The Graduate Union Newsletter — January / february 2016 —
welcome to the january and february
2016
newsletter
3 4 6 8
Opinion: Sustainable Development
Puzzles Coming events
Year at a Glance
GU Collegiate Events: February Monthly Luncheon with guest Dean Phelan Successful Graduate Pathways Twilight Seminar and GU Tastings with Mr Charles Kovess The Story of a Painting by Kenneth Park
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News: From the University Sector
Academic and Professional Development Meetings Listings for November and December 2015
36 43
Stories at Graduate House 10 years at Graduate House News from Council Career Faq Seminar and Workshop stories The New Graduate House Website
Donate to the future of Graduates
Reviews: Chair’s Cocktail Party Members’ Christmas Party
PAGE 3 Opinion: Sustainable Development
Womens’ Forum
19
Features: Discovering Melbourne Hearts and Minds Resident News: A Really Weird Show: a Month in Kununurra, Western Australia.
www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
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Opinion: Sustainable Development The work of a generation: the Sustainable Development Goals For people like me who work in sustainable development, 2015 was a truly remarkable year because two great dreams were realised. We witnessed a worldwide commitment to an integrated and transformational agenda for sustainability (via the Sustainable Development Goals), as well as the achievement of a global agreement on climate change. The arrival of this “dynamic duo” was energising, inspiring, and in many ways quite surprising, since many believed it could not be done. It represented a huge leap forward for our profession. For the world, it was much more important than that. The SDGs were the product of years of thinking, talking, experimenting, debating, and negotiating, involving hundreds of thousands of people, from every country on Earth. The formal process began with the UN’s “Rio+20” conference, in 2012, and concluded with the unanimous approval of the “2030 Agenda” at United Nations Headquarters in New York, on September 25, 2015. But in many ways, the SDGs are the culmination of a decades-long process that began in the late 1980s, most visibly with the publication of the UN’s “Brundtland Report,” Our Common Future (1987). In other words, the SDGs are the work of a generation. Or maybe two, since researchers and writers have been alerting us to the need for a systemic, sustainable, and global approach to human economic and social development since at least the 1950s. But I am old enough to know that even generational transformations can quickly go from being astonishing to being “old hat.” Consider how quickly the world took the end of Apartheid, the fall of the Berlin Wall, or the economic transformation of China for granted — forgetting, in an historical instant, how miraculous these changes appeared at the time they began. The SDGs and the Paris Agreement are destined to be similarly absorbed into the global political landscape, in the blink of an eye. Awe and wonder are very fleeting emotions. In truth, it was a relatively small number of people who felt those emotions when watching this great achievement occur last year. That’s why I have dedicated a considerable portion of my time to activities that we call, in Swedish, “anchoring”: making sure the SDGs are here to last. Helping them become embedded in the hearts and minds of as many people as possible. Not just intellectually, but also emotionally: in addition to recognizing that the SDGs have now became a crucial framework for thinking about policy and decision-making, we also have to feel a commitment to these new global goals. And keep the commitment going for at least 15 years. After nearly 28 years since the kick-off moment of the Brundtland report, during most of which we sustainability professionals were swimming against the tide, it seems the tide is starting to turn. The great tide of humanity. The world has decided to embrace a sustainable future, with a clear vision, consensus goals, specific targets. It’s truly wonderful. So, happy 2016. Happy “Year 1” of the era of the SDGs. Time to go to work! About the thinker: Alan AtKisson currently advises the United Nations on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and an author, editor, and speaker in the field of sustainable development. He was inducted into the International Sustainability Hall of Fame in 2013 for his many contributions to the field.
www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
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Happy New Year to all our members
We invite you, Members and non-members, to attend the coming events.
JANUARY T H E G U S C H O L A R S H I P A P P L I C AT I O N O P E N S
We d n e s d a y, 2 7 t h T h e G r a d u a t e Un i o n S c h o l a r s h i p a n d B u r s a r i e s a r e o p e n t o a l l R e s i d e n t Me m b e r s e n r o l l e d i n p o s t - g r a d u a t e s t u d i e s Ap p l i c a t i o n s c l o s e o n F r i d a y, 1 s t Ap r i l , 2 0 1 6 . F o r e n q u i r i e s a n d a p p l i c a t i o n f o r m s , p l e a s e g o t o o u r w e b s i t e : ht t p : / / w w w. g r a d u at e h o u s e . c o m . a u / l e a r n - h e r e / aw a r d s - a n d - o p p o r t u n i t i e s / s c h o l a r s h i p s - a n d - b u r s a r i e s / .
FEBRUARY I TA L I A N C O N V E R S AT I O N D I N N E R
6:00pm
Tu e s d a y, 2 n d , 1 6 t h C o m e a l o n g t o d i n e w h i l e l e a r n i n g t o s p e a k It a l i a n w i t h a n e x p e r i e n c e d t e a c h e r. Me mb e r s $ 1 5 , No n Me mb e r s $ 2 0 .
M O N T H LY LU N C H E O N
12:00 midday for 12:30pm
We d n e s d a y, 3 r d Guest speaker Dean Phelan will talk about “Remissionalising the c h u r c h - A s i x y e a r c a s e s t u d y i n l a r g e o r g a n i s at i o n a l c h a n g e .” R e s i d e nt Me mb e r s $ 1 0 , No n R e s i d e nt Me mb e r s $ 3 0 , C o n c e s s i o n $ 3 5 , General public $40.
BRIDGE NIGHTS
7:20pm for 7.30pm
We d n e s d a y, 3 r d , 1 0 t h , 1 7 t h , 2 4 t h Jo i n a g a m e o r l e a r n t o p l a y t h e c a r d g a m e B r i d g e . E n j o y a s h a r e d p l a t t e r f o r s u p p e r, a s w e l l a s t e a a n d c o f f e e . Me mb e r s $ 2 , No n Me mb e r s $ 5 .
S P E C I A L M O R N I N G B R E A K FA S T
7:30am to 8.30am
Tu e s d a y, 9 t h No n - r e s i d e n t m e m b e r s a r e w e l c o m e t o j o i n R e s i d e n t Me m b e r s f o r a hearty breakfast. No n R e s i d e nt Me mb e r s $ 1 5 .
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F R I D AY D R I N K S A N D D I N N E R
6:00pm to 8:00pm
Fr i d a y, 1 2 t h Come along for an end-of-week wind-down in an amiable a t m o s p h e r e a n d j o i n R e s i d e n t a n d n o n - r e s i d e n t Me m b e r s i n s h a r i n g c o l l e g i a l c u l t u r e o v e r d r i n k s a n d d i n n e r. B a r a n d d i n i n g r o o m p r i c e s a p p ly.
WOMEN’S FORUM
10:00am for 10:30am
We d n e s d a y, 1 7 t h
T h e F e b r u a r y f o r u m t o p i c i s “ Un d e r s t a n d i n g t h e a g e i n g p r o c e s s - i n o u r s e l v e s a n d o t h e r s ”. Jo i n t h e l a d i e s f o r a l i v e l y d i s c u s s i o n a n d s t a y for lunch if desired. Fo r u m i s Fr e e .
RESIDENTS’ MEET AND GREET
6:30pm onwards
Tu e s d a y, 2 3 r d
Jo i n u s i n w e l c o m i n g n e w a n d r e t u r n i n g R e s i d e n t s t o G r a d u a t e Ho u s e o v e r d r i n k s a n d d i n n e r a s w e s h a r e o u r c o l l e g i a l a p p r o a c h . Safety on and around campus will be discussed. R e s i d e nt Me mb e r s Fr e e , No n R e s i d e nt Me mb e r s $ 1 5 .
T W I L I G H T S E M I N A R A N D TA S T I N G S
Ta s t i n g s 5 : 3 0 p m , Seminar 6:30pm
T h u r s d a y, 2 5 t h
Along with GU canapes and drinks, come along to our popular free food tasting events and stay for the lecture with guest speaker Mr C h a r l e s Ko v e s s . R e s i d e nt Me mb e r s Fr e e , No n R e s i d e nt Me mb e r s $ 2 0 G u e s t a n d No n - m e mb e r s $ 2 5 , C o n c e s s i o n $ 2 2 . 5 0 .
Book now via our website, by phone 03 9347 3428, by email admingh@graduatehouse.com.au or at the venue, 220 Leicester Street, Carlton.
We look forward to seeing you at our forthcoming events! www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
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2016 GU Collegiate Year at a glance This ‘Year at a Glance’ table may assist you in planning for the coming year. We thank you for your support in attending and promoting these functions. Function
January
February
March
April
May
-
2nd, 16th
1st, 15th
5th, 19th
3rd, 17th
Monthly Luncheon
No Luncheon
3rd
2nd
6th
4th
Residents’ Special Morning Breakfast
-
9th
8th
12th
10th
Bridge Night
-
Career Roundtables (new!)
-
-
3rd, 17th
-
-
Summer BBQ
-
-
11th
-
-
GU Influenza and Vaccination Day
-
-
-
7th
Residents MaG (Meet and Greet)
-
23rd
11th
26th
13th
Womens’ Forum
-
17th
16th
20th
18th
Friday Night Drinks and Dinner
-
12th
11th
8th
13th
Successful Graduate Pathways Twilight Seminar and GU Tastings
-
25th
-
-
12th
GU Open Day
-
-
-
-
-
15th (IT)
20th (Eco & Forest)
Italian Conversation Dinner
3rd, 10th, 2nd, 9th, 16th, 6th, 13th, 17th, 24th 23rd, 30th 20th, 27th
4th, 11th, 18th, 25th
College Table Discussions
-
-
18th (Earth Sciences)
GU Annual General Meeting and Dinner
-
-
-
-
26th
Graduate Union Ball
-
-
-
-
-
Residents’ End of Year Celebration
-
-
-
-
-
Chairman’s Cocktail Party Members’ Christmas Party
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
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June
July
August
September
October
November
December
7th, 21st
5th, 19th
2nd, 16th
6th, 20th
4th, 18th
15th
6th, 20th
1st
No Luncheon
3rd
7th
5th
9th
No Luncheon
14th
12th
9th
13th
11th
8th
6th
3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st
7th, 14th, 21st, 28th
1st, 8th, 15th, 6th, 13th, 22nd, 29th 20th, 27th
5th, 12th, 2nd, 9th, 16th, 7th, 14th 19th, 26th 23rd, 30th
-
-
4th, 18th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
30th
9th
-
-
-
15th
13th
17th
21st
19th
16th
14th
10th
-
12th
9th
7th
11th
-
-
-
11th
-
-
-
-
-
-
21st
-
-
-
-
-
-
19th (Media Comm)
16th (VCA & MCM)
2nd (Construct)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
22nd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
18th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2nd
-
-
-
-
-
-
16th
www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
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The Monthly Luncheon with
Dean Phelan ‘Remissionalising the Church- A six year case study in large organisational change. February 3rd Resident Members Non-Resident Members General Public Concession
12:00 noon for 12.30pm $10 $30 $40 $35
ABN 55610664963
220 Leicester Street, Carlton, 3053 (03) 9347 3428 admingh@graduatehouse.com.au www.graduatehouse.com.au
IAR No. A0023234B
www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
Page 8
Dean Phelan ‘Remissionalising the Church- A six year case study in large organisational change. Dean Phelan is the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Churches of Christ in Queensland which has over 250 locations around QLD as well as Victoria and Vanuatu (cofc.com.au). Dean and wife Janette moved from Melbourne to take up the CEO role in February 2010. Dean holds professional qualifications in applied psychology and an MA from the University of Melbourne, as well as the Melbourne Graduate Business School. He is completing a PhD through Stirling, a College of the University of Divinity in Australia. Dean is an organizational psychologist and member of the Australian Psychological Society and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is an endorsed Minister of Churches of Christ and the current Chair of the National Council of Churches of Christ in Australia. In 2009, after an extended period of difficulty and internal conflict, Churches of Christ in Queensland, Australia (CofCQ) was described as being “within a whisker of folding“. There were seventy local churches and overall declining numbers. Various Care and other services had separated themselves from the Church, and there was significant distrust and organisational silos everywhere. From 2010 onwards, a large scale transformational process has been at work involving all areas of the Church. Today, CofCQ is in strong health and has transformed itself into the largest CofC presence in Australia, with over 250 “Kingdom Access Points” connecting with 40,000 over people. It has 5000 staff made up of 3500 employees and 1500 registered volunteers, and an annual revenue of $230M. At the luncheon, Dean will talk about the context, strategies and learnings from this major case study in organis ABN 55610664963
IAR No. A0023234B
www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
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Successful Graduate Pathways
Lecture Series and GU Tastings are proudly brought to you by the Rotary Club of Carlton and The Graduate Union of The University of Melbourne Inc
from 5:30pm
GRADUATE UNION TASTINGS The
T WILIGHT Lectures PRESENTS
CHARLES KOVESS On the topic of Business Law THURSDAY, Februar y 25 th from 6:30pm Resident Members Non-Resident Members Adults Concession
FREE $20 $25 $22.50
Book by Wednesday, 24th February via our website, telephone (03 9347 3428), email at admingh@graduatehouse.com.au or in person at the venue, 220 Leicester Street, Carlton
ABN: 55610 664 963
IAR No. A0023234B
www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
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INTRODUCING OUR SPEAKER: CHARLES KOVESS Charles Kovess graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and in 1973 was awarded his Master of Laws from Monash University. His immensely diverse and successful law career has seen him as a director of both public and private companies, as well as advising Australian organisations on international expansion opportunities in Hungary and Central Europe. In June 1993, Charles left his law career to help others find their inner-passion. He is now a “transformational, inspirational high-energy speaker and facilitator,” inspiring those who seek his assistance. With current clients like BMW Finance, Tourism Victoria, Australian Federal Police and Optus, among other renowned organisations, it is clear to see that Charles inspires those that he helps, and assists with building world-class teams, individuals and organisations!
OUR TASTINGS ARE PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY
The finest olive oils in Australia, sources locally from The Grampians.
Fine organic nut mixes and high quality nibbles all made locally.
ABN: 55610 664 963
From the rainforests of Far North Queensland, comes the world’s first origin chocolate made and 100% owned and operated by Australians.
IAR No. A0023234B
www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
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GRADUATE HOUSE PRESENTS
The story of a painting – Whistler’s Mother The National Gallery of Victoria will exhibit one of the world’s recognisable paintings ‘Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, also called Portrait of the Artist’s Mother (and better known as “Whistler’s Mother”) 1871 by James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903). This beautifully painted icon of art was well ahead of its time, and illustrates superbly Whistler’s success with form, line and colour. The depiction of Anna McNeill Whistler has been described as “dour, impenetrable” and even “after her death,” and yet, the painting has a real honesty and a warmth that draws you in. In this superbly illustrated lecture, art curator and much travelled lecturer and tour leader, Kenneth Park will talk about this iconic painting from the perspectives of the artist, sitter, exhibition history and place in the story of art.
Monday, 29th February, 2016 10:30am for 11:00am Tickets Members $15 Non-members $20 Dining room lunch Members $12 Non-members $18 220 Leicester Street, Carlton, Vic 3053 admingh@graduatehouse.com.au www.graduatehouse.com.au
ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B | image from Wikimedia Commons
www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
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Q & A with Kenneth Park
What does this painting mean to you?
Whistler’s Mother at first glance appears to many viewers as being somewhat sombre and even a little austere; and yet the painting is direct and honest. It has real character and it draws you in and invites you to speculate. It is a masterful composition with fine lines and a brilliant interplay of colour and light and shadow. It was groundbreaking in its day and today remains one of the world’s great art works.
Why is art important for us?
Art expresses emotion, and a life without art would, be for me, mean living a life without soul. As Thomas Merton said “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” Indeed, Henri Matisse stated, “creativity takes courage.” Whistler had courage.
What led you to curate?
I have a love of cultural history. I am passionate about art, architecture, history, travel and much more. My career as a curator and tour lecturer/leader has enabled me to combine these passions. When you curate an exhibition, write an article or talk in front of a monument, artwork or an audience you have an opportunity to share knowledge, experiences and ideas. Put simply, I love to tell a story.
www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
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REVIEWS
Chair's Cocktail Party Friday, 4th December 2015
“What is Graduate House?” asked Rhys Watson, Chair of the Graduate Union council, at the annual Chair’s Cocktail Party. “It’s you. It’s me. It’s our residents and staff. It’s us,” he continued. “We are graduates for graduates. We promote education for the good of society to make a difference. This is the Graduate Union experience.” These words were uttered to a crowd of over 150 research leaders who have and still are contributing to the community. From Professors and Directors, to OAMs to AOs, this was an evening to celebrate knowledge, education and perseverence. It was then fitting that one of the awards given on the night, The M V Anderson award, recognises the achievements of graduates who share their insights and skills from their studies for the benefit of the wider community. The Anderson medal was donated by the family of M V Anderson, a founding member of the Graduate Union. Renowned sculptor, Michael Meszaros was commissioned by the family to design a medal that represent an individual’s personal development and ability to communicate their accumulated knowledge. The final piece sees a pattern of lines at right angles within a human profile, interacting with other overlapping human profiles. Conscious and deliberate human constructs are represented with this design. The winner, Julia Melanson, is completing a Doctorate in physiotherapy, and has, during her time at Graduate House, assumed the role of events co-ordinator of the Graduate House Student Group, organised the college balls, and has been instrumental in organising events including cultural dinners, welcome tables and Friday trivia nights. Oliver Lovell, the second recipient, is completing his coursework, Master of Teaching, Secondary specialising in the teaching of Mathematics and Physics. His contribution as the Environment and Social Justice co-ordinator of the Graduate House Student Group has been pivotal. He has tirelessly contributed to initiating college events such as the welcome table, contributing to the ethical purchase program, and also delivers tutorials and relief lecturing to students at The University of Tasmania. Both students emphatically embody the essential qualities that the M V Anderson award represents. Parisa Shiran was then awarded the Margaret Watson Centenary Travelling Fellowship Award
to assist with her coursework and research in Comparative Literature at The University of Maryland, USA. Parisa is also a tireless contributor at Graduate House, and was also awarded a certificate of appreciation. The Margaret Watson award recognises and celebrates the achievements of young female graduates. While still, today, the role of the woman as careerist and mother generally sparks debate on both ends of the spectrum, we must nevertheless continually raise awareness of the unrelenting women who dare to challenge expectations contrary to their personal success. In the photo above, we see Margaret Watson – mother, graduate and university tutor – with her son, who later graduated in Medicine from The University of Melbourne. The certificates of appreciation were then awarded to those who have significantly contributed to our collegial experience. In a great act of reciprocity, we were also awarded with a bronze bust of Einstein to mark the Centenary of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, by Bryan Stertern Gill of de Bretts Antiques. “To live among friends is a primary essential of happiness. As a member of the Graduate Union family, you will always be with friends,” were the closing remarks of Cr Watson. Indeed, a basic tenet of ours is to ensure that above all, we are an inclusive and egalitarian association. The Chair’s cocktail party was an opportunity for us to share these important values, and emphasise their worth in today’s society.
www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
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www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
Page 15
REVIEWS
Members' Christmas Party Friday, 11th December 2015
T’was the season for our annual Christmas party in December ‘15, where Members, Residents and friends gathered to revel in the Christmas spirit. The evening began with a welcome from our CEO Dr Kerry Bennett, followed by a much anticipated festive feast. The sounds of chatter, laughter, and chinks of wine glasses, blended harmoniously with the faint sound of Christmas music in the background. After a visit from our foreign exchange Christmas helper, “Helga” (who rather suspiciously looked like our Operations Manager, Daniel Clark), it was then time for the winners of our various prizes to be announced, which included a $500 gift card, as well as generously sized (and filled!) hampers. For the first round of prize winners, the test of fate and chance was toyed with. Those who won
the table centrepiece, knew so by a sole black dot that was under their plate, table places, of course, having been randomly selected. The winners of the centre pieces, raffles, and hampers, respectively, were: Mary Kelleher, Peggy Harkness, Margaret Johnson, Andrea Li, Hui Ting Wang, Saartje Demolder, Roberta Grant, Roscoe Howell, Natalie Gray, Bob Hett, Tim Stephens, Vivienne Campbell, Andrea Donaldson, Bev Holland, Jamie Gunawan, Cr Rhys Watson, Anne Campbell, Elizabeth Cameron, Kathleen Cameron, Dinali Wickramanayake, Jo-Ellen Robilliard, Karin Gootman, Elton Borgess, Huiting Wang, Rosie Maddick, KazuYasunaga, George Markou, David Sparks, Andrea Lee, Heather Kudeviita, Chanchal Chandramouli, Julia Morris, Alexander Nicole, Pamela Mammers, and Christina Bell. A spot of caroling followed by a dance with Santa, kept the crowd thorougly entertained throughout the evening. With a turnout of over 100 guests, we are relatively certain that the spirit of Christmas reigned throughout the evening, and well into the night. We thank all of our staff and guests for a wonderfully memorable evening!
www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
Page 16
www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
Page 17
REVIEWS
Women’s Forum Review
Wednesday, 18 th November, 2015 “How Much is Too Much?”
The following are salient points discussed at this forum. 1 This topic elicited a great deal of emotion and wide variety of contexts including the demands of being a full-time carer, great wealth, styles of parenting, peer pressure (at all ages), rules, regulations not forgetting laws, food, freedom, fears and even education! 2 “Much” is a relative and mostly abstract term (e.g., an unemployed person without income finding $10 may consider it a fortune: a person earning $1000 per week is likely to be unimpressed with the find). 3 For many people who have worked in highprofile, important jobs it can at times be difficult to let go, to know when the time has come to move aside and allow someone younger take over, to consider new and different ideas, and to accept that their time is past and that their input is at the “too much” stage. 4 People (particularly a spouse or someone very close to a loved one) may find themselves in the role of full-time carer without realising the physical and emotional stress this can impose over a prolonged period of time. Love and concern may remain very high but stress and sheer physical exhaustion may lead to resentment which in turn can lead to guilt, and this can prove to be a very complex situation. 5 How much money is too much? An unexpected inheritance or lottery win may lead to unwise expenditure (e.g., possessions such as a new car, expensive holidays etc) without seeking financial advice which leads on to wise investments which in turn preserve the capital and provide income to permit some judicious personal expenditure
6 The current upheavals in Europe illustrate the difficulties created by unwise decisions made in times of peace, the human responses of act and react - act and react which can so easily lead to all-out war. 7 Ill-informed generalisations about different religions or cultures (fanned by the speed afforded by modern technology) have the capacity to turn the world into a battlefield of conflicting ideologies each intent on dominating those who think or believe differently. 8 Power is often in the hands of the inexperienced (even evil) who make decisions about how to allocate limited resources (e.g money, time or talents) to competing but individually worthy causes. 9 Perhaps the most useful advice has come from David Morrison, the retired Chief of Army in Australia who said “The standard you pass is the one you accept”. If something is “too much” what can I do about it, in my own life, in my community? Few of us are in a position to right the wrongs of the world but each of us is in a position to influence those close to us both by words and worthy examples of our own behaviour. 10 Excesses exist in many areas of our daily lives (see point 1 above) but are rarely recognised as destructive. Hence we have problems with obesity, drugs (including alcohol), depression, unrealistic expectations, etc. Some time ago there was world-wide concern about weapons of mass destruction. Perhaps the most dangerous of these are the ones less often focussed on – drugs, disease and disruption. A community living in fear (as evidenced by the follow-up to unexpected acts of violence recently in Paris and Beirut) is a very vulnerable community.
The first forum for 2016 is on 17th February, with the topic “Understanding the ageing process in ourselves and others”. The forum is free. Lunch is at Member and non-member prices. www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
Page 18
FEATURES
Discovering Melbourne We are very proud to have such a disparate and varied membership. Graduate Union Members are all over Australia and the world. This month we present to you the latest Melbourne gems that should be explored, whether you are temporarily passing though the world’s most livable city, or you reside here. The Age Lunar Markets
Harbour Esplanade Docklands 2016 marks the Year of the Monkey in the Chinese Zodiac. Celebrating those born in 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, the year of monkey will be ushered in from February 4th until the 14th with the Age Lunar Markets. A festival celebrating Asian culture with music, drinks, and more, this is a cultural celebration not to be missed.
Sustainable Living Festival Melbourne
The 17th annual SLF festival will run from February 6th to 28th, its goal to raise awareness for much needed sustainability solutions. From talks, demonstrations, artworks, exhibits and much more, the festival will help provide tools to help solve ecological problems.
Tai Chi Mornings
Federation Square, Melbourne CBD Join instructors from Tai Chi Australia with a free session at Federation Square from 7:30am every Tuesday. There have been many restorative benefits noted for Tai Chi. Participate in a session to soothe your senses and begin the day with a fresh start.
Black Pearl
304 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy A bar which nods to a certain style of yesteryear: ottomans, moody lighting and candles lend an ominous yet intriguing atmosphere to the Black Pearl of Brunswick Street in Fitzroy. The menu boasts alluring concoctions difficult to find elsewhere. The bar was also recently awarded 10th place in the 50 Best Bar Awards in 2015. If you have any recommendations for places or events of interest for our Members and Residents, email publications@graduatehouse.com.au
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FEATURES
Hearts and Minds:
Friendship and Beautiful Books for Child Detainees On the Befriend a Child in Detention community project. “When the child detainees realised there were letters inside the books, there were tears all round. They said that they were not forgotten and that Australians don’t all hate us,” says Dr June Factor, convenor and founder of the Befriend a Child in Detention project. “In July we sent four boxes of beautiful new children’s books to the children in the detention centre on Nauru, and every book included a letter - a greeting and encouragement of friendship. There were also stamped addressed envelopes, in the hope that some asylum seeker children might write back. Some of the letters and envelopes were from adults and many were from children. We know that a number of people – including 17 children from one school – have received letters from the children detained on Nauru.” Since then, says Dr Factor, more books and letters have gone to Nauru, and to every asylum seeker detention centre on the Australian mainland. Befriend a Child in Detention is a community project which aims to alleviate the suffering of asylum seeker children held in detention, raise awareness of their parlous circumstances, and strive for their release. It was founded a year and a half ago by Dr Factor, an historian, academic and writer who found herself becoming increasingly furious, frustrated and desperate about the treatment of asylum seekers in Australia. “It seemed to me that on so many levels it was illegal, it was improper and it tarnished whatever reputation we might have as a genuinely humane society,” she says. “When it comes to children, I think their treatment is particularly outrageous, damaging and virtually life-threatening. As well, I recognise that children are the government’s weakest link in their policy, because most Australians are not happy to see children imprisoned, so it seemed to me a double reason for focusing on children,” she says. “ It must end,” she replied firmly when asked what her stance is on current child detention issues.
“There is no justification of any kind other than political convenience, and there is no justification for the interminable imprisonment of children on the basis that they have arrived on a boat without a visa.” “Take a moment to think of Australia’s history,” she explained. “Many of Australia’s well-known families have an ancestor who arrived by jumping off a boat. Then both before and after the Second World War, refugees were accepted into Australia without much in the way of formal papers – that’s what being a refugee often means. The same for the thousands of Vietnamese we accepted in the 1970s.” Dr Factor points to the fact that the government has refused to end the current detention of asylum seekers, including more than 150 children, a harsh and damaging detention that has been condemned by every review that has been held, including those held under the government’s auspices, such as the Moss Review on Nauru. All have said that the children must be taken from the detention centre on Nauru, brought to Australia and released. “We treat these people harshly to deter others from coming, and this is supposed to stop a lot from drowning. But then why not torture someone very publicly, or bomb one of the boats? Oh no, that would be shocking, but what they are doing now is killing people slowly, killing them mentally and emotionally. To do this to children is just extraordinary,” says Dr Factor. Dr Factor presents a fair point. Australia is a signatory to The Declaration of the Rights of a Child, which insists that governments must act in the best interest of the children: “The General Assembly proclaims this Declaration of the Rights of the Child to the end that he may have a happy childhood and enjoy for his own good and for the good of society the rights and freedoms herein set forth … and calls upon local authorities and national Governments to recognise these rights and strive for theirobservance by legislative and other measures …”
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Letters sent to Befriend a Child In Detention The Convention for the Rights of the Child includes the following rights: • Governments should ensure that children are properly cared for and protect them from violence, abuse and neglect by their parents, or anyone else who looks after them. • Children who come into a country as refugees should have the same rights as children who are born in that country. • Children have the right to relax, play and to join in a wide range of leisure activities. Yet these rights are not available to asylum seeker children held in detention. Then there is the 1951 Refugee Convention that seeks to identify which people meet the criteria of refugee status, as well as outlining the rights of refugees and the legal obligations that every state has towards them. Article 31 states that a refugee has “the right not to be punished for illegal entry into the territory of a contracting state.” Other rights include those of education, freedom of movement, and the right to be issued identity and travel documents. Someone doesn’t qualify as a refugee if they have committed crimes against peace, a war crime, crimes against humanity, or they have engaged in activity contrary to the principals and purposes of the United Nations. The Refugee Convention includes the principle
of non-refoulement: that an asylum seeker ought not to be sent back to the country they are fleeing from because of the risk that their rights will be violated – and Australia signed this convention on 22 January, 1952. Australia also has other obligations under other international treaties to protect the rights of asylum seekers and refugees – regardless of how they arrive. However, the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) section 178 states that asylum seekers who arrive in Australia without a valid Visa must be held in immigration detention until they are granted a visa or removed from Australia. Furthermore, what policies apply to these asylum seekers now depends on their mode of arrival, and on what date they arrived. These aren’t the only disheartening matters for Dr Factor. There is the treatment of the detainees, especially, of course, the children. She reflects for a moment, and refers to a psychological experiment in obedience from 1961. It was the Milgram Experiment conducted by psychologist Stanley Milgram at Yale University, where he sought an answer to the question: Could it be Eichmann and his million accomplices in the Holocaust were just following orders? Could we call them all accomplices? In essence, Milgram wanted to see just how obedient someone will be to an authoritative figure, even if the requests have the potential to harm another person.
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Milgram’s participants were selected as either a ‘learner’ or a ‘teacher’; however, it was rigged so that the learner was an actor employed by Milgram. Electrodes were attached to the learner and they were then supposed to learn a series of word pairs. The teacher sat in another room where he could not see the learner, and had in front of him an electric shock generator with marks starting from 15 volts, to 375 volts, to 450 volts. The learner’s memory was then tested: they were given a word and required to recall its pair from four possible options. A shock was given every time a mistake was made – but unknown to the teacher, the shock generator was a mere prop, and produced only sound. The learner would feign their cries when shocked. If at any point the experimenter was contacted, the teacher was responded to with one of the following prods: please continue; please go on; the experiment requires that you go on; it is essential that you continue and you have no other choice, you must go on. If the subject asked who would be responsible for any hurt that was inflicted upon the learner, the experimenter simply responded, “I am responsible,” and the teacher would continue. Milgram’s experiment found, rather disturbingly, that all 40 participants obeyed authority for up to 300 volts. Twenty-five from the 40 administered the full 450 volts. “What it tells you is that people can be persuaded to do terrible things,” says Dr Factor. “What
the government does is put asylum seekers on desolate islands, or in detention centres deliberately separated from the surrounding communities, declare that the asylum seekers could be dangerous as well as “illegal”, and give people immense power over them without any real scrutiny.” There are certain dehumanising aspects in these detention centres, explained Dr Factor, which includes detainees being addressed by their Boat Identification Numbers, rather than their names. This has seen a number of child detainees identifying more with their numbers than their own names. “The last time I heard about that was in World War II concentration camps,” she remarked grimly. And so the idea of befriending these children who are continuously being marginalised and dismissed by a system that does not seem to be handling them with the care that they deserve was realised. “Befriending is to be a friend,’ says Dr Factor. We don’t really live well without friends, and to be a friend with a child in detention is a powerful step, both for the befriender and the child.” Imbued with a sense of empathy, Dr Factor reached out to her network of friends and colleagues, and the Befriend a Child in Detention project began. “Initially we have focused on getting books to children in detention with letters of greeting. For many people, this has been welcomed as a positive act of support for the children. We have received so many books, from publishers and
Boxes of books and letters to be sent to detention centres booksellers and from people across the country, that we’ve put a temporary halt to receiving more books,” she says. Every letter that comes through Befriend is checked– this sort of screening process ensures that no letters are sent that have content that could harm the children. One bundle of letters from a primary school began with “welcome to Australia.” These letters were included in books sent to the Australian detention centres, but, sadly, not to the detainees in Nauru. “There are people for whom the government’s harsh and unjust policy towards asylum seekers is morally suspect, but many are not likely to take part in demonstrations or write letters to the newspaper. I think we’re providing an avenue for what turns out to be hundreds and hundreds of people who are unhappy and have found through us something that they feel they can do, which clearly is a great yearning,” says Dr Factor. “What we do doesn’t change the situation, it doesn’t free the children, but it does provide them with some comfort in friendship, as well as the pleasures of wonderful children’s books. Ours is www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
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When it comes to children, I think their treatment is particularly outrageous, damaging and virtually life-threatening. a project that influences hearts and minds. What we stand for is a reminder that you can’t sacrifice humans for some supposed greater good. These children and their families have done no wrong, and do not deserve to be treated badly in order to deter future refugees.” Befriend a Child in Detention has created waves among the public, especially schools, so much so that entire schools are getting in touch with the project, the children writing letters, drawing pictures and donating books. One school, Bell Primary in Preston, caught the eye of ABC news program Behind the News (BTN). Their grade five and six students had sent letters to Nauru in July through the Befriend project, and were jubilant to discover that a number received PenPal letters back in return. As funding restrictions prevented BTN from sending a film crew to the school, the students filmed the segment themselves, as well as interviewing Dr Factor and noted children’s author Gabrielle Wang who is also involved with Befriend. “It’s aroused immense interest in schools,’ say Dr Factor. More and more are emailing us asking us how to get involved and what they can do.” Befriend regularly receives encouragement from the public, praising them for their altruistic work. It’s because Befriend is seeking to change the conversation, to attempt to alter the negative discourse surrounding asylum seekers and review descriptors attributed to them like “illegal”, as well as to encourage a better understanding of the complex legalities surrounding refugees and asylum seekers. “In the process of all of this, people talk about what they’re doing, and we very much want them to talk about what they’re doing. It changes the conversation – one weekend you might be talking with your friends, and somebody says that you can’t have all these people coming, and then there’s a discussion, and there’s a new line in it, it’s not just the propaganda,” says Dr Factor. At the end of it all, asylum seekers are people who are in desperate need to flee from danger and a homeland that violates their basic human rights. “We’re part of something important,” says Dr Factor, “we’re one of the waves that will drown this shameful policy, that will end it.”
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RESIDENT NEWS
A Really Weird Show: a Month in Kununurra, Western Australia. by David Allinson
For the past four weeks I have been doing volunteer legal work for the Yawoorroong Miriwoong Gajirrawoong Yirrgeb Noong Dawang Aboriginal Corporation (MG Corporation) in Kununurra, Western Australia. Kununurra is the heartland of the East Kimberley region. It is surrounded by landscapes formed into impossible shapes and sedimentary compositions by the pressure of ancient tectonic forces. The earth is the deep red of postcard fame, but the flora is surprisingly lush in the wet season. Boab trees, icons of the Kimberley, curve at the hip in a strangely feminine way. Their branches, stretching like hands, are always waving cheekily from among the bushes. Each boab’s greeting is unique, and they have been saying hello and goodbye to human passers-by for centuries: some are over 1500 years old. They are among the most ancient living beings on Earth. Sitting atop the nearby Kelly’s Knob at sunset is a front-row seat to Edmund Burke’s sublime. On my second evening, from that vantage point, I watched a storm roll in – an unstoppable wall of
water – raking the town from the earth to the sky. As the fat, tropical raindrops reflected the setting sun it turned them a light amber, as though it was raining gold. And you can smell the earth and the heat in everything you do. Kununurra is profoundly beautiful. Like all beautiful things in nature, however, Kununurra is also dangerous. On a bush walk I followed a natural spring into a cave. Above my head flew dozens of tiny cave bats. The muffled sound of their wings was punctuated only by the occasional punch of air as they were snapped up by (what I quickly realised were) snakes dangling from the ceiling. I had interrupted lunch… I didn’t stick around for afternoon tea. Irish comedian Dylan Moran once joked that Australia’s waters are so hostile to human life that ‘swimming knives’ might be a native species of fish. Swimming knives are redundant, however, when the air can kill you – work crews I spoke with reported temperatures in excess of 50 degrees celsius on the bitumen. To survive, those men drink between 8 and 12 litres of water a day, most of it by 8am, and at least a further litre of
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electrolytes to prevent cramping. Those men do that work full-time, five days a week – just the average day at the office in Kununurra. The biological cornucopia of things that can kill a person here are just accepted as part of daily life. There are both salt-water and fresh-water crocodiles in the nearby waterways. Along the banks of Bindoola Creek, near a ranch I visited, lives Cedric. Cedric is a 6 meter salt-water crocodile (that’s the person-eating variety). You can’t let things like Cedric stop you from getting on with your life, however, and on the weekends the locals apply this logic by going camping or cooling off in the Ord River. There is a deeply romantic aspect of living in a frontier town, when the anxiety and tension of living a safe, comfortable suburban lifestyle evaporates. You embrace the heat. You embrace the latent danger. You embrace the alarm going off at 4:30am. You grit your teeth, or daily life becomes impossible. The nearby Lake Argyle is visible from space. If you look for it on a weather report, it’s the dark blob at the top-left corner of Australia, near the border between Western Australia and the Northern Territory. To reiterate an important theme so far: 35,000 crocodiles call it home. A local community leader also told me he has seen catfish up to 3 metres in length (though, I am sorry Ben – that catfish might be as long as the tale you told me). Stories form a huge part of life here. Social gossip spreads fast. Really fast. And the dreaming stories are a privilege to listen to. I have also felt an important sense of narrative surrounding the fact that Kununurra is a young town in an ancient country, and the stories of its birth pangs are still being written. An important part of that narrative begins with the birth of Lake Argyle. It is a man-made structure: a dam. The construction of the Ord River Dam, and the creation of Lake Argyle, were completed in 1971 by the American Dravo Corporation. The Miriwoong Gajirrawoong people that lived in the basin the dam now occupies were never consulted. The Commonwealth didn’t give them so much as a ‘hello, sorry your homes will be 63 metres under water a few weeks from now’. Lake Argyle is now home to those 35,000 crocodiles instead. Understandably, perhaps, Miriwoong Gajirrawoong people are notoriously angry. The memory of the flood that came and never stopped is only one generation old. There are still people alive who remember the water lapping around their feet. Those that did not flee were evacuated by helicopter from the islands that formed in the lake.
The native title case that was brought by Ben Ward and others in Ward v NT and Ward v WA was successful. Miriwoong Gajirrawoong people were given native title rights over most of their traditional lands surrounding Kununurra. The establishment of Aboriginal corporations under the Ord Final Agreement, between the state of WA and Miriwoong Gajirrawoong people, set out the terms under which the land could be developed, and government funding allocated to supporting and strengthening the communities there. And that, in a way, is why I was in Kununurra in the first place. I was sent as part of the Aurora Project as a legal intern with MG Corporation. The Aurora Project is an initiative that places students and graduates of anthropology, social science or law in Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander organisations that need assistance, and can support the experience of an intern. Coming from a philosophy, politics, and government background I’m sensitive to the pervasive political aspect of everything I do. There are no secrets here (and gossip, as I said, travels fast). Inter-family interests are so complicated
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from my perspective that it makes the patrician feuds of ancient Rome look like an episode of Neighbours. And, as I mentioned, Miriwoong Gajirrawoong people are angry. Meetings can be dramatic. This additional complication made the work I was doing more challenging and engaging, knowing that something was always at stake in the work I was doing. There was no small stuff. The direct relationship between MG Corporation’s work and the community relates to what I perceive as one of the benefits of working in a small organisation. Each individual bears a lot of responsibility. In my first week I jokingly described the Senior Legal Counsel as a onewoman legal army. Time revealed how correct that initial impression was. To be part of that has been an incredible learning opportunity, and for that reason (almost alone) I highly recommend it to any law student seeking a challenging and rewarding experience. For example, I expected to be doing at least a little bit of photocopying. Not so. Almost everything I’ve been doing has involved highly complex legal reasoning, involving a deeply strategic element to accommodate the political environment of the community. One of the most important aspects of the surrounding political environment is the need for consultation. Consultation is done notoriously badly with Indigenous communities. See, for example, the creation of Lake Argyle. You can see my other work on The NT Intervention and the
recent proposed amendments to the Aboriginal Heritage Act for examples where Aboriginal organisations aren’t given the time (even if they do have the legal expertise) to effectively and efficiently engage in legal processes that affect their interests. Consultation in Indigenous communities is also notoriously difficult. It is very important to get it right, however, both at the social level and one-on-one. I feel very strongly about wanting to do consultation right. It is the catch-phrase, almost, of my Law and Indigenous Peoples lecturer at Melbourne Law School – and I echo her sentiments. It needs to be done right. And to do it ‘right’, consultation needs to meaningfully support the self-determination of those communities. One of the problems from my perspective as an ex-government policy worker in this area is that consultation is often approached as a process of rubber-stamping decisions that have already been made by organisations. That doesn’t support the self-determination of those communities at all. That process may as well not even occur. Supporting self-determining communities is the only conceivable reason why such consultation would occur in the first place. Good consultation, I think, involves little talking. As Janet Hunt points out in her paper, ‘Engaging with Indigenous Australia’, consultation is (at its core) a relationship of trust, respect and honesty. It therefore involves a lot of listening. In that spirit, I feel the need to be very, very concise. Not simplistic – just concise. And to not hesitate in
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responding. Sometimes to hesitate comes across as being duplicitous because it might give the impression I’m being sneaky by thinking up an answer instead of giving the one I know is right. It seems important, too, to not advertise the fact that I think I’m acting in their best interests exclusively. In most of the communities I’ve visited, the Indigenous people are promised the world by white people who come and pretend to listen and make all the right noises and then nothing changes. In fact, most times, things continue to get worse … there just happens to be a new mine next door and a few members of the community get very rich, very quickly. That might sound cynical, but look at the statistics. Things aren’t getting any better. Every white person who has ever said ‘I’m here for you’ has tended to not in fact be acting in the best interests of the traditional owners exclusively. As Janet Hunt’s work also points out, that manipulation and abuse leaves deep emotional and psychological wounds on the collective psyche of Aboriginal communities. It doesn’t do settler society any favours either. Consultation, the motto goes, needs to be done right. The legal experience and training I gained here were all excellent. The two best parts of being in Kununurra were not, however, directly related to the legal work I did. They were related to how much of the community I was lucky enough to get involved in. The Warringari Corporation runs a Soberup Shelter and a Night Patrol. This service
ferries people around town to avoid drink-driving and other related issues. The shelter is equipped to sleep 24 people and is a safe place to get some food, a clean bed, and to sober up. The staff are a friendly mob of awesome people who work really hard for their community. They are typical of the powerful community leaders in Kununurra whose work goes completely unrecognized in the wider Australian community. These people do not get the attention they deserve. Another amazing part about being in Kununurra has been what it’s taught me about myself. I know that sounds like earnest drivel, but it’s true. I have stayed in Aboriginal communities for a few nights before. I’ve never lived in the middle of one. It was incredible to see my latent prejudices fall away and suddenly re-emerge at unexpected points. When a drunk Indigenous guy walked past me with a knife one night, stared at me and called me a ‘white ****’, I didn’t know whether to just run, tell him where to get off or to sympathise. It’s confusing. It turns out his name was David. As part of my volunteering at the Soberup Shelter I found this out because his family history was so horrific I can’t even write about it without feeling like I’m trivialising the sense of loss and grief David must have struggled with throughout his life. It’s not right to lower my expectations, and that’s not what I’m doing. I am simply struggling with my notions about what it means to expect someone to pull themselves up by their boot straps, kick the grog and become
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In most of the communities I’ve visited, the Indigenous people are promised the world by white people who come and pretend to listen and make all the right noises and then nothing changes. In fact, most times, things continue to get worse… there just happens to be a new mine next door and a few members of the community get very rich very quickly. That might sound cynical – but look at the statistics. Things aren’t getting any better. And every white person who has ever said ‘I’m here for you’ has tended to not in fact be acting in the best interests of the traditional owners exclusively. a healthy, productive member of society. Some dysfunction might be too ingrained. Some wounds might be too deep. Spending one Friday night at the Kununurra hotel was similarly interesting. It was so, so different to spending a night out drinking in Melbourne’s fashionable inner-North, sipping a fruity drink from a jam jar while bikes hang overhead for no apparent reason. Everyone was happy, and happy to share. Most people’s money went quickly. Not on their own drinks, but on those of other people. Despite this wonderful feeling of celebration with the people around me, one thing struck me as upsetting: as a white male in that community different standards apply to me. I’ve lived in plenty of places overseas. I’m not from Australia, and I
know what it feels like to be treated differently (read: better) because I’m a white male. A female friend compared her experiences with mine. She put it better than I could: ‘it was probably the first time in my life where I understood what it was like to be judged by criteria that I formerly saw as having nothing to do with me personally. Being a white, western woman meant a whole bunch of things that I wasn’t able to control, both negative and positive.’ And the truth of her observation was palpable in my context: I was acutely aware that being a white man meant people either embraced me or threatened to kill me. There was no middle-ground. The white women in the hotel, however, were perceived as being loose, rich, and if unprotected by men or family were totally available for consequence-free sexual harassment.
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I didn’t know what to do or how to feel about that. I didn’t intervene. I might have done. Arrogance is having different standards for yourself than those you have for other people. This wasn’t arrogance: at that point I wasn’t thinking less of the people around me and getting off on a sense of superiority. This was a point where my values and self-understanding were at their most compromised. At that point I realised that I was just confused. Don’t get me wrong: being here has been incredible. The people, the places, and the stories I’ve heard will stay with me, always. It’s just been upsetting and uplifting at the same time. At any given point I couldn’t decide if I wanted to stay for 5 years or get on the next plane out and not look back. The words of Kim Mahood, a Western Desert woman, were haunting me: ‘Kartiya [whitefellas who work in communities] are like Toyotas. When they break down we get another one’. I didn’t get on that plane, though. And I love Kununurra. I feel like it embraced me back. That sense of confusion I still feel is both understandable, I think, and a healthy part of any learning process worth embarking upon. That same friend I mentioned also recommended to me a quote by D.H. Lawrence. It didn’t solve my
conundrum, but that’s not the objective anyway. Instead, the following quote just helped me feel like coming here, and the feelings it produced, aren’t so strange: ‘If you want to know what it is to feel the “correct” social world fizzle to nothing, you should come to Australia. It is a weird place. In the established sense, it is socially nil. Happy-go-lucky, don’t-you-bother, we’re-in-Australia. But there also seems to be no inside life of any sort: just a long lapse and drift...’ To come somewhere totally different, to learn about a new place and to learn about yourself is to live, for a time, without the comfortable hand-rail of daily routine. Being no-one, ‘socially nil’ and making new friends is alienating. For a while it is ‘a long lapse and drift’. It is also, like the East Kimberley, a profoundly beautiful thing. Kununurra is indeed a really weird show, and one utterly worth the experience. If you are interested in undertaking a similar legal or anthropological internship, visit, www.auroraproject. com.au.
About the writer: David Allinson has been at Graduate House since November 2014, and is a final year JD student at the Melbourne Law School. He was previously a policy officer at the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services (Qld) and a PhD Candidate at the University of Sydney. He holds an honours degree in philosophy, has been an active member of a wide variety of community organisations and is currently Vice President of the Graduate House Student Group (GHSG). www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
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University Sector News Innovation Wistiki to the rescue
Two years ago three brothers returned to their Parisian home from vacation. Everything was as they remembered, apart from one detail: their cat was nowhere to be seen. Imagine if our cat could emit a tone – a ring – when we wanted to find it, they thought, and could find it quickly. Fast forward to 2015 and Wistiki was born. A small range of trackers, that look much like a keyring, that could be attached to any item. The tracker is linked to an app with enhanced features, which include, most importantly, a localisation feature so that the location of your item – keys or cats – can be easily discovered. “The initial reaction from customers was positive,” said Lisa Despeyroux of the Wistiki team. “I think this connected device, compared to others, is rather useful and beautiful at the same time. It’s a very helpful solution to a specific need – it finds items quickly.” The new Wistiki collection was born out of customer feedback. The team at Wistiki wanted a perfect product when they entered the very competitive US market. Having recently attended the consumer technology fair CES in Las Vegas, they found that most other trackers are a one size fits all solution, Wistiki on the other hand, is a little more bespoke. “We want something to fit perfectly, and with enhanced technical features,” said Lisa. Some Wistiki-unique features include GPS localisation, BLE range up to 328 ft., unique
and loudest ringtone, battery life up to three years reverse ringtone (find your smartphone, even when it’s on silent), and the virtual leash – receive an alert when your item moves away from your smartphone).
"It's a very helpful solution to a specific need."
“We’re also working on issuing a new app that can be embedded in other technology products. The new app is for the Starck collection and will have more features than the current app.”
“We will also release a soft toy later in 2016, based on feedback we saw that for many parents it’s a war at night looking for their children’s soft toy,” added Lisa. Designed by Philip Starck, known for designing Steve Jobs’ yacht, there are three designs to choose from, aha – small and round for a pet’s collar; viola – for any item; and hopla – a slim 3mm card like tracker for wallets, phones and so on. Wistiki is available for purchase online via the Wistiki Indigogo campaign page at a discounted price (redirects from Wistiki.com). The app will be available for download within the following months for Australia. www.wistiki.com
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University Sector News Extracurricular Les femmes fatales? In 2015 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that half of his cabinet was female. “It’s 2015,” he responded when questioned about his reasoning – while the rest of the world struggles to keep equality a top priority, as it falls further and further down the list, Trudeau saw that it was time for a change of pace.
Bolivia has the second highest percentage after Rwanda, with 50 per cent or 14/28 women in parliament. In March 1997, Bolivia passed a quota law enforcing political parties to invlude at least 30 per cent women candidates for elective posts. “The parties shall establish a quota of at least 30 per cent women on all the party’s decision-making levels and as
Data from the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, has revealed the various countries where the number of women in political leadership positions is truly outstanding, as well as other policies which support women. In Rwanda, parliament sees 63.8 per cent female, with 51 women per 80 seats occupied by women. However, these numbers come with a price: the post-genocide situation meant that around 70 per cent of the remaining population were female. Add to that the introduction of quotas requiring 30 per cent of political and government candidates to be women, and in terms of gender equality in government, Rwanda is actually outperforming Australia which sits at 26.7 per cent, or 40 per 150. In Sweden, the numbers sit at 43.6 per cent of the lower house composed of women, with 152 per 349 seats. In fact, Sweden boasts the largest proportion of working mothers in the European Union. Statistics from 2012 showed that 71.8 per cent of women were employed, and to put that in perspective, for men, those numbers are at 75.6 per cent. Working mothers with children under the age of six are also overrepresented in Sweden at 76.8 per cent. Sweden is also known to have a very flexible parental leave scheme which sees mothers and fathers each with 16 months of paid leave per child. Over in Finland, the numbers sit at 85/200 (42.5 per cent). Generous parental leave schemes support parents in Finland, and the country also sees one of the most supportive youth employment schemes. As of January 2013, everyone under 25 and recent graduates under 25 are offered a place in study, job training within three months of becoming unemployed.
such regards the candidates for representative office,” states paragraph four of the Political Parties Act (1999). In Australia, the numbers sit at 17.2 percent, or 5/30 for women in ministerial position, and in parliament 26.7 percent with 40/150 in the lower house, and 38.2 per cent or 29/176 for the upper house. Rule 10 of the ALP’s national constitution committed to the party having equal numbers of men and women at all levels in the organisation, and adopted a mandatory 35 per cent pre-selection quota for women. The coalition have not adopted any such measures, on the basis that “gender quotas contradict the principle of merit.” “The liberal party has an issue with female representation – but so does Australian politics in general,” stated a report from the Menzie’s Research Centre in 2015. Perhaps then a look to Mr Trudeau’s cabinet wouldn’t go astray for Australia – in his slightly paraphrased words, “it’s 2016.” For the complete dataset visit, www.unwomen.org
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Puzzles
Mind benders for our Members
Sudoku Sudoku is an 81 square grid comprising of nine square blocks, each with nine cells. To complete this puzzle, all blank cells must be filled with a number between and including 1 and 9. Each number can only appear once in each nine celled block, row and column.
Last edition’s results
Kakuro Use the numbers 1 to 9 to fill the empty cells so that the sum of each horizontal block equals the clue on its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the clue on top. Each number can only be used once per row/column.
Last edition’s results Please note that there might be more answer combinations possible.
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Cryptic Crossword
Across 1. Fruit for nippers? (4,6) 7. Street guide for someone unfamiliar with the area (8) 8. Uncommon and not at all well done (4) 9. American tug (4) 10. Upset if such a bloomer is revealed (7) 12. Islanders upset by nice pirates (11) 14. They fly although they are powerless to do so (7) 16. A dish from the Wild West? (4) 19. Dig in the dirt for food (4) 20. Inexperienced with cunning garden pests (8)
Down 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 11. 12. 13. 15. 17. 18.
Girl rebuilding yacht (5) Opposed to profit in a way (7) Seaweed in the National Gallery (4) A girl sounds pleased about followers (8) The world has a change of heart (5) Railway covered with cubes of frozen carbon dioxide (3,3) They obstruct gunners in boats (8) Mean attempt to follow friend (6) Land transformed into sea (7) Exclude fresh bread (5) Country and Western drinks (5) Clothing found in Durham river (4)
Last edition’s results Across: 1. Disciple 6. Eat 9. Oakum 10. Sceptre 11. Shotput 13. Grace 14. Duenna 15. Setoff 18. Rejig 20. Conifer 21. Buckram 22. Chess 23. Yes 24. Concrete
Down: 2. Irksome 3. Cam 4. Peseta 5. Evergreen 6. Extra 7. Thenewforest 8. Considerably 12. Panegyric 16. Offbeat 17. Acumen 19. Jacks 22. Car
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Academic and Professional Development Meetings The following groups from The University of Melbourne have convened meetings, workshops and seminars at Graduate House in November and December 2015. Academic Administration, Academic Services 4th, 9th, 10th November 62 attendees
Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN) 1st, 9thDecember 14 attendees
Centre for Epidemiology of Biostatistics, UoM - Group Meeting 24th November 14 attendees
Bachelor of Medical Science, UoM End of Year BBQ 17th December 16 attendees
Department of Finance Lunch 6th November 5 attendees
Department of Infrastructure Engineering 1st, 8th December 44 attendees
Department of Pathology, UoM Research Retreat 1st December 13 attendees
External Relations, UoM Challenging Conversations 30th November, 1st December 39 attendees
Faculty of Arts - Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions 25th, 26th, 27th November 180 attendees
Facilities & Sustainability Team Workshop, UoM - Workshop 7th, 9th December 22 attendees
Faculty of Business & Economics FBE DECRA Development Workshop 30th November, 1st, 2nd December 45 attendees
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Services Workshop 6th, 10th November 36 attendees
Finance - STEM Team University of Melbourne 17th December 17 attendees
Infrastructure Campus Services Staff Environment Advocates Meeting 12th December 30 attendees
Master of Research, UoM End of Semester Lunch 14th December 18 attendees
Melbourne Networked Society Institute Workshop 4th December 20 attendees
Melbourne School of Philosophy Dinner: Terry Pope 30th November 10 attendees
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health 13th, 17th November, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 15th December 118 attendees
Melbourne School of Engineering 25th November, 4th December 35 attendees
Melbourne University Student Union Ltd - Christmas Party 18th December 60 attendees
Research Development, MDHS 23rd November 40 attendees
School of Chemistry, UoM 20th November 12 attendees
UoM Commercial 20th November, 8th December 109 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 organise functions. Thank you for your patronage in November and December 2015. AMA Arts Christmas Dinner 1st December 24 attendees
Anne Campbell’s Christmas Dinner 26th November 8 attendees
Anthony Moffatt’s 40th Dental Reunion Dinner 21st November 30 attendees
Association of French Teachers in Victoria (AFTV) 6th November 50 attendees
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) 5th November 20 attendees
Australian Asian Association (AAA) 2nd November, 7th December 12 attendees
Australia-China Association (ASC) 2nd, 9th November 40 attendees
Australian Film Base (AFB) 5th, 10th, 16th, 24th November, 1st December 75 attendees
Aust. Food Hygiene Services (AFHS) 16th November 15 attendees
Australian and New Zealand Assoc. for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS) -YSA 23rd November 24 attendees
Australian School of Applied Management (ASAM) 10th, 11th, 16th, 17th, 24th, 25th November, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th December 294 attendees
Australia Teachers of Media (ATOM) 5th, 12th November 51 attendees
Barry Dance’s Retired Senior Officers Lunch 7th December 15 attendees
Betty Keay’s Christmas Dinner 14th December 10 attendees
Bill Brown - The Electrical Engineering Class of 1960s’ 18th November 20 attendees
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Academic and Professional Development Meetings Carlton Garden Primary School (CGPS) Year 6 Graduation 15th December 44 attendees
Carlton-Parkville Probus Club Inc 10th November, 8th December 153 attendees
Carlton Rotary - Heritage Cluster, D9800, Lunch and Board Meetings 10th, 17th 18th, 20th, 24th November 1st, 3rd, 8th, 15th 16th December 218 attendees
Career Education Association of Vic. (CEAV) Awards Night 19th November 22 attendees
Council of Australian University Librarians 12th, 13th November 160 attendees
Council of Professional Teaching Association of Victoria (CPTAV) 10th November, 14thDecember 35 attendees
CRC for Spatial Information 23rd, 24th November, 17th December 33 attendees
David Bennet, Fellowship Dinner 24th November 20 attendees
Dental Health Services Vic. (DHSV) 27th November 42 attendees
Foundation Studies, Pathways School, Trinity College 9th, 16th December 41 attendees
Franco Balsamo Life Celebration of Eileen Balsamo 6th November 100 attendees
Heart Research Centre Integrated disease management 18th, 19th, 20th November 81 attendees
IChemE Australia - JVCEC 2015 AGM 12th November 56 attendees
ISANA PD Session 19th November 40 attendees
John Cain Foundation 4th November, 9th December 76 attendees
Keith Ryall’s Special Celebration 6th November 50 attendees
Melba Group Forum 27th November 18 attendees
Melbourne Grammar School Form 5A 1948 (Stephen Cherry) 13th November 13 attendees
Modern Greek Teachers Association of Victoria (MGTAV) 19th November, 3rd, 16th December 37 attendees
Modern Language Teachers’ Association of Victoria (MLTAV) 16th, 25th, 30th November, 1st December 145 attendees
MosaicLab 6th, 30th November 4 attendees each day
National Council of Women Victoria 3rd December 60 attendees
Onemda - “First 1000 Days” 5th November 86 attendees
Order of St John, Evening Event 2nd November, 7th December 23 attendees
Organisation Development Australia (ODA) 25th November 18 attendees
Parking Australia AGM and Networking Event 26th November 35 attendees
Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre (PICCC) 3rd December 7 attendees
Research, Innovation & Commercialisation 16th, 17th November, 14th, 15th December 103 attendees
Rhodes Scholars’ Association Victoria (RSAV) 17th November 20 attendees
Rural Health Workforce Australia (RHWA) 26th November 30 attendees
Sienna Cancer Diagnotics Ltd 6th November 22 attendees
Slavery Links 13th December 4 attendees
Social Education Victoria (SEV) 11th, 18th December 48 attendees
St John Monash Institute 10th November 6 attendees
Supply Chain Logistics Association Australia (SCLAA) 19th November 6 attendees
Technology Management “Performing in a Crisis” 30th November 19 attendees
The Graduate Union Collegiate Events and Governance Meetings 4th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 17th, 18th, 20th, 25th November 1st, 2nd, 4th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 12th December 714 attendees
The Lowitja Institute Research Plan Planning 23rd November 4 attendees
Tomiko Morell Bistro Lunch Meeting 12th December 20 attendees
Turkish Teachers Association of Victoria (TTAV) 11th, 12th, 13th, 20th November 75 attendees
University College Review & Planning Day 16th December 18 attendees
Victorian Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation (VACR) 9th November 71 attendees
Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) 10th November, 12th, 17th December 53 attendees
Victorian Health Psychology College (VHPC) 14th November 29 attendees
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STORIES AT GRADUATE HOUSE
10 Years at Graduate House by Diana Bachman
“No matter how much time passes, no matter what takes place in the interim, there are some things we can never assign to oblivion, memories we can never rub away.” Haruki Murakami, Kafka on The Shore I will never forget the day I walked into Graduate House on 24th November 2005. I remember walking through the doors, looking across and seeing the Johnston library and I knew from that moment that I wanted to work here. It was just a feeling that came over me. Coming from a hotel background it was a challenge to get my head around people staying for a couple of nights compared to staying for more than one year. I remember when I took my first booking and the customer wanted to stay for six months or so. I was so excited. Now our residents stay from one to three years until they finish their degree which is really nice to know, as it proves that they are enjoying their stay with us. When residents graduate I am sad to see them go. They will have their own challenges ahead and achieve great things in their lives. I’ve seen many come back for a short visit, or some come in to say hello, however they make contact with us, it is always good to see them again and doing well in their careers. There were only five people in the office when I started. As Graduate House we needed more staff to accommodate this increase, so the number of staff grew. Over the years, some staff has come and gone or returned which is always nice to see. Graduate House is a very unique place. It gets into your blood and you can tell how much people become attached to this place by just how many staff members have been here for such a long time. It did take me a while to find my feet, each day bringing new experiences and challenges. There is always www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
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STORIES AT GRADUATE HOUSE something new to learn, to experience. After all these years you think you have done and heard it all, but it’s not the case. You always learn something new every day and there is never a dull moment. The Main house was already up and running when I first started. But I’ve seen the Annex Building (Stella Langford) been torn down and re-built to what we have today – three conference rooms and 10 self-contained deluxe apartments. At that time I was pretty worried if I was I ever going to be able to sell these rooms. But now there is nothing to be worried about. The apartments have become extremely popular with visiting academics and the new conference rooms are a real hit for big functions. The best thing about working at Graduate House is the people that surround you. We are like one big family where we laugh, we have our
moments, we all pull together, encourage each other, push ourselves to achieve and to become better people. We have wonderful functions throughout the year that bring all our residents and members together. Some of my favorite ones include the Special Morning breakfast for the residents. I love trying to come up with new smoothie recipes, and my coffee making skills have certainly improved a lot since the early days. Christmas in July has always been one of my favorite events where residents and staff get together and have a dance. The Members Christmas Party is another favorite, and we have had some wonderful speakers at our Twilight Lectures such as the indefatigable Father Bob Maguire. Ten years have gone by quickly. Does it feel like 10 years? Not at all. Who knows that the next ten years are going to bring – I might be here for another ten if they let me.
News From Council Welcome new councillors Faith Fitzgerald and Sarah Banks Sarah Banks has over 12 years experience within education and training, prominently in Alumni Relations with University of Melbourne, Victoria University and William Angliss Institute. She is currently the Deputy Director Alumni Relations at The University of Melbourne. Initially training in Visual Arts, majoring in fabric design and sculpture, she then set forth to continue qualifications in Education and Training. “My current role sees me focusing on strategy development and implementation of engagement programs for our global alumni community which is in excess of 360,000 living alumn,” said Sarah. Her graduate pathway has now led her to participate as a Council member for the Graduate Union, having attended her first Council meeting in November 2015. “I look forward to working with the council to support the ongoing success of Graduate Union and Graduate House and to ensure that members continue to enjoy the benefits and services provided.”
Faith Fitzgerald has served a long career in general management, spanning public and private sectors, has acted on a number of boards in the government and voluntary sectors, and is currently the secretary of the John Cain Foundation. Faith was CEO of RMIT Training Pty Ltd, the private business enterprise of RMIT University. It is a for-profit, commercial enterprise supporting the academic work of RMIT University. She was International Marketing Manager for an Australian technology company – Genasys II Pty Ltd, where she was responsible for sales and marketing in Australia, the UK, USA and Spain. Faith has also been an active member in her local community. "During the period when I was raising young children I was a Councillor and Mayor of the City of Doncaster and Templestowe," she said. She has worked in the Victorian Public Service in various roles within the senior executive service, including as Director Policy and Strategy at the Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands and in the management consultancy division of the Public Service Board. In respect to Council, she says: "I hope to contribute to the work of the council in growing membership, improving the quality of programs and increasing the profile of Graduate House, a hidden treasure in Melbourne!"
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STORIES AT GRADUATE HOUSE
Career FAQs During the holiday break people must have given some thought to career planning, which also resulted in a few interesting questions sent in by prospective participants. Agnes Banyasz, career strategist addresses five that have a strong general appeal. I hear and read a lot about the importance of ‘standing out’ with my application material, but am very unclear about how this can be achieved when most applicants are pretty good already. I don’t want to stand out by being too much ‘out there’. What would you advise? This is a question I hear frequently, and I usually suggest to approach it a different way: by forgetting about the notion of ‘standing out’ with some real, imagined or concocted extraordinary characteristic or attribute, and rather focus on ‘staying in’ the recruitment process for as long as possible, ideally until the job offer. Solid preparation will enable you to jump the hurdle of any online test and make it to the next level. In-depth research of the role, the organisation and its place in the industry will give you good understanding of the micro and macro context, which you can gainfully and clearly demonstrate in the customised CV, targeted cover letter and any phone or face to face interview situation, and stay in as a well prepared, interesting and desirable candidate. Should I bother with the cover letter or just write a quick note? I heard that recruiters
spend less than a minute on each application, in which case they won’t have time to read my letter anyway. Yes, please always bother with the cover letter. Experienced recruiters and selection committee members need only to glance at a letter to establish if it’s a mass produced standard letter with only the name of the company and role changed (sometimes even that is forgotten) or it’s a letter that is worth reading. Your letter says a lot about your communication and thinking style and allows you to build a bridge between your knowledge and skills gained through past experiences and the role you are trying to get. I’ve written down answers to many behavioural questions but still get nervous during interviews and often ramble instead of giving a good answer. Do you have any idea how to change this situation? Writing down answers to possible interview questions can be a useful first step in your interview preparation, as it helps you to gather your thoughts and identify key points. At the same time, memorising these written answers
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STORIES AT GRADUATE HOUSE and trying to ‘recite’ them is not a good idea as it uses up too much mental capacity, doesn’t allow for spontaneous, dynamic thinking and natural flow of the dialogue. You probably get nervous when you cannot recall the exact answer and start rambling because your previous thought process got interrupted. I suggest you move away from fully written down answers and instead line up half a dozen good examples from your past experiences – study, extracurricular or work – and match these to particular behavioural situations. If improvising doesn’t come easy to you, practise
these examples to as many questions as possible, but make sure you maintain the capacity to adjust them to the situation. Your answers should match your general communication style, and when they do, they roll off your tongue easily, sound genuine and make you interesting. A friend feels that so far she hasn’t done a lot to build her soft skills. Before attending the roundtables she would like to know more about the format because she dislikes workshops that have a lot of contrived role plays and group activities.
The Roundtables are designed and delivered in a format that stays true to their name – through relaxed collegiate discussions around a table where everyone’s voice matters, all comments and questions get addressed, information and ideas get shared and opportunity is created for acquiring new knowledge and skills. Case studies are often used and each roundtable ends with a Q & A session. Roundtable topics will cover: • Self awareness and creating your career trajectory • Working to strength • Show your best angle in your CV, letters, LinkedIn profile and interviews (bringing your current CV as well as information about jobs you’d like) • Build your network I don’t have any professional experience and would like to know how to shape my resume for roles in my professional area. Not everyone can amass professional experience during the university years and employers are interested in your overall experience rather than just discipline specific roles. So call the section on your CV ‘Experience’ instead of ‘Professional Experience’ and depending on how long you have been working, list most or all your roles, which, apart from some internships, have most likely been in retail, customer service, tutoring, sports coaching, hospitality, etc. These jobs say a lot about you in addition to the skills acquired and demonstrated; show that you could manage your time between studies, paid work and hopefully some extracurricular activities too, and in the cases when you stayed in a role for longer than a year, it indicates that your employer was satisfied with the quality of your work. So no job is too small and no experience is insignificant and all can contribute to your success!
Book now Thursday, March 3rd is the first Career Roundtable with Agnes Banyasz. To book, visit our website, call 03 9347 3428, email
admingh@graduatehouse.com.au or visit the venue, 220 Leicester Street, Carlton. www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
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STORIES AT GRADUATE HOUSE
There’s No Place Like Graduate House
The Bailey family from left: wife Courtney, daughter Caroline, son Thomas and past resident Tom
Tom was a resident in 1991, studying an MA in public policy, and came to Australia with a Rotary Foundation Scholarship. “The whole thing has transformed,” he says of Graduate House. “It’s larger, more modern, there are more people – three times as many – there were only 40 or so when I was here.” “There was only the main house and annex, with no conference facilities, just living space at that point.” All the buildings that were across the road have been torn down to make way for parking. From Seattle, Tom is on holiday with his family, and was last in Australia 25 years ago.
“He has been talking about Graduate House for 18 years,” says Courtney, his wife. “He was waiting until the kids were old enough to bring them here.” His travels have seen him stay with the people that he was staying with while at Graduate House. “It was an unbelievable cultural experience,” he says. “To school with others, to make contacts, and international friends, all when I was only 25!” Since his stay, he spent 18 years at Microsoft, and sees his time at Graduate House to have been “a hugely important part of my life.”
Indigenous Research Protocol Workshop The Clean Air and Urban Landscapes hub (CAUL) at the University of Melbourne in partnership with the Monash Sustainability Institute, Indigenous Architecture and Design Victoria, City of Melbourne and Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute held a workshop to develop a research protocol to guide bestpractice Indigenous engagement in relation to a range of research types. “We want to get the right foundations to assist us to develop an Indigenous research protocol that can be used across disciplines and in both academic and non-academic settings,” said Gordana Marin, of the Monash Sustainability Institute. This workshop, she explained, developed in part from a symposium held earlier in 2015 which
focused on Caring for Country in an urban setting. What was sought to be understood was how the principles of Caring for Country could be applied in an urban context, whether or not it was possible. “We realised that you do actually need to have proper processes regardless of the group of people you are talking to. But particularly when it comes to Indigenous people, because we haven’t always done this in the best way. So the idea is to improve the way we engage with Indigenous partners and increase Indigenous participation,” said Gordana. In this workshop, engagement and participation, and consideration of the cultural, social and legal aspects of the research process was focused on.
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STORIES AT GRADUATE HOUSE Dr Cathy Oke, Knowledge Broker at the Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub, explains that in all of our research in cities the Indigenous research perspective needs to be considered. “That might be from a traditional owner group perspective but also non-traditional owner group. It’s about contemporary Aboriginal culture and thought, and how Aboriginal culture could help design and plan the cities of the future,” she said. It’s about understanding the deep cultural connection to the spaces that are worked on and understanding not only how that can assist research, but also how research can benefit from the Aboriginal communities. Furthermore, it’s also important to start a conversation to better understand the Aboriginal communities that are being interacted with. Approaching a community and expecting a quick answer without placing value on that benefit it might give to the Aboriginal community, is an approach that clearly hasn’t worked, explained Ruben Berg, RJHB consulting, Indigenous Architecture and Design Victoria and workshop facilitator. “What has worked is when people actually develop relationships, so when they’re talking with the Aboriginal community, and they can see some research might align with that and what they say, well we’ve been working on this – how might that be useful for you, and how might we be able to work together. That is what does work,” said Mr Berg. Recognition, they explained, is not always done very well across all fields, and it’s not done very well when working with Aboriginal communities. “You might hear a great story of a person, site, or a place, recreate that in a book or paper, and then not properly acknowledge or offer recompense for your gain through their stories,” said Dr Oke.
“You’re asking people to give their time, expertise and their Intellectual Property, and so adding into your budgets adequate recompense, isn’t something that should be seen as a barrier at all,” added Dr Oke. Mr Berg explained that there are two gaps: engagement and fear. In the city space, for example there are multiple traditional owner groups that need to be consulted. This can be seen as a challenge. Consequently people may begin to fear the process, and do not commence the research process appropriately. Mr Berg, who has an architectural background, explains that a good starting point is to think about where you’re planning on working. “You’re building on a place that’s got 40,000 years of history on it – have you even considered that?” he said. In regards to engagement, talking with not only a specific traditional owner group, but the broader Aboriginal community is an imperative measure in the communication process. “I still think that whatever the research is you really should be considering Indigenous perspectives as we think about other stakeholders, you always need to be thinking about how you can increase the Indigenous perspective,” said Dr Oke. “We’re just people. We have the same complexities, the same difficulties, the same challenges, and the same concerns as everyone else. But we can sometimes have the unique perspective of the 40,000 years of history that we have here in Australia,” said Mr Berg. “It’s not just about helping Aboriginal people, and it’s not just about helping your research benefits – it’s about both parties working together to get an outcome that works for both of them.” nespurban.edu.au
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STORIES AT GRADUATE HOUSE
‘Energy Metabolism in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)’ PhD Oration Seminar In March 2012, I began a PhD at the University of Melbourne. Four years later, on 17th December 2015 I gave my PhD oration seminar, in which I presented the key findings of my research into the causes of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Most of you would have heard of this disease through the ‘ALS Ice Bucket Challenge’ fundraising campaign. ALS is characterised by the failure of motor neurons (that connect our brain to our muscles), resulting in paralysis and eventually death within 3-5 years of diagnosis. There is currently no cure for this terrible disease.
at Macquarie University, I then utilised this technique to grow cells taken from an ALS patient. This revealed a huge decrease in the expression levels of proteins essential for energy metabolism in the ALS patient cells. These findings shed new light on the mechanisms leading to motor neuron failure in ALS. I would like to thank the Motor Neuron Disease Research Institute of Australia and the donors of the Nancy Frances Curry Scholarship for their generous support of this work. - Alexandra Mot
One unique feature of motor neurons is that they have a very high energy demand. To supply this demand, cells within out body need to convert the food we eat into usable energy, a process known as energy metabolism. The focus of my PhD was to investigate the role of impaired energy metabolism ALS. I first developed a new technique which allowed me to examine the energetic state of cells grown in the laboratory. In collaboration with researchers
The New Graduate House Website For the last year various members of Graduate House staff have been working hard on the new website. Tuesday, January 12th 2016 marked the launch of this new digital venture, and hallmarks a great leap forward into the clickstream for our association.
‘Live Here’ you will find the form for late dinner requests, under ‘Learn Here’ you will find a digitised archive of all of our publications, and under ‘Coming Events’ – you get the idea. The difference now is that the site was built with the latest technology to enhance the user experience.
Designed to our style guide, the site features many parts you’d already be familiar with. Under
We wanted to create a vibrant website which reflected the great vibrancy and diversity that is so very innate to Graduate House. Excitingly, we have also incorporated our Medium blog onto this new site, so that all Resident stories, creative nonfiction, and other exclusive news and content finds its home in our virtual home. We invite you to peruse the site, and please, by all means, leave us feedback via the feedback form under ‘Contact Us’ and suggestion box. Happy clicking.
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Phone: 03 9347 3428 Email: admingh@graduatehouse.com.au Website: www.graduatehouse.com.au
The Graduate Union 220 Leicester Street Carlton VIC, Australia, 3053
D onation For m 2 0 1 5
The graDuaTe uNioN of The uNiversiTy of melBourNe iNc.
Donations Form From its establishment in 1911, Members have lived, learned and met together to continue the experience of ‘the meeting of the minds’ beyond university as they entered the workforce, had families, became leaders, volunteered across the world and retired. These Members built the organisation through great generosity in the form of donations of funds and buildings, bequests and sponsorship, together with volunteer and pro bono work. We seek always to honour this legacy and to foster a culture of active and contributing membership.
Please give to our unique association of graduates.
YOUR GIFT IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE
and acknowledged in The Melbourne Graduate (please specify if you wish to remain anonymous).
Donor Information TiTle: Name: DaTe of BirTh: Name of orgaNisaTioN, group or uNiversiTy DeparTmeNT/ school: (for orgaNisaTioN memBers oNly)
Contact Information BusiNess:
afTer hours:
moBile:
email: aDDress: (NumBer, sTreeT Name or posT office Box, suBurB, sTaTe, posTcoDe aND couNTry) my DoNaTioN will Be $auD: aT frequeNcy:
oNce-off
weekly
moNThly
aNNually
i auThorise The graDuaTe uNioN To seND me a remiNDer To seND iN a cheque or puT moNey iNTo The gu accouNT
Please complete this section, and the sections overleaf, and send to The Graduate Union 220 Leicester Street, Carlton, Victoria Australia, 3053. Donation Form Page One of Two
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Phone: 03 9347 3428 Email: admingh@graduatehouse.com.au Website: www.graduatehouse.com.au
The Graduate Union 220 Leicester Street Carlton VIC, Australia, 3053
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The graDuaTe uNioN of The uNiversiTy of melBourNe iNc.
Method of Payment - Please tick choice of payment
Please tick choice of payment and write the amount you wish to donate
cheque amouNT $ ____________________ payaBle To The graDuaTe uNioN of The uNiversiTy of melBourNe iNcorporaTeD
BaNk TraNsfer amouNT $ ____________________
accouNT Name: The graDuaTe uNioN of The uNiversiTy of melBourNe iNcorporaTeD BaNk: NaTioNal ausTralia BaNk BsB: 083 170 accouNT NumBer: 515612137
swifT coDe: (for iNTerNaTioNal TraNsfers) NaTaau3303m
DescripTioN of TraNsfer: your surName or group/ orgaNisaTioN aND The worD ‘memBership’ creDiT carD amouNT $ ____________________
carD NumBer: __________/__________/__________/__________ expiry DaTe: ____________________ carDholDer Name: ______________________________________ sigNaTure: _________________________________________________________
Direct My Donation to:
Please indicate your preferred donation target
The fund of highest priority and need at the time of my donation Buildings Resident Members Capital Fund I am Interested in Gifting to Name: a space wiThiN The graDuaTe uNioN (BuilDiNg, floor, room or oTher space) a scholarship or aN awarD To a resiDeNT memBer a recogNiTioN of excelleNce awarD for a resiDeNT or NoN-resiDeNT memBer a career or reTiremeNT DevelopmeNT program for aN iN-career or a reTireD memBer
My Bequest (will) i woulD like To proviDe for The graDuaTe uNioN iN my will
(please TelephoNe The graDuaTe uNioN oN 03 9347 3428 iN This circumsTaNce) Donation Form Page Two of Two 10 664 963 Association IAR No. A0023234B www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN: 55610 664ABN: 963 556 | Incorporated Registration No. A0023234B
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