The Melbourne Graduate
December 2020
The Graduate Union of The University of Melbourne Inc.
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
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The Melbourne Graduate
IN THIS ISSUE membership
OUR COLLEGE Message from The Graduate Union
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a covid year A COVID Year at Graduate House
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Thank you for your donations
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Annual general meeting The 108th AGM of The Graduate Union of The University of Melbourne
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New Members
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Changemakers: A hundred years of Victorian Graduate Women
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Louis A Coutts
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Dr Chanchal Chandramouli
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Merium Kazmi
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OUR MEMBERS REMEMBERED Our Deepest Condolences
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GU COLLEGIATE
Mr Clive Roger Hele Brookes
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Monthly Luncheons
Dr Allan Terence Casey
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February – Ambassador Izzat Abdulhadi
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Mr Adrian Holst
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March – Helen Parker OAM
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Mr William James Clarke Cushing
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August – Dr Kate Cherry
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Dr Richard David Harcourt
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September – Phillipa Challis OAM
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Dr Christopher Jenkins
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October – Associate Professor Nicola Reavley
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November – Dr Ross McMullin
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Special Events Laureate Professor Peter Doherty
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Victor Perton
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Megumi Miki
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The Melbourne Graduate December 2020 — Volume 73, Number 2 Periodical Newsletter of The Graduate Union Print Post Approved PP337834/00022 Incorporated Association Registration Number A0023234B Editorial and Photography by the Publications Team. All other images have been obtained from publicly sourced domains. Printed by City Copy
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Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
The Melbourne Graduate
MESSAGE FROM THE GRADUATE UNION 2020 — SEVENTY YEARS OF THE MELBOURNE GRADUATE
1950 saw the first editions of the Melbourne Graduate. These originals and all editions published since have been housed in the State Library of Victoria. 2020 thus marks seventy years of this periodical. For those sitting in 2040 in the Domed Reading Room (opened in 1913 just two years after our Association began) and reading this December issue, the challenges of 2020 will be long gone but there will be much to learn from in the archives! For the world, 2020 is marked by a sticky virus (SARSCoV-2) that has spread in waves to all parts of the globe, infecting 70 million people and killing near 1.6 million. The approaches to counter this pandemic have varied from country to country, person to person, but we have all shared a year of great challenge. As our northern hemisphere Members head into winter and face further waves, here in Australia we are easing cautiously out of restrictions and greeting sunnier days. Our hearts go to those in other regions who are facing ongoing health and economic issues with this pandemic, and we hope you will soon be on the path to recovery and heading to our shores. Graduate House has continued as a “home away from home” for those residents who remained, by choice or decree, following the March mass exodus. We have been honoured to work with these intelligent and compassionate scholars to provide a safe residence, physically and mentally; and thank them for their compliance and for feedback that enabled us to implement feasible, sensible and continuous quality improvements during one of the toughest periods of our Association’s existence. With closure of our meeting and function spaces for much of this year, we report in this edition on the few GU Collegiate events that were convened, including our 108th Annual General Meeting held online in August. We look forward to returning to a full schedule at Graduate House in 2021 and encourage your attendance and participation. We also present in this edition stories from and about our Members, including those who are early on in their 'graduate pathway' and those who have sadly died during the year. We hope that this Melbourne Graduate will be enjoyed by all who read it now and in the future. From all of us here at Graduate House and in our Association across the world, we wish you a safe and happy festive season, a Merry Christmas and a wonderful year ahead.
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
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a covid year
A COVID YEAR AT GRADUATE HOUSE When the intention to introduce restrictions was announced by the Victorian Government in March, the Council (board) of our Association met urgently to discuss the next steps in order to continue operations and care for our residents. At the same time we said sad farewells to some of our international Resident Members who had to return to their home countries, in anticipation of further lockdowns being enforced in their respective countries. Changes in line with safety measures Changes were made in the way in which we delivered our services to ensure the safety of our Members, residents and staff. As social distancing and other measures taken to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 had been reducing the transmission of the coronavirus in other countries, similar rules were introduced at Graduate House. These included rigorous cleaning and sanitising regimes, compulsory mask wearing, floor markings, temperature recording and the setting up our dining room layout according to guidelines, thus ensuring that all requirements were met.
Our cleaning and sanitising measures adhere strictly to all hygiene and safety measures.
Cancellation of GU Collegiate events and Meeting and Function Services. At the same time, Graduate House made the decision to cancel all GU Collegiate events. From April 2020, we thus did not host Monthly Luncheons, College Tables, the Welcome BBQ, Italian Conversation Dinners, Bridge nights, Special Morning Breakfasts, the Women’s Forum and the Ramadan Iftar Dinner. After discussions with the CEO of the Influenza Specialist Group, our annual Influenza Vaccination Day – originally scheduled for 28th April – was also cancelled. This period also saw the closing of our dining room, and of our meeting and function services. In June, with the city of Melbourne easing a little into Stage 3 restrictions, Graduate House was able to open temporarily its doors to welcome Members back into the Dining Room. For
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Meals were delivered to resident rooms during Stage 4 lockdown.
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
a covid year
example, on the 26th June, we welcomed the Melba Group, who held their first lunch meeting since February. While practising social distancing and with face masks in hand, the ladies convened over a healthy meal of frittata and a selection of cheeses. Graduate House During Lockdown In July, when it was announced that Melbourne was entering into six weeks of lockdown, Graduate House again closed its doors, remaining operational only for residents, and observed all health and safety measures strictly. This meant that our existing residents were again no longer permitted to have their meals in the Dining Room and the recommencement of meals being delivered to their rooms. While 'confined' in their respective rooms, our residents were kept in touch with us via weekly emails which enabled them to make enquiries, place orders and advise us on their dietary requirements. Hybrid Meetings Graduate House is well equipped to hold ‘hybrid’ meetings — with some delegates at Graduate House and others participating remotely online and seen on large screens. During lockdown we held online-only forums and since November, with Victoria opening tentatively again after its second wave, we were able to use our up-to-date videoconferencing and audiovisual equipment, large screens, good internet connections and great onsite technical assistance to convene with people both at Graduate House and online. We also provided a remote add-on service to help delegates set up at home and learn how to use these platforms.
The Melba Group on 26th June for lunch.
Distancing measures in place in our meeting rooms.
Graduate House is registered with Melbourne City Council (Class 2) to prepare and serve food and beverages. We thus continued to adhere strictly to all hygiene and safety measures. For meetings and functions here in these times, we are now serving our delicious and nutritious in-house-prepared food pre-plated and covered, and through slots in protective screens. Our restrooms and all surfaces are cleaned very regularly and then wiped with antiviral disinfectant. New Takeaway Menu This COVID year also saw the invention of the GH Takeaway Crane. Inspired by the cranes GU meals served through slots in protective screens.
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
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a covid year
at the Parkville Station Construction site, this enables safe serving of takeaway food from Graduate House to those on Leicester Street and in University Square enjoying the wonderful sunlight and greenery. The crane is located outside the door at 224 Leicester St, between the Johnston Library and the Barbara Funder Lounge. Graduate House staff
The Graduate House Takeaway Crane.
During this challenging period, our staff have supported each and every person through this difficult period, and have worked incredibly hard and efficiently to change our operational model so that we could meet capacity limits and distancing restrictions that have affected every aspect of our college life. While health measures are paramount to our residents, the health and safety of our staff who are at the frontline of service delivery are also important. With that in mind, Graduate House continues to adhere strictly to the guidelines from the Victorian Department of Health. Hardcopy publication and post We apologise that we have been unable to print and post our publications for the time being, due to tight cash flow but promise to resume these publications once we are back to normal here. We continue to produce and send these publications in a digital format via email and to upload them to our website (see the Publications page under the Join Us tab).
We welcome our Monthly Luncheon guests at the November lunch.
Thank you for your support In April, Graduate House launched a COVID-19 financial relief campaign and asked Members, friends and supporters of our Association to consider supporting our residents and staff. Like many other businesses, our Association has been severely impacted by this big ‘hit’. As we look forward to a safe reopening and fight for survival, we recently launched a Christmas Appeal which we hope will see us though the challenging months ahead and until the return of students to campus and, thus, to college. We thank those who have kindly donated to the mid-year COVID-19 Staff and Resident fund and to the Christmas Appeal. It is so heartwarming to receive your donations, especially during this most financially difficult time. Your support and generosity will see us prevail and let us continue the good work of this enduring Association.
Resident Members enjoying face-to-face meals in the dining room. Page 6
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
donations
THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS Miss Radhika Agarwal
The Hon David Harper AM
Mrs Valerie Rae
Miss Joan Ansell
Mr Graeme Harris
His Hon Judge Peter Rendit
Mr Leonard Bailey
Ms Pauline Henthorn
Mr Ronald Ritchie
Mr Ian Barnes
Professor Brian Howe AO
Ms Marcia Roche
Ms Georgina Batky
Mrs Christine Iseli
Miss Ann Rusden
Mr Alan Bell
Dr Anne Jabara
Mr Keith Ryall
Mrs Margaret Bland
Mrs Muriel Johnstone-Need
Mr Graham Ryles OAM KSJ
Dr Geoffrey Bowell
Ms Mary Kelleher
Mr Leonard Santalucia
Ms Diana Bryant AO QC
Mr Michael Kingston
Mrs Margaret Sawyer
Mr Ronald Burgoine
Dr Zoltan Kiss
Mr Dennis Schroeder
Dr James Butler AM
Mr Brian Krahnert
Mr Martin Seneviratne
Ms Sarah Butler
Mr John Landy AC, CVO, MBE
Dr Elizabeth Shaw
Mrs Anne Campbell
Mr John Lang
Mr Frank Shaw
Mrs Andrea Casey
Dr Lawrence Lau
Mr Peter Sholl
Mrs Diana Cherry
Mr Kenneth Lee
Mr David Sparks
Miss Wendy Cobcroft
Mr Kim Lee
Dr Max Stephens
Mr Ewan Colson
Associate Professor William Lewis
Professor Kevin Stevenson AM
Mr Stuart Colvin
Ms Margaret Lilly
Professor John Stillwell
Emeritus Professor Martin Comte OAM
Mr Hong Muan Lim
Mr Stephen Stuart
Mrs Grietje Croll
Dr Gail Littleton
Dr Vanitha Sundra-Karean
Mrs Emily Cross
Ms Sidney Lui
Tan Family Trust
Mrs Genevieve Davies
Mr Martin Mahood
Mr Neil Taylor
Professor David de Kretser AC
Mr George and Mrs Connie Markou
Ms Margaret Toomey
Dr William Denholm
Mrs Mary Maslen
Professor Brian Tress
Mr Lindsay Doig
Dr James Mawdsley
Mr Ian Tyler
Mrs Suzanne Driver
Mrs Margaret Mayers
Ms Jocelyn van Balkom
Ms Patricia Elvins
Mrs Moureen Mearns
Ms Anthea Warford-Mein
Mr John Farrell
Mrs Elizabeth Minasian
Ms Heather Wheat
Ms Gwendolynn Gage
Mr Vincent Mirabelli
Ms Robyn Whiteley
Mr Ted Gallagher
Mr Philip Moss AM
Dr Sumitra Wickramasinghe
Dr Czesia Geddes
Mrs Fiona Nolan
Dr David Wilson
Mr Geoffrey Gronow
Mr Philip Norman
Dr Kai-Lin Yang
Mr Ken Haddock
Mr Graham Ogilvy
Mrs Alison Harcourt
The Hon Tony Pagone
Professor Geoffrey Harcourt AC
Mr Don Pemberton
Associate Professor John Harcourt OAM
Dr Patricia Phair
Mr Roy Hardcastle AO
Mr Keith Pyers
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
Thank you also to those who gave to the Donation Box and who have nominated to remain anonymous.
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annual general meeting
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The 108th AGM of The Graduate Union of The University of Melbourne
Pre-Annual General Meeting (AGM) The CEO/Head of College, Dr Kerry Bennett, commenced pre-AGM proceedings by explaining the processes for conducting the meeting using technology (via the Zoom application) as provided in rule 38. Members participated in a test remote polling voting exercise to prepare for voting during the AGM. Dr Bennett introduced The Hon Diana Bryant AO QC, the President of The Graduate Union of The University of Melbourne Inc. Open Annual General Meeting The President took the Chair of the Meeting, and declared the 108th AGM of the Association open at 5:35PM, and welcomed all Members to the meeting and introduced members of Council, the Auditors, the Accountant and the Returning Officer. President’s Address The Hon Diana Bryant began the President’s Address by noting that this was her first chairing of an AGM as President and that with the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, this AGM was a virtual, and “far from a normal”, AGM. She looked forward to Page 8
President of The Graduate Union, The Hon Diana Bryant.
seeing Members in person at the next AGM in 2021. She commended the response of the CEO/Head of College and staff to the pandemic, saying that the Association was fortunate to have Dr Bennett as our CEO with her expertise and academic background to recognise the threat immediately, and to understand how to address it to create a supportive and safe environment for the residents and staff. Dr Bennett has had to deal with the financial modelling, and share the apprehension of what the future holds, including the retrenchment of some longstanding staff, to enable the Association to remain financially responsible and viable. All this required “not just good luck, [but] also good planning and execution”. The President noted that the Association was fortunate to have had Cr Rhys Watson as Chair of the Finance and Audit subcommittee. The Association is in a sound financial position, but she noted that it would be foolish not to acknowledge that there may be worse to come. Graduate House had maintained 50% occupancy of our accommodation, but when the academic year ends most occupants will leave and, along with the higher education sector, we do not know what the future holds. The Hon Diana Bryant then addressed the departure of Cr The Hon Gaetano (Tony) Pagone from his chairmanship of, and from, Council, noting that he has served the organisation extremely diligently over many years, including through this difficult year. Cr Vince Mirabelli was
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
annual general meeting
to be the incoming Chairperson of Council and had been heavily involved in the administration especially this year, as have all the Council. The organisation will continue to be well served by the incoming Chair and Councillors. Finally, the President acknowledged all the Council for their work and particularly for their diligence and application since COVID-19. Special thanks also went out to Dr Bennett and the staff who have borne the brunt of this pandemic. The President concluded by saying that everyone has been mindful of the students whose safety was entrusted to us, and of the membership who are looking forward to the fellowship we anticipate resuming, hopefully, sooner rather than later. There is cautious optimism about our future, but the Association will not stop being realistic either if difficult decisions are required. Report from Chairperson of Graduate Council The Hon Gaetano (Tony) Pagone noted that this was his last report as Chairperson of the Council of The Graduate Union. He said that times of stress reveal the strength of people and organisations. That is no less true of the Association and Chairperson of Graduate the people in it. The Council, staff moved quickly The Hon Gaetano (Tony) and decisively at the Pagone. start of the pandemic to ensure the safety of all and the continuation of our activities in accordance with government health, and other, directions. We could not have been better placed, and better served, than by Dr Kerry Bennett as CEO and Head of College. Many hard, and some sad, decisions were taken, but they have been made with knowledge, human compassion and in line with the ethos of the Association. The strains upon the Association during these times have also shown the real strength of our governance structures and of our overall finances. The focus of Council has been to ensure that the Association has continued to be managed appropriately in the changed circumstances.
The Deputy Chairperson, Cr Vince Mirabelli, was called upon to assist in filling the role as Chairperson whenever Cr Pagone was unavailable to ensure continuity in the transition that will be required after this AGM. The Association is fortunate with the Council members it has had in these troubled and unexpected times. Among those is Cr Rhys Watson who, like Cr Pagone, did not stand for re-election to Council at a time when the impact of COVID-19 was not anticipated. Cr Watson continued in his role of Chair of the Finance and Audit subcommittee and in that role has provided invaluable leadership and important expertise at a crucial time. Thanks were also extended to those new Council members who were elected a few months ago but were not formally able to take their place as Council members until this AGM. However, they were able to participate at all Council meetings since the results of the Council elections were known. This was important to ensure that those who have the tasks of continuing with the governance of the Association through, and after, the pandemic be involved in the decisions that were being taken by Council before they could formally take their position on Council. Continuity in governance and decision making in times of crisis is important. A particular highlight for the Association since the last AGM was the acceptance of the Hon Diana Bryant AO QC to the position of President. The role of the president of The Graduate Union is important. It is not a nominal or symbolic position, although the people who have been the Association’s president over the years, like Diana Bryant, add to the prestige of the Association. We are grateful and honoured by her agreeing to have accepted the position and to have become involved with the activities of the Association as fully as she has in these difficult times. Sadly, we have lost some of our residents and staff as a result of the pandemic. This has been inevitable but has been kept to a minimum. Thanks were expressed to all residents, staff and Members of the Association for the support over these difficult times and during the whole of Cr Pagone’s time as a member of Council and as Chair of the Association. Concluding, Cr Pagone noted that it had been a privilege to be on Council and to have been its Chair. “It is heartening to be able to say that the Association continues to function well and that it will continue to have a strong and long future.”
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annual general meeting
Report from Chief Executive Officer/Head of College The CEO/Head of College, Dr Kerry Bennett, thanked the President and the Chair of Council, and informed Members that her report would be of both 2019 activities and of those in 2020 to address the impacts of the global pandemic. With respect to 2019, the CEO/Head of College reported: • the launch and successful implementation of the first year of the Association’s third strategic plan with progress on all key result areas of the strategic priorities of an innovative, influential membership, a culture of giving, planned and achieved major projects, well-managed finances and mitigated risk and effective responsive stewardship; • 22 GU Collegiate events with approximately 1,679 attendees and insightful speakers/ convenors from many different disciplines, walks of life and countries; • 25,346 delegates attending 1,242 events and functions convened by 223 groups, predominantly in the not-for-profit sector; • with now 145 rooms (including 31 bedsits off-site), continued high college occupancy, averaging 89%, and more than 800 residents from many different regions of the world, as well as increasing demand with over 45,000 graduates enrolled in the two key source universities (The University of Melbourne and RMIT); • progress with the redevelopment of the terraces from 222 to 234 Leicester Street, and with the capital campaign through the establishment of a project control group that met monthly; • impacts from, and progress with, neighbouring construction activities, particularly with the Parkville Station and University Square; and • gratitude to Members for donating to the annual appeal and for considering the Association as a beneficiary in their wills. With respect to 2020, the CEO/Head of College reported: • significant impacts on the Association across all revenue-generating units, particularly with respect to residential accommodation and meeting/function services; Page 10
• the health and safety measures adopted at Graduate House to mitigate the risk of infection transmission, to meet the federal and state governments’ restrictions and to retain business and going concern; • a proactive and responsive approach delivered by dedicated, professional and hard-working staff, and with sound governance and leadership by all members of Council and the subcommittees; • continual defining of different scenarios (worst, likely, best) and financial modelling and forecasting for each; • the receipt of government support through JobKeeper and cash flow boosts at the federal level, and the Business Support Fund at the state level; • staff redundancies and permanent reductions in hours; • efforts towards new accommodation offerings and the launch of a new Get Advice page; and • gratitude for the continued and strong moral and financial support from Members. In concluding, the CEO/Head of College thanked the Members, the President, the Council and its subcommittees and her much-appreciated colleagues on staff. Financial Report for the Year Ended 31st December 2019 The Chairperson of the Finance and Audit subcommittee, Cr Rhys Watson, outlined the key results for the financial year ending 31st December 2019 indicating that: • operating revenue of $3.797M had increased by 1.6% since 2018 and had been generated primarily from accommodation ($2.36M, 62.2% of revenue) and catering ($1.27M, 33.5%); • donations and bequests had increased from $388K in 2018 to $431K in 2019; • key expenses continued to include those for salaries and wages ($1.73M, decreasing from 2018 by $56K) and catering ($0.54M, slightly lower than that in 2018); • interest payments had increased year on year due to the full year of expenses following acquisition of the Barkly Place apartments late 2018;
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
annual general meeting
• surplus of $0.42M was $0.13M greater than that in 2019, and total comprehensive income in 2019 of $0.67M was $0.66M less than that in 2018 due to the higher increase to the buildings valuation with the late 2018 acquisition of the Barkly Place apartments; • cash flow from operating activities of $105K was $137K lower than in 2018; • cash and cash equivalents by the end of the financial year increased from $117K to $208K; • borrowings included $7.052M from NAB and $4.297M from Bank Australia; and • total equity (assets minus liabilities) had increased from $28.45M to $29.10M in 2019. Election of Council Members The Returning Officer, Mr Ron Ritchie, provided his election report, indicating that at the close of nominations on 12th March 2020, three valid nominations had been received for the three vacancies to be filled on Council, declaring elected Cr Molina Asthana, Cr Martin Comte and Cr Natalie Gray and indicating the terms of office for all three to be until the 2023 AGM. The Hon Diana Bryant welcomed and congratulated the elected Councillors and provided short biographies for each, and also welcomed Cr Gabrielle Reilly, explaining that Cr Reilly had been appointed to Council as provided in rule 48.1(d). Gratitude was extended to retiring Councillors and a short account of their contribution to the Association while on Council was given. Appointment of the Auditor The Hon Diana Bryant reminded Members that Mr Sam Claringbold and his team from JTP Assurance had undertaken the independent audit for the past four financial years of the Association and had been recommended for reappointment to undertake the audit of the 2020 financial year. A motion that the appointment of Sam Claringbold of JTP Assurance to undertake the independent audit for the financial year ended 31st December 2020 was raised and carried.
Motions for Special Resolution The Hon Diana Bryant confirmed that Members had received notice of two motions for Special Resolution, as well as the detailed Explanatory Memorandum in which was outlined the rationale and justification for the proposed amendments to the Rules of The Graduate Union of The University of Melbourne Incorporated. Both motions were raised and carried. Discussion and Question Time Cr Davis OAM congratulated the President, Council and the staff on the success of the AGM and for their approach and hard work during the pandemic, and noted technology issues for potential remedy at subsequent meetings using technology. The Hon Diana Bryant noted that this was the first time that the Association had held the AGM entirely online and that continuous quality controls would be implemented to ensure best participation by Members at such meetings in the future. No further comments or questions were received from Members. Honorary College Fellows The Hon Diana Bryant announced the appointments (in absentia) of Associate Professor Kate MacNeill and Professor John Polesel as Honorary College Fellows, noted that both had volunteered as the academic mentors for the two 2018 United Board Fellows who had resided at Graduate House and gave short biographies. Date of Next Annual General Meeting The Hon Diana Bryant advised Members that the next AGM was scheduled for Thursday, 27th May 2021. Close of Meeting The Hon Diana Bryant thanked Members for attending the AGM and for embracing the technology and thanked the CEO/Head of College and staff for their significant efforts in preparing and hosting the meeting. Dr Bennett extended gratitude to The Hon Diana Bryant AO QC for chairing the meeting and joined the Members participating at the meeting in applauding such. The Hon Diana Bryant declared the meeting closed at 6:38PM.
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GU COLLEGIATE
FEBRUARY MONTHLY LUNCHEON Ambassador Izzat Abdulhadi
The February Monthly Luncheon hosted Ambassador Izzat Abdulhadi, a professional diplomat who has worked widely within Palestine’s Non-Government Organisation (NGO) sector. Speaking on the topic Of Why Palestinian People Reject President Trump’s Plan, ‘The Deal of the Century’, he mentioned that he had previously planned to speak on another topic, but changed to this one, which he felt was both timely and important. Mr Abdulhadi’s previous experience includes establishing the Bisan Centre for Research and Development, an NGO committed to community development and civil society strengthening in Palestine. In this role, his organisation helped to establish the Palestinian NGO network (PNGO). He was also part of the establishment of the Arab NGO Network for Development, where he became a member of its steering committee. Following this role he became a part of the Palestinian Diplomatic Corp, and was then appointed Head of the Embassy of the State of Palestine to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific nations. Mr Abdulhadi began his presentation by briefly outlining the reception that President Trump’s plan had received since its launch and the historical context behind the Israeli and Palestinian conflict, preceding the new plan. Acknowledging
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it as a very long and intensive document, Mr Abdulhadi says the new ‘Peace to Prosperity’ Plan represented the “vision, strategy and approach” of the government in Israel. Since its launch, the plan has been rejected by the European Union, the Arab League Council and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation countries; and been ruled out by the Palestinian people and leadership. This unanimous rejection gives a sense of the process, content and foundation of the plan, and its sustainability, Mr Abdulhadi said. “This is not just affecting Palestine. We are a part of this globe and promoting and enhancing global democracy and global governance, so this affects the whole world. It is a violation of international law. And it’s based on power and might, and even naked power.” Describing Palestine as “vibrant” prior to Israel being formed, Mr Abdulhadi said that historic Palestine under the British mandate had a population of one million people, national boundaries and a national currency: the Palestinian pound. The country enjoyed a peaceful co-existence with its Jewish community. To read the full review, go to: https://issuu.com/graduatehouse/docs/march_2020_ newsletter_online_version pages 16-18.
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GU COLLEGIATE
MARCH MONTHLY LUNCHEON helen parker OAM
They say that nothing changes your life as much as having a baby, and our March Graduate House Monthly Luncheon speaker, Helen Parker OAM, can vouch for that.
The ‘system’ was helping but only really putting on a 'band-aid'. Many people were giving things to women but no-one was linking these things together or understanding what their needs were.
As founder of The Babes Project, Helen’s own life experience contributed to her establishing this one-of-a-kind organisation that supports pregnant women and “creates communities for Australia’s most vulnerable women”.
Finishing with the program after four years, followed by a couple more years of parenting, she soon realised that every woman in her life was a single mum, and that she had become the person that people went to about single parenting. Helen says she looked around and realised that it was the same problem she saw at Box Hill Hospital.
Talking about her first-hand knowledge of the gaps experienced by new mothers, Helen says that her own story is similar to that of a lot of women. Helen fell pregnant while at university, at the age of 20, in her third year of an architecture degree. The pregnancy was her ‘wake-up call’ that forced her to live more by her values and made her reassess her relationships. “When every person around me told me that I really shouldn’t have the baby, and that I wouldn’t be supported, I knew then, I needed to change my path.” While at Box Hill Hospital, the midwife started a conversation with her about the kind of support young women need while having a baby. It was at that point where Helen found herself with a new opportunity: working in a clinic for young women. Working in a program at Box Hill Hospital, Helen says it was there that she realised that this issue was a vital part in how we were raising the next generation, that women were making brave decisions, and yet they were alone and scared.
Knowing there weren’t many positive options for vulnerable people in the community, Helen decided to open The Babes Project in Croydon in 2009. This centre provided support for women at all stages of pregnancy and parenting, and adopted a holistic approach. The Croydon centre became so successful that they decided to replicate the model. “Frankston, at the time, had the highest teen pregnancy rate in metropolitan Melbourne. It is very different from our Croydon centre. It has a high amount of drug and alcohol abuse in families, with lots of teens there. We’ve had our two youngest mothers there: 12-year-olds.” To read the full review, go to: https://issuu.com/graduatehouse/docs/april_may_ newsletter_2020_online_version pages 18-20.
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
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GU COLLEGIATE
AUGUST MONTHLY LUNCHEON MS Ambassador Dr Kate Cherry
August saw the return of our first Monthly Luncheon since March (due to the COVID-19 pandemic). It was wonderful to see the friendly faces of Members and friends who joined us via Zoom. Our guest speaker was Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Ambassador, Dr Kate Cherry. MS Ambassadors are inspirational volunteers who are either living with multiple sclerosis or caring for someone who has this condition. MS is a disease of the central nervous system where plaques (or lesions) develop in the white matter of the brain or spinal cord. Consequently, it can impact any part of your body, your nervous system controling everything. There are both relapsing and progressive forms of MS. Anyone can get MS and it is diagnosed typically in people aged 20 to 40 years, Roughly three times as many women have MS compared with men, with the rate increasing in both. There are many and varied symptoms, including numbness and tingling, headaches, dizziness, cognitive dysfunction, vision problems, depression, emotional changes, fatigue, muscle spasms, difficulty with walking, temperature sensitivity, etc. In 1992, Kate fulfilled her dream of becoming a doctor when she graduated with an MBBS from The University of Melbourne. She had then moved on to the Austin Hospital Clinical School. Kate was diagnosed with MS in 2002. With her diagnosis, Kate made some forced changes to her life: after completing her PhD, she completed a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Epidemiology at Monash University in 2005 in case she needed a Page 14
more sedentary career; paid off her mortgage as quickly as possible and abandoned her dream of marriage and children – a subconscious decision that “since I was heading for a life I didn’t want, I wasn’t going to involve anyone else”, which perhaps partly explains why she remains single. In 2006, she tried a treatment rarely used, and “it turned out to be the miracle treatment for me. My disease turned off virtually overnight on the first dose and it’s still what I’m taking now." But it wasn’t perfect, as Kate was still living with problems like unreliable vision and fatigue and having to alter her life to accommodate these things. The motto of the MS Society is “Face the challenges, retain the dreams”, which Kate loves. She doesn’t think she did a great job at either in the early years after her diagnosis, but now thinks she’s doing better. For example, Kate is now having music lessons, and is enjoying playing the viola every day. Although not glad she has MS, Kate celebrates the positives that have accompanied this change to her life. She has made some wonderful friends in the MS community, found improved quality of life by rearranging and prioritising what is really important to her. Once she stopped focusing on climbing the “ladder of success”, she discovered the view is just right from where she is! She also has a great sense of humour, as was demonstrated throughout her address. To read the full review, go to: https://issuu.com/graduatehouse/docs/ september_2020_newsletter_online_version pages 18-20.
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
GU COLLEGIATE
SEPTEMBER MONTHLY LUNCHEON Phillipa Challis OAM
Phillipa Challis, CEO of Live Life Laughing, also known as The Laughter Lady, who first spoke at Graduate House in 2011, was invited back for a second time, as we could all do with a good laugh, especially this year! Phillipa told us of her story with laughter began as she was growing up in Fairfield, Melbourne. Coming from a large extended family – there were “lots of people there and lots of laughter”. When she left school and started work, she said, “I was blessed. I always picked good executives to work for, which meant they had a balance in their work life, and because of that, again, lots of laughter.”
and Trainer. Phillipa has never been busier than during the current pandemic, doing lots of oneon-one consultations and speaking to people in organisations to talk about laughter, and to share some laughter with them. “It’s so important during this episode that we’re living through.” Phillipa encourages everyone to have a laugh every day. “Most people don’t laugh enough. If you can do that, the benefits for yourself are a healthy environment, which is what we’re looking for, whether at work or at home. What laughter does is that it energises people, makes you more alert, elevates your wellness and you can achieve more.
Moving out of Melbourne after marriage, Phillipa lived in Anglesea for 10 years, where she worked in retail. She did particularly well, there because “everyone said, ‘I love coming in here – it’s always good for a laugh’ and I did lots of business while I laughed with them!”She then moved to Geelong which she now lives (her OAM is “for service to the community of Geelong”) and from where she travelled the world.
“In business it increases productivity amazingly. Ultimately, what people want in business – and I guess that’s why I’m in high demand during the pandemic to run a Zoom laughter session for remote workers currently working in isolation – is it connects everyone in the business or organisation. Hearty laughter, happy people, healthy profits: and that to me, can be for the individual as well.”
Phillipa started her own business, PPS – Phillipa’s Promotional Services – in 1994. She then became a public speaker and her most requested topic then, as it is now, was “Your Number One Asset is You”. A dean at The University of Adelaide, many years ago, introduced her as “Phillipa Challis … Phillipa has a degree from the University of Life and she has a PhD in people and her speciality is laughter”.
The Monthly Luncheon address was well received by her online attendees, who all participated and laughed along and forgot all their woes for the hour. Laughter is free and healthy for you, Phillipa reminded everyone and closed by saying, “May you all live life laughing!”
In 2002, she started her company, Live Life Laughing and her job title is Laughter Practitioner
To read the full review, go to: https://issuu.com/graduatehouse/docs/ october_2020_newsletter_online_version pages 26-27.
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
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GU COLLEGIATE
OCTOBER MONTHLY LUNCHEON Associate Professor Nicola Reavley
Associate Professor Nicola Reavley spoke on the topic of Mental Health Literacy and Stigma at our online October Monthly Luncheon on Wednesday, 7th October, held in Mental Illness Awareness Week and in the lead up to World Mental Health Day, 10th October 2020. Associate Professor Reavley is from the Centre for Mental Health at Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne. In addressing the understanding by Australians of mental health, Associate Professor Reavley mentioned her research collaboration with Professor Tony Jorm who coined the term ‘Mental Health Literacy’ in a now-oft-cited 1997 publication (Jorm, A.F., Korten, A.E., Jacomb, P.A., Christensen, H., Rodgers, B. and Pollitt, P. “Mental health literacy”: a survey of the public’s ability to recognise mental disorders and their beliefs about the effectiveness of treatment. Med J Aust; 166 (4):182), defining this term as ‘the knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders which aid their recognition, management or prevention’. Professor Jorm has also been instrumental in promoting the funding of mental health research through the Australian Rotary Health Fund.
• knowledge of causes and risk factors; • recognition of when a disorder is developing; • knowledge of, and beliefs about, self-help strategies; • knowledge of, and beliefs about, help-seeking options and treatments; and • first aid skills to support others (Professor Jorm and his wife Betty Kitchener AM having pioneered Mental Health First Aid programs). It is important to understand these domains when looking at treatment gaps in mental health. Associate Professor Reavley acknowledged that progress on mental health literacy over the last two decades, appeared to have been made for higher prevalence conditions, such as depression and anxiety, and that there was room for improvement for less prevalent conditions, such as schizophrenia. To read the full review, go to: https://issuu.com/graduatehouse/docs/ november_2020_newsletter_online_version pages 40-43.
Mental Health Literacy comprises the following domains: • knowledge about how to prevent mental disorders;
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Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
GU COLLEGIATE
NOVEMBER MONTHLY LUNCHEON Dr Ross McMullin
The presenter for our 11th November 2020 Remembrance Day Monthly Luncheon was Dr Ross McMullin, award-winning historian and biographer. Dr Ross was back for the third time as the annual speaker for our Association. Ross spoke about the battle of Polygon Wood, an iconic Australian victory that has been regarded erroneously for many decades as a relatively straightforward affair without acknowledgement that the failures by the British on the right side (south) of the attack had severe consequences for the Australians advancing alongside from west to east without a secure right flank. Throughout his presentation, Ross referred to a map of Polygon Wood and its surrounds in the south-west corner of Belgium, inland and southeast of Calais and Dunkirk in France. World War I (WWI) ran from July 1914 to November 1918. The Battle of Polygon Wood occurred in September 1917. The Australian Imperial Force (AIF) endured more casualties in 1917 — notably at Bullecourt, Messines, Menin Road, Broodseinde and Passchendaele — than any other year of this war or any other conflict since European settlement. By September 1917 the war seemed like a raging juggernaut, indiscriminate in its destruction of men and women, lands and buildings, hopes and dreams.
reminisced to Ross about the reassurance from his experienced captain, Herb Dickinson, who advised with philosophical fatalism, “Go for your life” and “if your name’s on it you’ll get it and you can’t do much about it”. The 57th Battalion had to proceed through Glencorse Wood, where lethal enemy shells were crashing down. One of them had Dickinson’s name on it. With other officers also killed, Noad found himself in charge of Dickinson’s shaken company. In 1982, when Ross asked to see the surviving copy of Pompey Elliott's suppressed battle report at the Australian War Memorial, he was told that it was locked in a safe and accessible to no-one. Ross admitted that he resorted to Pompey-like bluntness to gain access! Though Pompey Elliott’s dynamic leadership was particularly evident at Villers-Bretonneux in April 1918, in the climax of the war, Charles Bean (the Australian official correspondent and historian) concluded that Pompey had been even more meritorious at Polygon Wood, where his brigade “snatched complete success from an almost desperate situation on the right”. Ross completed his talk by saying he agreed with Bean. To read the full review, go to: https://issuu.com/graduatehouse/docs/ december_2020_newsletter_online_version pages 28-30.
Ross then mentioned his visit in 1982 to Charles Noad. At Polygon Wood, Noad went into action for the first time as an officer. He was nervous, and
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
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GU COLLEGIATE
SPECIAL EVENT VACCINE – IS IT POSSIBLE? AND BY WHEN? Laureate Professor Peter Doherty
At our Special Event held on 2nd October, we were honoured to welcome Laureate Professor Peter Doherty who spoke about vaccines for the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 virus (SARS-CoV-2) that is responsible for COVID-19 (the coronavirus disease). This 70-minute event was attended by more than 100 participants who logged in to listen and find out more about a possible vaccine. Professor Doherty began by pointing the audience to his ‘Setting it Straight’ blog on the Doherty Institute website (https://www.doherty.edu.au/ news-events/setting-it-straight), where he aims to write about 800 words a week. With about 26 episodes under his belt, Peter thinks of these as his weekly sermons and as having stemmed from his Methodist upbringing and lay preacher tendencies! He then progressed to the topic of vaccines, noting that Australia got on to the research and development of vaccines ‘fast and well’. Australia reported its first case of COVID-19 on 24thJanuary 2020. Fortunately, the returning traveller had been very responsible and had selfreported before presenting and being admitted to the Monash Medical Clinic. Scientists at the Doherty Institute gained a sample from this patient and after isolating the virus were the first to supply the infectious virus to other scientists around the world.
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This was a very important first step for vaccine development for a number of reasons. Firstly, scientists need the infectious virus to do virus neutralisation tests that detect the presence in the blood of antibodies that prevent the infectivity of the virus. These virus neutralisation tests are the ‘gold standard’ of measuring antibodies in a virus infection. (Various molecular surrogate tests have been developed since.) Professor Doherty suggested that it is unlikely that vaccines will bring this pandemic totally to an end. However, with a high vaccination rate it is very likely that they will bring us to herd immunity levels. If we can use the vaccine to get up to 60-70% or more of the population with specific antibodies, we should be able to bring the risks from this virus, as well as its ability to spread, right down. The President of The Graduate Union, The Hon Diana Bryant AO QC, thanked Professor Doherty for his clear and articulate explanations of the complex and wide-ranging field of vaccine development. Thanks were also extended to the wonderful team at the Doherty Institute, as well as to the international scientific, medical and public health community. To read the full review, go to: https://issuu.com/graduatehouse/docs/ november_2020_newsletter_online_version pages 32-39.
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
GU COLLEGIATE
SPECIAL EVENT OPTIMISM – YOUR SUPER POWER – THE WHY AND THE HOW Victor Perton
In our 20th October Special Event we heard from Victor Perton, Chief Optimism Officer at the Melbourne-based Centre for Optimism. Victor began by outlining his interesting ‘graduate pathway’ from economics and law degrees, to joining The Bar in his early twenties followed by positions in politics, including election to Victoria’s State Parliament, with periods in opposition and in government as a Minister across a variety of portfolios, including manufacturing, economic development, technology, regulatory reform, data protection and privacy, multimedia, conservation, environment, innovation and education. Victor invited the forum participants to reflect on what makes them optimistic and to share these reflections. Example answers included: • the quality of young people and their attitude that ‘things will get better’; • having the ability and self-control to ‘remember to be an optimist’ – noting that we here, in Australia, are in the best place at the best time, living longer and being better educated – to not worry about the things that are not within our control and to limit exposure to constant, repetitive and negative media;
• the not-for-profit sector, particularly towards international aid and development; • having the right reference points and relativity, distinguishing ‘first world’ from real and intractable problems; • the joy and pride of children and grandchildren; • research and innovation; and • building on ‘congenital optimism’ by learning more about the acquisition and strengthening of optimism skills. In conclusion, Victor referred to a message from Julian of Norwich, a fourteenth century author who wrote the earliest surviving book in the English language to be written by a woman: All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well. To read the full review, go to: https://issuu.com/graduatehouse/docs/ november_2020_newsletter_online_version pages 44-45.
• exercise and sleep; • tuning into good and sound journalism;
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
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GU COLLEGIATE
SPECIAL EVENT MY GRADUATE PATHWAY STORY Megumi Miki
Megumi is an author, speaker and consultant in leadership, culture, diversity and inclusion, with a background in strategy, economics and finance. Her client list includes Bank of New Zealand, Ernst & Young, JBWere, National Australia Bank, Roche, state and federal government departments, smaller for-profit and not-for-profit organisations. Megumi is the author of Quietly Powerful: How your quiet nature is your hidden leadership strength. This has won two very highly prestigious awards: the Australian Career Book Award of 2020 by RSA Oceania and the Best Leadership Book for 2020 by the Australian Business Book Awards (ABBA). She has also published Start inspiring, stop driving: Unlock your team’s potential to outperform and grow. Her work has prompted organisations to challenge their usual approaches to identifying, selecting and developing their leadership talent to harness their hidden talent, often of diverse backgrounds. Megumi began her presentation by noting her reflections, while preparing for this talk on her ‘graduate pathway’, that at the beginning of her career, she never thought she would write any books, let alone that these would receive awards.
seeing things from a different perspective and that others might not see – and many forks in the road with her often taking those that were less well trod and less obvious. Showing a picture of a boggy path, she noted that this seemed to represent best to her the feeling throughout her career of not really knowing where she was going and making things up as she went along. Megumi then pointed to her childhood as possibly laying the foundations and patterns for her life. Her family moved frequently – every three to five years. Born in Melbourne but living here for just one year, Megumi then lived in different cities across Australia, Japan and Canada – attending eight different schools before she was 18! Raised by a Japanese family, she recalls starting school in Sydney and knowing only the words ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘toilet’ and occasional instances of being picked on because there were not many Asian children at that time – the first time she began to realise that she was a bit different. A full review of Megumi's presentation will be published in the January/February 2021 Newsletter.
In briefly characterising these reflections, she noted themes in this ‘graduate pathway’: a journey that was not expected, being ‘on the outer’ –
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Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
Membership
NEW MEMBERS We extend a warm welcome to new Members of The Graduate Union. You have joined a membership Association, a residential college and a meeting place for graduates.
Organisation Members Share with Oscar Pty Ltd @ POPCAR
Life Members Mrs Fiona Fay Nolan
Non-resident Student Graduate Members
Professor Takayuki Ii
Mr Stephen Dryley-Collins
Ms Sania Khan
Ms Lora Evans
Mr Junsoo Kim
Mrs Helen Lennon
Dr Maxwell Ronald Lane
Mr Peter Polydoros
Ms Janice Fey Min Lim
Mr Tony Tawk
Miss Shiqiu Liu
Associate Members Mrs Margaret Bland
Dr Shingo Ishihara
Mr Lis McKay
Resident Members
Mr Burraq Aslam Memon
Mr Nathaniel Adamson
Ms Devena Lee Monro
honorary Members
Mr Waleed Ali
Mrs Aamera Mulla
Ms Gabrielle Reilly
Mr Matthew Allanby
Mr Keerthi Venugopal Narayanan
Ms Helen Amos
Ms Roselyn Nunn
Members
Ms Alaa Bakhamees
Mr Takahiro Ogawa
Mr Anthony Aikins
Mr Agrim Binjola
Mr Marco Poletto
Mr Steven Bake
Mr Jorge Alejandro Bravo Rivera
Mr Yi-En Quek
Mr Heath Blake
Ms Tanya Dargaville
Mr Jorge Bravo Rivera
Miss Sarah Butler
Ms Kirsty Douglas
Ms Sarah Robertson
Mr Antony Clemenger
Mr Ran Duan
Miss Shivani Sethi
Fr Mathew Crane
Mr Rohan Easwaran
Miss Yukti Sharma
Mr Glen Currie
Mr Rahul Elangovan
Ms Michelle Spence
Mr Alisdair Gurling
Ms Karen Fischer
Ms Vivian (Paraskevi) Tsoukra
Mr Andrew Johnson
Miss Jasmine (Moli) Fu
Ms Zolly Vizsai
Mrs Davina Johnson OAM
Ms Africa Garcia-Arcicollar
Ms Denise Warmington
Dr Peter Sweatman
Dr Mathieu Gaudreault
Mr Wai Kit Wong
Ms Jane Tisdall
Dr Mary Ann Ghaffurian
Dr Kai-Lin Yang
Ms Hritika Gupta
Ms Ge Yao
Ms Ronja Hess
Mr Calvin Yu
Dr Ching-Ting Hsin
Mr Charles (Yi) Zhan
Ms Hongji Hu
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
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our members
CHANGEMAKERS: A HUNDRED YEARS OF VICTORIAN GRADUATE WOMEN The Victorian Graduate Women’s Association (VGWA) – now Graduate Women Victoria (GWV) – was founded at a meeting at the Lyceum Club on 3rd November 1920. On 18th November 2020, Professor Emerita Marian Quartly, presented the 2020 Centennial Lecture to the members of Graduate Women Victoria. The lecture celebrated the first 100 years of this influential and enduring association. It looked at the lives of women representing five stages in the life of the organisation: the founders; motherhood feminists; scientific women; internationalist women; and secondwave feminists.
THE FOUNDERS The two women celebrated as the founders of the Victorian Graduate Women’s Association are the historian Jessie Webb and the scientist Georgina Sweet. Webb chaired the foundation meeting and Sweet was elected as the first president. These were the most senior women employed by The University of Melbourne in 1920. Sweet was an associate-professor in the School of Biology, and Webb a lecturer in the Department of History. The pair were close friends; in 1922 they travelled together to England, breaking their journey to motor the length of Africa, from Capetown to Cairo. Together they founded and supported many institutions for university and professional women in Melbourne: in addition to VGWA, the Lyceum Club, University Women’s College, and the Catalyst Society. Sweet inherited a small fortune, and her generous donations began the tradition of scholarship-giving which is such an important part of Graduate Women Victoria’s activities today.
JESSIE WEBB University of Melbourne Archives (record ID UMA/I/2211)
Neither woman publicly identified as a feminist, not wanting to identify men as the enemy – though Sweet lost her application for a professorship to a less qualified young man. Webb’s biographer wrote that: ‘Emancipated herself, she did all in her power to help other women to lead fuller and more interesting lives, but as she was rational and goodhumoured; her feminism aroused no hostility.’ GEORGINA SWEET http://parasite.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/04ASP newsletterVol 25No1-web.pdf
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Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
Our Members
In 1922 Frances Thorn was the president of the VGWA, and in 1924 the president of the national graduates organisation, the Australian Federation of University Women (AFUW). In a pattern typical of early women graduates, Thorn married in the same year as she graduated, in 1898. While her children were growing she was active in the Kindergarten Union and the Young Women’s Christian Association. Like many feminists of her generation, she believed that women’s moral sense was superior to that of men, and that they should use that sense to reform first their homes and then the world. She told the 1924 national conference of AFUW that: And, now that the fight has been won, woman is free to take up her old responsibilities, not grudgingly nor of necessity, not selfishly and just for her own, but with all the added strength and wisdom that she has gained. Her mother instinct is no longer confined to her own – it reaches out to all weak and helpless things. It is not enough that her own home should be sweet and healthful and beautiful. All homes must be the same: slums and filth must go. [Herald, 6th September 1924, p.20] SCIENTIFIC WOMEN Women who chose academic careers, like Sweet and Webb, made a conscious decision not to marry. The same was true of the next generation of university women. Criticism of women making this choice seems to have increased. In 1935 Ethel McLennan, biologist and president of the VGWA, speaking on the ‘proper employment of scientific research’, found it necessary to argue that ‘There is in women, just as in men … the natural desire to share in this experience and to use what faculties they possess.' [1935 AFGW Conference] McLennan, like Sweet, was expected to take over the biology department on the death of her professor, but lost out to a younger man. Her biographer chose to stress her womanly qualities: Fair skinned with brilliant blue eyes, already white haired in her late thirties, McLennan was a small plump figure, always smartly dressed. Even on field-trips she managed to look immaculate. [http:// adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mclennan-ethel-irene-15527/text26740] INTERNATIONAL FEMINISTS After the horrors of the second World War, many Australian feminists were centrally concerned with the plight of refugees and the need for world peace. Professionally trained women actively employed during the war found themselves pushed out of the workforce when it ended. Many turned to volunteering and part-time work. Helen Ferber was president of the Victorian Graduate Women’s Association in 1962. A trained linguist, immediately after the war she worked with refugee organisations in Europe, and in 1948 she toured Victoria lecturing to audiences unaccustomed to female speakers about the needs of refugee children. She told an audience in Sale ‘there was nothing so appalling to any person to look in the eyes and on the face of a starving child’. [Gippsland Times, 16th August 1948, p.2] In the 1960s Ferber took up a part-time but largely voluntary position with the Institute of Applied and Social Research at Melbourne University, and made a major contribution as research fellow, business manager and editor to the institute’s ground-breaking studies of poverty in Australia. The balance of home and work was not easy to achieve. In 1964 Ferber wrote in an article on ‘Women Brainworkers’ in the radical journal Dissent that many professional workers ‘found it hard to reconcile the desire to do an efficient and conscientious job with the need to adjust their hours to family needs’. [https://gradwomenvic. org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/HELEN-LAYTON-FERBER.pdf] SECOND-WAVE FEMINISTS The academic women who learnt their feminism in the 1970s understood that patriarchy was the enemy (though not necessarily individual men). Gender inequality was entrenched and systematic; it had to be fought in the home and in the workplace. Motherhood was more problematic for this generation of women.
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
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our members
Jennifer Strauss, poet, academic and trade-unionist, stands as a proud representative of this generation of Graduate Women. She has been a long-time president of GWV, and also a president of AGW and a vice-president of the International Federation of University Women. Her first poetry collection, published in 1975, was called Children and Other Strangers. Her 1997 poem ‘In the Bistro: University House, Canberra’, perfectly captures the still familiar experience of a young woman academic finding herself in a strong-hold of male academic power. I sat in this room with the hairs/ prickling the nape of my neck./ ‘Something’ I thought ‘is wrong./ It was. I was:/ a female gypsy scholar/ loose on the wrong side/ of the breakfast serving counter./ Why count? It’s easy to tell/ it’s not much different ten years on. Professor Quartly ended her lecture by comparing the original aims of the Victorian Graduate Women’s Association in 1920 with the purposes of Graduate Women Victoria in 2020. The founders’ main concern was with the needs of women – staff and students – within universities. The current aims are much broader, reaching out to all women in the community. Professor Quartly concluded that the association still has plenty of work to do.
Jennifer Strauss, Judith Rodriguez and Mal Logan at the launch of Strauss’s book of poetry, Labour Ward. ASPnewsletterVol25No1-web.pdf
1920
2020
Having decided upon the formation of the association, the members agreed that the principal objectives should be:
The purposes of Graduate Women Victoria are to promote:
• to act as an organisation which shall afford opportunity for the expression of united opinion and for concerted action by University women on matters especially affecting them; • to encourage research work by women; • to facilitate intercommunication and cooperation between the women of different universities; and • to stimulate the interest of women in municipal and public life.
• the right of women and girls to lifelong, accessible and affordable quality education in order to reach their full potential in private and public life; • the right of women and girls to engage equally in all areas of education and training; • education as a means of influencing and benefiting society; • the recognition and protection of human rights; and • peace, justice and equality.
The Graduate Union of The University of Melbourne Inc. congratulates Graduate Women Victoria on its centenary and on its strong tradition and legacy in supporting women. We are proud to endorse and advocate for the same aims, and offer our cooperation and collaboration for many more centuries to come. Of great pride to us is that Georgina Sweet was also a founder of our Association in 1911!
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Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
Our Members
FATHER CHRISTMAS by LIFE MEMBER, Louis A Coutts
A short video clip is doing the rounds. It records a sublime moment of reality in the world of political unreality as the Irish Foreign Minister assures the House that special arrangements have been made for Santa Claus to visit Irish air space and Irish homes, without the necessity to self-quarantine for 14 days. To me, it brought a touch of purity and decency to a world confronting a devastating virus; a world where violence seems to be the mandated mechanism for resolving problems and a world where the political narrative is toxically infected. But Santa Claus or, I prefer Father Christmas, is real. Father Christmas arrives punctually every year dispensing his generosity, charity and joy to those fortunate enough to be on the map of his Christmas journey. In those few spectacular moments when the awakened child sees the surprises under the Christmas tree, the world ignites with joy. Father Christmas’s presents are no ordinary presents. They weren’t under the Christmas tree last night and in the sleeping hours, a wonderful mystery has occurred. Father Christmas has been and left his presents. We never see Father Christmas, but his elusiveness is a tantalising reality. Children around the world know that he exists and their sleep on Christmas Eve is so essential to his existence. He must not be seen, as that would ruin everything. Sure, he sometimes has a sip of the lemonade and a bite of the Christmas cake which evidences his existence, but it would destroy a child’s belief in the mystery if they actually caught him in the act. The miraculous appearance of their toys in the morning is their proof of his reality. As I look back over the years, one of the wonderful realities in my life was the knowledge as a child that Father Christmas would come and without fail always come on Christmas Eve. The joy of those first moments of awakening on Christmas day still
lives with me all these years later. There was also the crib under the Christmas tree as a reminder of the person whose birth we celebrate on Christmas day and who uttered these words. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Although I admit to being an agnostic, these words somehow embody my image of Father Christmas. He is kind, he is merciful, he is pure of heart and meek. Above all, he wants to put things right and for a few moments of our lives as children, he does just that. Thank you, Simon Coveney (Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs), for reminding me that in these turbulent times, Father Christmas is still part of our lives and reminds us how careful we have to be to preserve his existence. Hopefully, those innocent moments on a Christmas morning will be the experience of children around the world for years to come and will be one of their treasured memories. And let us share a thought for those who never share those moments of innocent delight.
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
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Our Members
DR CHANCHAL CHANDRAMOULI Promotion to Senior Research FelloW
It has been a few years since former Resident Member, Dr Chanchal Chandramouli completed her PhD at The University of Melbourne and left Graduate House, and it is lovely to know we are still fondly remembered by the newly promoted Senior Research Fellow at Singapore Health Services (SingHealth). Chanchal completed her PhD research at The University of Melbourne, from 20122016, focusing on studying the differences between female and male diabetic mice. Her research found that despite similar elevation in blood sugar, female diabetic mice suffer worse complications in the heart, compared to male diabetic mice. Her work in this field led to her joining the Clinical Research Team of The National Heart Centre Singapore in June 2017. “My role here as a Senior Research Fellow is to conduct independent research focusing on sex differences, cardiometabolic disorders and heart failure. Under the mentorship of Professor Carolyn Lam, I was very fortunate to have opportunities to lead and collaborate with other researchers to produce several high impact publications. Recently, we have discovered a unique lean diabetes pattern among Asian patients with heart failure. These individuals with heart failure have
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diabetes despite a low body mass index (BMI), which is strikingly different from the conventional obesity-associated diabetes among Caucasians. These landmark findings were recognised for their importance and published in several high impact scientific journals.” Due to these findings, Chanchal is excited to be involved with a new trial to assist these lean diabetic individuals, in the upcoming multinational Asian Diabetes Outcome Prevention Trial (ADOPT). The aims of ADOPT are to identify high-risk patients with diabetes and to intensify primary prevention therapy to reduce future cardiovascular events, compared to standard care. “Personally, ADOPT has been a truly remarkable journey with fantastic learning experiences, and I am driven to ensure the trial is executed successfully. We eagerly look forward for the COVID-19 situation (with DORSCON Orange status) to ease and for Singapore to launch [the program] and begin recruitment later this year,” says Chanchal. This story was orginally published here: https://issuu.com/graduatehouse/docs/june_2020_ newsletter_online_version, pages 26-27
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
Our Members
MERIUM KAZMI Arts Dean’s Honours List
Merium Kazmi graduated in December 2019 with a Masters of Global Media Communication from The University of Melbourne on an Australia Awards scholarship. Pre-COVID19, she managed social change projects for development agencies in Pakistan and abroad. Presently, she moonlights as an editor and lends an ear (along with a virtual shoulder) to friends as they ramble about life under quarantine. She lives in Islamabad with her family, and a cranky tabby named Sam. You can read her other work at: meriumk.wordpress.com. A very well-known Graduate House former Resident Member and international student, Merium Kazmi has been recognised for her academic achievements by being included in the 2019 Faculty of Arts Dean’s Honours List for Academic Excellence in Master of Global Media Communication. Under normal circumstances, those on the Dean’s Honours List would have been invited to an awards ceremony to celebrate their achievements. While this may be rescheduled in the future, recipients were sent their certificates by email, with a video recorded by
the Faculty of Arts’ Dean, Professor Russell Goulbourne. With her name to be engraved on the Honour Wall at Arts West, Merium has said that this is her absolute favourite building at The University of Melbourne, and that she is thrilled at the prospect of such a celebration. Graduate House previously covered Merium’s achievements in the January/ February 2019 Newsletter, when she was an Australia Awards Scholarship recipient. These awards give the opportunity for people from developing countries, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, to undertake fulltime undergraduate or postgraduate study at Australian universities or TAFEs. Merium now actively promotes this scholarship opportunity in Pakistan and around the world. We congratulate Merium on her latest achievement, wish her all the best for the future and look forward to hearing more from her on her 'graduate pathway' journey in the near future. This story was originally published here: https://issuu.com/graduatehouse/docs/june_2020_ newsletter_online_version, page 27.
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
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Our Members Remembered
OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES The year of membership is indicated
Dr Kenneth Vernon Bailey OAM, 1957 Dr Ian Charles Braid, 1965 Mr Clive Roger Hele Brookes, 1955 Dr Allan Terence Casey, 1991 Mr William James Clarke Cushing, 1961 Dr Arthur Joseph Day AM, 1958 Mrs Ernistine Winifred Dudley, 1975 Dr Richard David Harcourt, 2013 Mr Adrian Holst, 1960
Mrs Anne Lesley Howett Molan, 1980 Dr Christopher Jenkins, 2001 Miss Noreen Irma Lehmann, 1962 Mr Robert Louis Newman OAM, 1958 Mr James Thomas Nielsen, 1965 Mr Ronald Thomas Rye, 1955 Ms Rosemary Thelma Surridge, 1972 Mr Eric Kenneth Webb, 1949
MR CLIVE ROGER HELE BROOKES Clive Roger Hele Brookes joined as a Life Member after graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce (Economics) degree from The University of Melbourne in 1955. Moving from dust-ridden farming life in the north-east Victoria, to the city, Mr Brookes worked at Colonial Gas in the 1960s while attending night school studies in accountancy. He then joined Alcoa Plants where he learnt the importance of business networks. Roger thus feels very strongly that The Graduate Union — through, particularly, residency in Graduate House — has an important role to play in bringing together people from across the globe, not only to develop business networks and provide opportunities but also to learn models of working together for the world’s benefit. Embracing and understanding fully the need for our terrace redevelopment, Roger gave a generous donation. "With college life you form a very close association with a number of individuals, and you particularly recognise the worth of students in other faculties."
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Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
Our Members Remembered
DR ALLAN TERENCE CASEY Dr Allan Casey was a Life Member of The Graduate Union for 36 years. After completing school in 1945, Allan enrolled at the United College in Winnipeg, and then transferred to the University of Manitoba where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours), majoring in Mathematics and Physics. However, Chemistry was always Allan’s first love, having performed “chemistry experiments as a young man”. Allan continued his education with a Master of Science at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, graduating in 1953. Through a scholarship, Allan also earned his PhD in Chemistry in Cambridge, United Kingdom in 1958 under the tutelage of Britain’s leading radiochemist, Dr Alfred Maddock. Allan then applied for work at all the eight universities in Australia at that time. The University of Melbourne was the only university where he was successful, and he continued to succeed there for the next 35 years, lecturing in Inorganic Chemistry until his retirement in 1992. After retirement, Allan remained active in various roles including sitting on his children’s school council, serving on several advisory bodies to the Victorian Minister for Education and supervising Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) exams at St Leonard’s College for more than 15 years. Allan (and his wife Andrea, also a Life Member) were regular visitors to Graduate House, always endeavouring to attend the Monthly Luncheons and other functions or just coming in for a meal.
MR ADRIAN HOLST Mr Adrian Holst gained Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Commerce degrees from The University of Melbourne, joining as a Life Member of The Graduate Union in 1960. The youngest member of the Melbourne Stock Exchange at 22, Adrian rose to Director of this Exchange before it was amalgamated into the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). He was on the markets disciplinary panel of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and an alternative director of the Finance Industry Complaints Services Limited. Mr Holst became the senior partner of FW Holst & Co Pty Ltd after his father passed away in 1985. He worked for decades with this 1893-established firm providing stockbroking, financial planning and superannuation services and advice to private clients. Adrian was also well-versed in many other fields, including literature, arthouse cinema films, history, wines, the fine arts and classical music.
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Our Members Remembered
MR WILLIAM JAMES CLARKE CUSHING Obituary: vale Bill Cushing – a true mandarin Bill Cushing died during the Melbourne COVID-19 crisis just shy of his 80th birthday. Bill’s career as a senior public servant and his later retirement years epitomised the values that underpin a strong public service. He was born in Deniliquin, NSW and educated at St Patrick’s College, Ballarat (Dux 1957). Residing at Newman College during his university years, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Commerce with honours in economics and economic history in 1963. Bill was a brilliant student and was awarded a Commonwealth University Scholarship (1958-1960), a Newman College Resident Scholarship (1958-1963), a Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics (CBCS) Cadetship (1963) and a Commonwealth Public Service Board Postgraduate Scholarship for Overseas Study (1972). Bill’s career started in 1964 in the Commonwealth Public Service in Canberra in the Bureau of Census and Statistics. In 1972, on a Commonwealth Public Service scholarship for overseas graduate studies, he undertook studies and work experience in national economic accounting at Canada and US national statistic agencies. In 1973, as assistant statistician, he was responsible for the production of Australia’s balance of payment estimates. Bill admired the Canadian federalism model and often referenced this in his critique of the Australian federalism system. Between 1973 and 1975, Bill was assistant secretary in the Department of Urban and Regional Page 30
Development, one of the new departments set up by the Whitlam government under minister Tom Uren, and with a significant reform agenda. From 1975 to 1978, Bill served as assistant secretary in the Department of Environment, Housing and Community Development, and was then appointed to the Commonwealth Treasury Department, first as assistant secretary with an advisory remit that included education, student assistance, science and technology and protection of the environment. In 1982, he was appointed as acting first assistant secretary, with responsibilities covering Defence and Government, advising on resourcing and the effectiveness of policies for defence, national security and immigration, to name just a few of his areas of responsibility. In 1983, Bill joined the public service in Victoria bringing with him the disciplines of the Commonwealth Public Sector and the benefits of his own wide ranging and senior level experience, first in the Department of Premier and then as deputy director general in the reforming Department of Industry, Technology and Resources. In this role, Bill brought together and nurtured a group of smart and up-andcoming young public sector managers to benefit from his professional approaches and disciplines. Helen Silver AO was one of those, and Helen writes of those times: “I first met Bill Cushing in 1985, when he appointed me to head a newly created economics branch in the Industry department. I had a long relationship with Bill, who was one of my first significant mentors. “As an economist with strong commonwealth experience, he brought a new level of intellectual challenge and rigour to the Victorian public service at that time. Bill Cushing was tenacious in advocating the creation of a state balance sheet that would be part of the budget papers. He provided
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
Our Members Remembered
me with many long lectures on this matter while trying to teach me the basics of public finances. “Later, he achieved his ambition when in the early 1990s the then-Victorian Treasury published the state balance sheet. It was a first for Australia. Bill was highly influential in supporting a range of public officials by providing wise counsel and loyalty. Bill epitomised the values that underpin a strong public service.” From Bill’s friendship and support given at this time when there was great vitality and a spring in the step of the public sector during John Cain’s ‘breakthrough Labour leadership’ in Victoria, Susan Oliver AM became a work colleague, beneficiary of Bill’s mentoring and advocacy, longtime friend and opera partner valuing Bill’s encyclopaedic knowledge of opera, performers and composers. Susan and Professor Andrea Hull AO organised many soirees and musical evenings and Bill always contributed by ‘putting out the chairs’. This partnership lasted until three years ago, when Bill’s Parkinson’s disease meant he could not enjoy the performances. It was sad to end this ritual. Susan and Bill’s close friendship endured. Always the man to have on the team when reform was needed, Bill served in the Victorian Ministry of Housing, in 1988-1991 he was the associate deputy secretary in the Department of Premier and Cabinet, and in 1991 joined the Victorian Treasury Department, as executive director of Budget and Economics. His last government appointment was as an expert advisor to Treasury on major economic and financial policy matters, and he was a highlevel representative of Treasury on major committees. Bill made a significant contribution within Treasury and Finance over this time to state government budgeting, and chalked up an impressive list of achievements within
Treasury and Finance, which include: • Initiation and preparation of guidance on corporate and business planning for all budget sector agencies, detailing of the government’s ‘integrated management cycle’ and the successful integration of departmental business plans with the state budget; • Devising an asset use (capital) charging scheme to encourage efficient management by departments of their balance sheets; • Introduction and direction of the state’s first comprehensive co-ordinated and prioritised capital works planning process for the budget sector; • Direction of financial management improvement projects for modernisation of Victorian state financial management systems — including integration of national economic accounting and business accounting and reporting requirements, and redesign of the Victorian budget papers to focus on outputs; and • Devising and preparing of the state’s first-ever ‘whole of government’ economic balance sheet and linked operating statements. Bill retired early after health issues and enjoyed travelling widely in Australia, and regular meet-ups on Saturday mornings in Lygon Street with a group of friends that included the late Richard Divall AO OBE, and George and Patricia Brouwer, reading and commenting in letters to the newspapers, the company of friends and classical music and opera. In his retirement, Dr Vince FitzGerald AO commented on the support Bill gave him: “From 2000 for some years I presented a commentary on the Victorian budget at a post-budget breakfast briefing, and each year was given entry to the pre-budget
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Our Members Remembered
lockup to get a head start on preparing my presentation. I arranged for Bill also to be in the lockup, since he knew the budget papers like the back of his hand. He invariably dug up a few ‘hidden gems’ for me to weave in! After he retired, a number of us with public sector backgrounds, including Bill, would meet regularly for lunch. “He was always up to date with topical public policy issues as well as being a great lunch companion. We also shared a love for the arts and went to the opera together while he was still well. Vale Bill!” The tributes for Bill have recognised a man of integrity, intelligence and a commitment to good governance and policy. George Brouwer, who was appointed in 1982 to head [the Department of] Premier and Cabinet in Victoria by the late John Cain, added these thoughts: “Bill will be remembered for his outstanding qualities as a first-class professional public servant and, on a more personal level, as a man of great humanity. “In our professional work together, Bill’s intellectual rigour and integrity were invaluable and contributed greatly to good governance in Victoria. He was fearless in putting forward what he believed made for good policy. His fairness in judgment was admired and appreciated by all. “On a personal level, he was unswerving in his loyalty to his friends and genuinely cared for them. His outstanding intellectual qualities never stood in the way of enjoying the company of others and sharing with them his wide-ranging interests in art, music, theatre, science and literature-interests, which he kept up to the very end of his life.” Terry Moran AC wrote: “Bill and I knew each other for more than 45 years. He was at the beginning much as he was as the end approached. Outgoing, quick to start a debate and quick to demand that his view be heard and discussed, caring in his approach to friends and devoted to his broad family. “Economics was always apparent as the turn to system of thought for ideas to apply to the solution of policy problems. He abhorred hypocrisy (and particularly rent seeking) and
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maintained a concern for the interests of people at the community level. “The basis for his philosophy of life reflected his experiences of many different sorts of communities, including some in Ireland, from where he traced his descent. That experience and his grasp of economics was apparent in most conversations. Invariably, Bill would have a strong view and was happy to express it to a person in a coffee shop or a senior political figure. There aren’t enough Bills left in the public policy world. He was a believer in frank and fearless advice (it was what he was trained to give but also what he most enjoyed providing). “Compassionate by inclination, he was always willing to draw on his values and common sense as much as economics to caution ministers, as a good public servant should. We will all miss him and the passion he injected into any conversation or debate. Our lives will be more humdrum with his passing. RIP old friend.” Garthe Lampe was a special friend to Bill during his later years, and Bill was very appreciative of this. Bill became an avid genealogist, connecting with distant relatives all over the globe, a topic of conversation and in such detail that could leave his many friends and admirers stuck for words. He was immensely and rightly proud of his nieces Melanie and Erin and was much loved and supported by his sister Betsy. Vale Bill, who never ceased to care that government policies were sensible and intelligent. He will be missed. *** This obituary was a joint effort, written as a tribute to Bill Cushing by Susan Oliver, Vince Fitzgerald, Terry Moran, George Brouwer, Garthe Lampe and Helen Silver. Originally published in The Mandarin, 3rd December 2020. William James Clarke Cushing became a Life Member of The Graduate Union in 1961.
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
Our Members Remembered
DR RICHARD DAVID HARCOURT Dr Richard Harcourt gained a Bachelor of Science and a Diploma of Education from The University of Melbourne. Significantly also, in 1961, he was the very first student to graduate with a PhD from Monash University. A regular patron to our dining room, Richard and his wife Alison attended the regular Friday French Luncheon for many years. Richard was popular and much loved by all staff at Graduate House. He had a clever wit, a never-ending bank of quotes and a unique, quirky sense of humour. Over the almost daily lunch for several years he debated vigorously his views on valence theory and the reasons why he should have been awarded both a Brownlow Medal and the Nobel Prize! Both Richard and Dr Alison Harcourt AO were awarded Honorary Life Membership of The Graduate Union at the 2019 Annual General Meeting (AGM). In the April/May 2020 Newsletter, we published a Valete page for Dr Richard Harcourt in which we published an abridged version of a tribute written by his cousin, Geoff Harcourt. Below is the full version. Richard “Dick” David Harcourt 17.9.1931 9.4.2020 Richard was my cousin but he was far more akin to a brother and friend. John and I spent much of our childhood with Richard and his much loved sister, Di, at their place or ours, playing cricket and discussing all manner of things.
Richard was a many dimensional person; he had a wonderful, spontaneous wit and he and I spent many happy times adding one absurdity to another in sustained conversations. He was a good cricketer specialising in the hardest challenge of all, leg spin. Our other close cousins in Melbourne, Graeme and Barbie Sloman shared parental relationships, my father's brother, our Uncle Sam married Cora Sloman; her brother, Maurice Sloman, our uncle Maurice, married Alice, my mother’s youngest sister. I think those interrelationships must have strengthened our close bonds. Richard - Dick to his many friends, colleagues and students - was a highly original deep thinking theoretical chemist. He was the first graduate with a PhD at Monash, having gone there from Melbourne with his supervisor, Ron Brown, who was appointed to the inaugural chair in chemistry at Monash. He found his natural home, after some years teaching in secondary schools, in the chemistry department of The University of Melbourne. There, over the decades, he developed his original but not fashionable theory of valency. He stuck to his guns. He was much published internationally and contributed a chapter to the festschrift (a collection of writings published in honour of a scholar) for Linus Pauling (awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1954). One of Richard’s overseas admirers nominated him for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Despite these achievements, he was never promoted to a readership or recommended for a doctor of science, principally because he did not bring in, or need, large outside grants but only a small amount to allow simulations of his theoretical ideas. This is a sad comment on the criteria used to recognise true scholarship in modern universities. Joan and I, like I'm sure many others, were inspired by Alison and Richard’s loving, happy and supportive marriage and close, moving
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Our Members Remembered
relationship they had with Pierre and Leonie, and with Marcus and their children. I never went to Melbourne University without going to his room in the chemistry building to chat about his later papers and myriad other matters. Perhaps his most outstanding trait was his ability to see only the best in other people and to rejoice in doing so. I don’t believe he knew what maliciousness was.
Over his life he had a number of problems but he saw them through with courage and intelligence. It was an enormous privilege to have known him ... like, I'm sure, so many others, I loved him and I shall miss him dearly. Geoff Harcourt 4th September 2020
DR CHRISTOPHER JENKINS Dad’s (Chris Jenkins) Eulogy 25.8.1925 – 9-4-2020 Chris Jenkins, well known in horse racing circles, passed away peacefully on 9th April 2020, aged 94. He was a man of great presence, great self-belief who lived a full life, built on strong principles and unshakable bonds of family, faith, friendships …and each one of those came in an XXL size! One of his few quiet pursuits was to help others in need … no fanfare, no fuss but again an XXL size of benevolence. He was a man of many people with even his grandchildren’s friends making contact at his passing. They all remember ‘Gramps’, as he was universally known to the younger generations of the clan, as an outgoing, engaged, welcoming character with lots of stories and an innate interest in people. Born into a Ballarat racing family of punters and bookmakers, Chris was the second youngest of six children and would tell endless stories of helping his father with the SP bookie business run from the local pubs. He had a great love of family from this time.
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His family name, which remained until the end, was Nook, the origins of which not even he was sure about. Chris moved to Melbourne in 1942, aged 17, to study dentistry at Melbourne University after attending St Patrick’s College from 1938 to 1941. He attempted to join the RAAF but as dentistry was considered an essential service he was turned down. He resided in Newman College for many years and loved this time of life. He represented the college in an array of sports, served on the student council and made many of his lifelong friends. His dental career lasted 23 years, mostly practising from the old T&G Building in Collins Street in a small solo practice he purchased in 1951. He met his wife Betty (known as Betsy to later generations) in 1945 and they married in 1950. Part of his courting was to promise to give up the horse racing which showed the strength of his commitment! In 1951 their first child arrived, Sally, then Chris, Tim, Lou, me and Jack. Roughly one every two years. He loved big families, and that is what happened. He ends this life with not only the six children, their respective partners, but also 16 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren with more to come. The loss of their son, Chris, in 1961, the second eldest, aged 8, was a great tragedy in his and Betty’s life, and to the end this remained. He
Melbourne Graduate — December 2020
Our Members Remembered
felt there were two other tragedies in his life with people gone well before their time; his sisters, Vera to tuberculosis, aged 20, when he was in his early teens, and Peg, in a road accident, aged 44. He had a vast and keen intellect - an insatiable thirst for knowledge. A voracious daily book reader, maybe a book a week, with history a favorite genre, and the crossword a part of the everyday routine until recently. His home in Malvern was full of an eclectic array of hundreds of books from Wodehouse, Francis and various histories, mainly European, to a smattering Miller Guides (for the uninitiated, they are an encyclopaedia on race results) and yearling sale catalogues, mainly from New Zealand. Horse racing was both a passion and a profession for the majority of Chris’ life. Using wit, guile and a fair-sized bucket of self-belief, he became fully involved from an early age. He worked for his SP bookie father as the runner in Ballarat before his teens. He later worked for his elder brother, Jim, who was both a bookie and punter before taking on, with gusto, the world of punting himself. Along with Jim, he was amongst Australia’s biggest punters from the 50s through to the late-70s. He attended near 70 Melbourne Spring Carnivals, a rare feat, and an estimated 6,000+ race meetings in his life. He owned many horses and he said the best was Column who was runner-up in the 1971 Victoria Derby, but his favorite day at the races was when Ferocity, owned in part by Chris, son Jack and son-in-law John van Veenendaal won the Magic Millions at Morphettville in 2005. Chris also served on the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) Committee from 1985 to 1993 and he loved that time of his life. From the back lanes of depression Ballarat to the hallowed halls of racing’s top echelons, it was a long climb, and he could mix it with anyone in and out of the racing fraternity and be welcoming of any part of the social spectrum. He ended with Life Membership of many race clubs and
attended the races for the last time for two days of the Flemington Carnival last year. Chris was a man of resolute Catholic faith that underpinned his life. It never wavered from an early age. His father, also Chris, went to Mass every day in Ballarat and Dad took his faith from those early days. He found comfort in it, was heavily involved in many church activities and leadership roles including head of the Parish Council at St Joseph’s in Malvern. It was one of the few things he did quietly. Chris had cared for Betty for many years before her passing in 2008 and from that time he also needed more assistance which was given by many beyond his five surviving children, their partners, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was able to continue his patriarchal role including hosting Sunday family lunches until the last year. There are many special people who looked after Chris in many ways and helped extend his life, a support he loved and enjoyed. Gramps’ last full family occasion was Christmas last year with more than 25 immediate family attending. Following his usual summer practice, Chris then stayed with family at Mornington. He was fading, but ready for what lay ahead and said he was happy and proud with how his family had turned out. They were his and Betsy’s greatest achievement. On the reverse side none of us had become a nun or a priest! It is time to say a goodbye to this part of his journey. A life rich in adventure, a touch of the scallywag, great warmth, self-belief, great faith, great generosity and great influence on so many from all walks of life. We will miss his unquestioned support … always. Michael Jenkins *** Dr Christopher Jenkins became a Life Member of The Graduate Union in 2001.
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THE GRADUATE UNION of The University of Melbourne Inc.
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Melbourne Graduate — December 2020