man to whom God has given cunning wit, so I will contrive for his destruction by my wit and intelligence even as he took counsel only of his malice and perfidy.” So he asked the jinni, “have you indeed resolved to kill me?” and the jinni cried, “Yes!” The fisherman said, “Now in God’s name, I have a question on a certain matter; will you give me a true answer?” The jinni, hearing the Most Great name, his wits were troubled and he said with trembling, “Ask and be brief.” The fisherman said, “How did you fit into this bottle which would not hold your hand nor even your foot; how could it hold the whole of you?” The jinni replied, “What! do you doubt that I was in there?” and the fisherman rejoined, “I will never believe it until I see you inside with my own eyes.” At this point, Scheherazade perceived the dawn of day and was silent. Will the jinni be fooled to get back into the jar? Will the fisherman’s fortune change for better? Or will the jinni punish him even more for his cunning? Want to know how things turn out, stay tuned for the April edition of the Newsletter!
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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Guide to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Tertiary Sector five steps to tackle the SDGs
In our last Newsletter, Graduate House profiled the resource, ‘Getting started with the SDGs in Universities: a guide for universities, higher education institutions and the academic sector’. This guide outlines five steps for the sector to begin work on the SDGs. These are: Step 1: Mapping what you are already doing Identifying what your tertiary organisation is doing and how it is already contributing to the SDGs is a good place to start. This can help establish the potential for deeper engagement with the SDGs. Mapping can show what is possible and identifies synergies across the university. Knowing the purpose of your mapping exercise and the data needed and required for it, will focus your area of enquiry. Tools in the report to assist with this step include information on how to run a stakeholder engagement workshop.
work establishing a commitment to the SDGs is needed. This step requires the gathering of stakeholders and the establishment of mutual priorities for action, thus bringing a collective effort to accomplish the SDGs. Tools that may be useful include: the mapping of university contributions to the SDGs and information on hosting a stakeholder engagement workshop. Step 4: Integrating, implementing and embedding the SDGs within university strategies, policies and plans
Step 2: Building internal capacity and ownership of the SDGs Creating a participatory approach towards the SDGs in your university is key. This sense of collaboration and partnership will help build capacity and ownership of the SDGs in the areas of research, learning, teaching, operations, governance and culture. Discussing the relevance of the SDGs in the university and with the student body in particular is key to this step. Resources provided in the report that can help include: information on running a stakeholder engagement workshop, building the business case for university engagement and developing a university commitment to the SDGs.
This step builds on previous work, focusing on how to best integrate and implement commitment and actions on the SDGs. Strong implementation of this step will enable universities to move to a leadership role and become a champion for the SDGs. At a foundational level, this step sees the university adapt their governance, or alter policies and strategies or action plans so the SDGs are mainstreamed in all key university planning documents. Tools to assist this step are: creating a business case for university engagement and establishing a university commitment to the SDGs.
Step 3: Identifying priorities, opportunities and gaps
Step 5: Monitoring, evaluating and communicating actions on the SDGs
This step builds on the work done in step 2 and begins to integrate the SDGs in your university. This step shifts towards creating a whole-ofuniversity commitment to the goals. In order to do this, the setting of a realistic foundation of www.graduatehouse.com.au
This step evaluates and assesses the work done towards the SDGs and shapes future engagement and action. A thorough monitoring, evaluation and communication plan will give 38
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
universities the chance to further the reach of their engagement, and broaden support for SDG work. Tools measuring the progress towards the goals might already be in place at the university, such as annual reports, etc. Over time, some tertiary providers may develop their own benchmarking tools for the SDGs. However, the report does include a good discussion on SDG contributions, with a list of resources developed by the sector reporting on aspects of their SDG contribution.
While it is unrealistic that universities report against all 169 SDG targets, or the 17 goals, it is important that they remain informed of the work and reports in each area and contribute to the global effort to progress these goals. Download the Guide at: http://ap-unsdsn.org/ university-sdg-guide/.
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THE GRADUATE UNION of The University of Melbourne Inc.
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