A MAGAZINE FOR THE ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF ST GEORGE’S COLLEGE Inside this issue
Gowns and Guests
Visit from the Prime Minister
2013 Rhodes Scholar
Ken Freeman PM Award
50 Year Club Lunch
December 2012 Issue 2 Volume 36
The 2012 Valedicts
Contents
December 2012
5 From the Warden
9 From the Senior Student
10 Valedictory Dinner
11 New Warden’s Installation
12Annual Giving
13 Top of the Tower Re–opens
14Engineers without Borders
16Gowns and Guests
18The Gascoine Memorial
Bursary and Chinese
Economic Development
Cover: David Sherwood (2009) was
announced as WA’s 2013 Rhodes
Scholar in October. See page 28 for
the full report.
The Georgian is a bi–annual publication
Founded in 1931, St George’s College is
The Georgian is also available online
produced by St George’s College, an
a co–educational college that provides
at stgeorgescollege.com.au/alumni/
Anglican residential college within The
promising students of diverse disciplines
georgianmagazine
University of Western Australia.
and backgrounds with a collegiate
20 Art Exhibition
Top: The Governor of Western
Australia Malcolm McCusker chats
to Senior Student Michelle Hepworth
at a recent Formal Dinner
aspirations, developing their capacities
and encouraging them to lead and serve.
UniPrint 100917
education, aimed at enhancing their
Above: Scott Meyer with the amazing
origami dragon he made for the
Art Exhibition
Right: Roses in full bloom in the
College gardens
DECEMBER 2012
The Little Dragon
20Relay for Life
28 Rhodes Scholar
21 Visit from the PM
29 Business Lunch
21 School Holiday Program
30 20 Year Reunion
22Victorian Georgians’
Travel Prize
32 Vale Frank Hibberd
24Maxwell Newton Travel
Bursary Report: My Journey
to the Swiss Alps
34 PM’s Science Award
26News from the Chapel
38 Visitors and Mailbag
33 Victorian Georgians
36 50 Year Club Luncheon
THEGEORGIAN
3
From the Editor
Welcome to the
December edition of
The Georgian magazine
for 2012.
From the Warden
UWA’s Centenary next year
provides an opportunity for us to look back
on our own history and to acknowledge our
benefactors, without whom we would not
exist. The College is fortunate to have had
such generous benefactors as our founders
Sir John Winthrop Hackett and Archbishop
C.O.L. Riley as well as, for example, Jean
Rogerson, John Elsey (1941), Peter Goodeve,
John Craig (1937) and David Newby (1962).
Their generosity has helped the College to
develop a culture of community service and
of ‘giving back’, as exemplified by Andrew
Lim and his involvement with UWA’s
Chapter of Engineers Without Borders
(p 14), by 2013 Rhodes Scholar David
Sherwood’s (2009) community activities (p
28) and by WA’s recently announced Young
Australian of the Year Akram Azimi (2007)
(http://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/).
We were thrilled to welcome the
youngest member of the College community
when Samuel Champion was born in July.
Congratulations to our Lay Chaplains and
Deans of Studies Dr Sarah Gador-Whyte and
Dr Michael Champion.
Congratulations also to Van Diddens
Painting Services who won the Master
Painters Australia Award in the Historical
Restoration Category Awards for Excellence
for restoration painting of our Chapel. It is
the fifth consecutive year that they have won
this award – last year they won it for the work
they undertook in the Hackett Dining Hall,
entry stair case and landing at the College.
A big thank you to John Mitchell (1955)
and Louise Pilkington (1986) for organising
a Georgian reunion in London when former
Warden John Inverarity was there on Cricket
Australia duties. Below is a photograph from
the evening.
The College now has an official Facebook
page – please “like” us to keep in touch with
what is happening and for information about
events to which Georgians are invited. The
Victorian Georgians have also set up a group
on Facebook to make it easier for alumni of
St George’s who now live in Victoria to get in
contact with each other.
St George’s College hosts a number of
Fireside Chat speakers throughout the year
(p 16) to which all Georgians are most
welcome. Speakers this year have included
Winthrop Professor Cheryl Praeger, the Hon
Fred Chaney and UWA physics professor
and former NASA scientist Jackie Davidson.
Should you wish to be included on the
email notification list for these events, please
let us know by emailing me at georgian@
stgeorgescollege.com.au
Finally a number of residents have
contributed to this publication. Henry Giles
supplied the main photograph on the front
cover and other photographs throughout the
magazine (p 3, 4, 5, 9, 13, 16, 20, 28, 39).
Michael Grebla also provided photographs
(p 3, 10, 26, 27) as did Thomas DrakeBrockman (p 11).
Thank you to them and to everyone else
for their contributions. Submissions and
suggestions are always welcome.
Best wishes for a safe and happy
festive season.G
It is a great privilege and
responsibility becoming
the Seventh Warden of
St George’s College.
Josephine Evans (1988)
Editor, The Georgian
[email protected]
Above: The Georgian 2012 Reunion in London
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THEGEORGIAN
december 2012
december 2012
I would like to thank the Archbishop of
Perth, the Most Reverend Roger Herft, who
conducted the Installation Service in the
Chapel on Thursday 20 September, together
with our Chaplaincy team, for his active
involvement in the affairs of this College
as one of our two Visitors. He shares our
vision of the College; that it should be a
centre for academic and cultural excellence
and promote high ethical standards. As
a consequence of his suggestions, we are
examining the introduction of ethical
leadership and behaviour programs at
the College for school students and teachers,
university students, and corporations,
largely residential and taking place in the
vacation period. We intend that these
programs should lead to the award of
qualifications accredited by clinical pastoral
education professional bodies.
The continuing support of the Diocese
and Cathedral is appreciated. I particularly
acknowledge the contribution of Brian
Dixon, the Diocesan board representative,
who is helping to create opportunities to
bring young regional students from Anglican
schools and backgrounds to the College as
scholars and for residential stays.
This College is, and has been, the home
to many exceptional young people, especially
from rural and regional Western Australia.
The College has assisted in their development
into becoming major contributors to
West Australian and wider society. That
the College has been able to perform this
role so successfully is in significant part the
consequence of the quality of candidates
from Anglican and other regional and
boarding schools. We intend to continue
to work closely with these schools, inviting
potential applicants to visit the College,
as happened recently when boarders from
St Mary’s, whose Principal Mrs Lynne
Thomson is a College Board member,
attended evensong, dinner, and a Fireside
Chat. Evensong included a striking Brumel
mass sung by the Winthrop Singers under
the leadership of Associate Professor Nicholas
Bannan. I would like to thank the Winthrop
Singers for the skill that they exhibit
weekly at evensong – they add a wonderful
dimension to the College’s cultural life.
With schools we additionally look
forward to strengthening our ties through
visits, emphasising the quality of residence
at St George’s, a collegiate experience that
is second to none. And we thank heads and
deputy heads for their generous support of
the College.
For rural and regional students, and
their families, it is a challenging and changing
economic and social environment. We believe
that St George’s forms a part of the West
Australian regional educational network and
we hope to work with regional government
authorities, such as Royalties for Regions,
to develop opportunities for rural and
regional students also to enjoy fully the
educational experiences available in Perth
and at St George’s.
The lessons at the Installation were read
by Matthew Goss, great–great grandson
of Sir John Winthrop Hackett and a current
member of the College, and Michael Moore,
grandson of Archbishop C.O.L. Riley.
I thank them for their willingness to
participate in the service. Their involvement
provides recognition of this College’s
indebtedness to its major benefactor,
Winthrop Hackett, whose portrait hangs
above the fireplace and whose legacy financed
the building of the College and its Chapel,
and to the wise intervention of his friend,
the Archbishop, that led to the foundation
of the College in this particular place.
Together with Sir John Forrest, they were
instrumental in the creation of The University
of Western Australia: fittingly Winthrop
Hackett became the first Chancellor and
C.O.L. Riley the second.
This College’s purpose is to be an
Anglican residential college within and
affiliated to The University of Western
Australia. We exist to support and to benefit
the University. The University in its turn
helps and assists St George’s, for which we
are grateful. The close connection with the
University is cemented through the presence
on the College Board of Winthrop Professor
Phillip Dolan, Dean of the Business School.
It will be an interesting few years as
universities respond similarly to those forces
that have led to the rearrangement of so
many businesses on new global models to
meet our increasingly internationalised age.
Realignments will take place in a context of
far–reaching and rapid technological change.
As the Vice–Chancellor, our other Visitor,
has indicated, in this new environment
first–class on–line courses will have to be
THEGEORGIAN
5
From the Warden
From the Warden
1
2
3
1: The Prime Minister, parliamentarians and senior WA business figures
joined Chancellor Michael Chaney and UWA leaders at the ”In the
Zone 2012” roundtable discussion held at the College.
2: The Prime Minister meets the Warden, as the UWA Chancellor looks on.
3: L-R Senior Student Michelle Hepworth, Prime Minister Julia Gillard,
College Club Vice-President Adeline Brosnan
effectively integrated with student–teacher
structures that enable valued and successful
personalised tuition.
We believe that the residential college
should play an important role in these
developments: residence offers unique
opportunities for the exchange and
advancement of ideas to mutual advantage
and the building of productive relationships
and friendships with people from every
quarter. These are reasons why residential
colleges are consistently identified as being a
key component of leading universities.
The true collegial nature of St George’s,
with our closely knit community of 218
students, illustrates this well, allowing
residents and teachers to engage closely
in topical debate and conversation. This
takes place through the tutorial system,
at Formal Dinners, Fireside Chats and
through the host of other events where our
students deal directly and personally with
people at the forefront of academic and
contemporary thought and achievement.
They also fiercely contest issues between
themselves. This College is, indeed, a hotbed
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THEGEORGIAN
of thinking and ideas. We value enormously
thought–provoking engagement with
public figures, such as this semester’s Formal
Dinner speakers: Ann Pickard, head of Shell
Australia, Nobel Laureate Robin Warren,
Atlas Iron chairman David Flanagan, retired
judge Antoinette Kennedy, His Excellency the
Governor, and Reserve Bank West Australian
Senior Representative Virginia Christie, who
visit and contribute so substantially to this
vigorous intellectual environment. Antoinette
Kennedy wrote after coming to the College–
‘Thank you... for the warmth of my visit last
night. I meant it when I said, if the young
people could see themselves as I see them,
they would be filled with confidence. They
are delightful.’
In addition, in the context of the
University forging closer relationships
with major universities in the region
and elsewhere, there will be opportunity
for meaningful student exchanges, and
St George’s looks forward to playing its part
in this process.
There are, I believe, great opportunities
that present themselves to the University
and the College as a consequence of our
location in the same broad time zone as over
two–thirds of the world’s population and the
increasing economic and social interaction
between Western Australia and China, India
and other regional neighbours. We are strong
supporters of ‘In the Zone’, which is the
State’s premier forum for dialogue on issues
of significance to our region, hosted by the
University. We welcomed the Prime Minister
to the College in July when she came to
initiate ‘In the Zone 2012’ and to discuss the
White Paper ‘Australia in the Asian Century’
with political, business and university leaders.
Education will play a key role in
developing regional relationships and in
Australia’s future economic prosperity. The
College is keen to play its part in this process.
We are very interested in the possibilities of
collaborating with the University, business
partners and others to develop facilities and
scholarship schemes to bring, in particular,
research postgraduate students from the In
the Zone region, and especially China, to the
College as residents. In this regard our vision
extends to the possibility of the Park Avenue
december 2012
Podiatry building being transformed into an
International Scholars’ Centre, if you will a
Rhodes House for the region, affiliated to the
College. In addition and connected we can
envisage a 30 or 40 room wing for Australian
and international postgraduate scholars
situated on the South West side of the
College. We would wish this building to be
the finest environmentally sensitive building
in the region, sitting, of course, cheek by jowl
beside one of the finest precincts of historical
buildings in Australia. These are the types of
exciting undertakings that the College is now
well–positioned to pursue.
The College would not be in this position
and in the sound state that greets me without
the tireless work of many Georgians. We
have on the College Board Dean Pike
(1981)(Treasurer and Chairman of the
Finance Committee), Russell O’Callaghan
(1982)(President of the Georgians), and
Peter Hopwood (1964) (Chairman of the
Planning Committee). David Cannon
(1962) is an unstinting Chairman of the
Foundation and Peter Wreford (1963) is
the secretary to all College and Foundation
boards. These Georgians provide not only
their considerable time but also business and
other insights. There are of course very many
other Georgians in Perth and elsewhere who
serve on boards and committees, and many
without title, all of whose contributions are
magnanimous, as has been their welcome to
the College.
The Chairman of the Board, Rory
Argyle (1956), has played a pivotal role in
the strengthening of the College and its
fortunes. Rory led the formidable team that
implemented the major new and restorative
building projects of the past few years. At the
same time the College instituted academic
and cultural programs that have realised great
results. John Inverarity as Warden, Michael
Beech as Treasurer, Richard Pengelley as
Chaplain, and David Platt as Deputy Warden
built on the past to create a vibrant and
securely founded community that embodies
the very best of the values and attributes that
characterise a leading university residential
college. It is my responsibility to maintain
steadfastly the course that has been set by this
exemplary team.
These achievements, though,
could not have taken place without
the considerable financial support of
Georgian and other benefactors.
december 2012
VC attends a Fireside Chat
In late May the new Vice–Chancellor of the University of Western Australia, Professor
Paul Johnson, joined the College community for a Thursday evening Fireside Chat. After
speaking of his own educational experiences, Professor Johnson spent some time
reflecting on his area of expertise, economics. There was great interest in the room as
to his view of the global economic situation with particular reference to Europe. After
addressing those questions in some detail, the discussion turned to the future for not only
UWA but for university education as we know it. Reflecting on the growing global stampede
to on–line delivery of courses, Professor Johnson emphasise the critical nature of the on–
campus experience.
With a nod to colleges more broadly and to St George’s specifically, he noted how
important the “living” experience is as a component of the total university journey. To truly
compete with the emerging MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) UWA would have to
be a place of meaningful engagement, community building and student–centred learning;
exactly that which colleges already do so well.
Given that it was topical at the time, the final 15 minutes or so of conversation
focussed on the University’s approach to UWA Orientation Camp events. Professor Johnson
emphasised that the University’s response was first and foremost about a deep care for
every individual involved – especially those who may have been victimised. He further
pointed out that UWA stands on a set of values and that behaviours contrary to those
values (especially at University–sanctioned events) would not be tolerated.
All in all it was a wide–ranging discussion that gave the students in attendance real
insight into the man, his position and the University.
This College, in common with Oxbridge
colleges, was founded as a result of
benefaction. Its health and development, like
other colleges, depends in significant part on
the continuing generosity of donors. Every
year St George’s benefits from Annual Giving:
the support of Georgians, in comparison with
other similar institutions, is exceptional. In
addition the College has recently been the
beneficiary of substantial gifts from individual
donors, such as David Newby (1962), John
Craig (1937), the late John Elsey (1941),
and Rod Eddington (1968). Their faith and
trust are a great support; they also convey
great responsibility for the continued good
management of St George’s.
In addition there are other friends of
this College who are not Georgians. They
provide scholarship support, career and
other assistance. I would like to highlight
the contributions of Peter Oliver of Talison
Lithium, Tony Munday of the Goodeve
Foundation, and Angus Jaffray of Boston
Consulting Group in this regard. The Vice–
Chancellor has stressed the far–sightedness
and value of such philanthropic support.
We hope that over the coming years many
others will come to share the vision of our
benefactors, past and present.
And why should they do so? Because the
students of this College arrive intelligent and
motivated; they then become embedded in a
community that is collegial, inquisitive, and
wide–ranging in its interests and experiences.
When you eat in the Dining Hall, you fill
up the tables. Whoever you are, you join the
next table, filling up the waiting space. You
talk to your fellow residents. You come to
know them. You come to respect them. Your
values are shaped. You gain confidence and
determination. Your mobile telephone is also
turned off. The mind develops independently,
and slavish and insidious conformities are
questioned and rejected.
This has been the tradition of this
College and these good traditions are to be
maintained. They do have an effect; this is
illustrated by the 23 Rhodes scholarships that
have been won by members of this College
since its foundation in 1931.
The residents also broaden their horizons
through, for example, the Newby Program
THEGEORGIAN
7
From the Warden
From the Senior Student
This year has been fun,
occasionally trying, but
ultimately rewarding.
Left: Student Environmental Committee
representatives Kelly Fitzsimons & Emily Denholm.
that has recently seen them enjoying, on
a subsidised basis, the Picasso to Warhol
exhibition, Madam Butterfly, the West
Australian Ballet Company’s Pinocchio,
or the Misconception of Oedipus. They
will additionally participate in Classics in
the Chapel, act in Sheridan’s ‘The Rivals’,
be a member of Melismatica (the ABC
award winning choral quartet) or the
barbershop group of tutor and past Rhodes
scholar Angus Turner (1995), join art classes,
or play sport for the College.
And how does this translate into action?
Well, a recent example indicates this
strikingly. Shortly after my appointment
the Student Environmental Committee
requested to see me. I envisaged a series of
helpful incremental suggestions as to how
to change behaviours to conserve resources.
Instead when Damien Pontifex (2006), Kelly
Fitzsimons and Emily Denholm came to see
me, they presented a proposal to introduce
solar panels to the College with a 68kW
capacity and a cost of about $300,000.
A substantial document from SunPower,
a subsidiary of Total, was presented and
summarised. The seven year payback and over
14% rate of return appealed. Investigations
and a visit to the Perth Zoo solar installation
corroborated the Committee’s investigations
and recommendations. The Board has
recommended the introduction of the solar
panels as per their proposal.
This, to my mind, is a quite remarkable
turn of events and exemplifies the St George’s
ethos. This proposal was wholly generated
by the student body. It reflects clear and
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THEGEORGIAN
estimable values and principles. The student
body wants change for the better but
recognises the necessity for thoroughness
and prudent evaluation. Their approach
reflected professionalism, technical mastery,
and the selfless investment of considerable
personal time. I think that this serves as a
potent example of what young, capable,
high–minded individuals can achieve when
working collaboratively and to a common
and laudable purpose.
I was delighted when SunPower, in
recognition of this, offered to provide
scholarships to St George’s in connection
with the contract, acknowledging the
outstanding enterprise and abilities of the
students of this College.
I will be aiming to emulate the powerful
example of the St George’s students, who have
welcomed me so generously to the College.
I would in this latter regard particularly like to
highlight the great assistance of Senior Student
and Board member, Michelle Hepworth.
In a time of change there are many
opportunities for our students and this
College. I hope that I will be able to assist
current and future students, and the College,
to take good advantage of these opportunities
so as to repay the trust that has been invested
in me. I look forward to working with my
excellent colleagues, and all those who hold
dear the interests of this fine College, to
continue its path of progress. G
St George’s offers an education
in which students can listen to Malcolm
McCusker, the Governor of Western
Australia, speak on his opinion of a trial
by jury system one evening, attend an
acoustic concert on the College’s Tower
top the following and a few days later, stay
awake until 2am combing through past
exam papers with their peers. Though these
are some of the experiences I’ve enjoyed at
St George’s College this year, they are not
unique to me; they are characteristic of the
student experience in 2012.
ABOVE: 2012 & 2013 Student Club Executive
Committees L-R Karen Bromley, Dan Ryan, Emily
Denholm, Gerry Mazza, Adeline Brosnan, Charles
Dallimore, Michelle Hepworth, Connal Anderson,
Michael Salmon.
Ian Hardy
Warden
december 2012
december 2012
I’m incredibly fortunate that my
haphazard means of choosing a college for
residence at the end of high school (that is,
applying for St George’s because my friend
had done so) led to me arriving here three
years ago. The College’s strictly enforced
Dining Hall etiquette, the clever and
distinctive sense of humour of its residents,
their spirit and the pride with which they
call themselves ‘Georgians’ are unique to this
College. Throughout its history, the similarity
of residents’ collegiate experiences also strikes
me; students still suntan on Top Balcony,
are still disappointed when allocated a room
not overlooking Matilda Bay, still go to the
university tav on Wednesday afternoons
and first years still shirk lectures in favour of
spending time at College doing, apparently,
not much.
2012 has been a busy year at St George’s.
On Monday nights, Michael Champion’s
offering of short courses with topics ranging
from ‘Jihad after September 11’ to ‘the
Berndt Museum and Indigenous Cultures
Sessions’ sometimes even enthused him to
herd surprised students and passers–by into
the room to join the talk. Students would
almost always emerge and remark how glad
they were for having been abducted. Tuesday
nights included Alison Dymond’s art class,
followed by a 9pm meeting of the student
club. Wednesdays in Semester Two were
characterized by formal dinners with guest
speakers such as Ann Pickard, Antoinette
Kennedy and David Flanagan, often with a
musical interlude by the College Barbershop
led by Angus Turner (1995), or Alex Nicholls’
cello trio. Thursday nights alternated between
Classics in the Chapel performances,
Folk Night, a party or a Fireside Chat,
my favourite of which was Fred Chaney,
following the Warden’s Installation.
Inter-college sport on weekends has been
revived and is well attended, largely due to
the work of Kelly Fitzsimons as Inter-college
Sports President. Despite the increasingly
erudite offering of events at St George’s,
students continued to enjoy themselves at
the College Ball, a routine Friday night at the
Court Bar or occasionally a little prematurely
while enjoying the wine at a formal dinner.
2012 has similarly been a successful year
for the Student Club. The most significant
student initiative this year has been the work
of the Environmental Committee, which has
successfully implemented recycling at the
College. Even more significant is the success
of their proposal (in which I claim no part)
to install solar panels on the roofs of all of the
newer buildings. This initiative will save the
College a substantial sum of money in the
long run.
The good communication between the
hospitality staff and students has continued
to improve the quality and variety of the food
at College, and will doubtless serve to retain
female residents.
Particular mention must also be made
of committee members Anna Civil and
Bec Civil, whose commitment to their
portfolios has been double–handedly
responsible for the vitality of the civic
and arts scene at St George’s.
As I farewell College following the
Valedictory Dinner (admittedly, the fondness
of the farewell being somewhat interrupted
by a phone call from Dave Platt at 7:30
the following morning requesting that I
‘get out of bed and clean the mess in the
clubrooms’), I have become prematurely
nostalgic for everything that is quintessentially
‘St George’s’. Despite the beauty of this
College’s grounds and buildings, it is my
peers that have made the most significant
impression on my experience and I intend to
treasure their friendships forever. Personally
this year has been fun, occasionally trying,
but ultimately rewarding. I owe a debt of
gratitude to the 2012 College Club Executive,
both for their commitment and friendship.
I also owe thanks to everyone in the Office,
most particularly to Ian Hardy and Dave Platt
for their commitment to the students of St
George’s College and for the relationship I’ve
enjoyed with them this year.
Best of luck to my successor and great
friend, Gerry Mazza, whose passion for this
College and its traditions place him in good
stead to be an outstanding Senior Student.
I’m certainly very proud now to be able to call
myself a Georgian and look forward to being
a part of the St George’s College community
for the rest of my life. G
Michelle Hepworth
Senior Student 2012
Michelle is a 3rd year Economics
and Law student from Northam
THEGEORGIAN
9
Valedictory Dinner
New Warden Installation
New Warden
installed
1
2
3
Ian Hardy was officially installed as
the Seventh Warden of St George’s College at
a ceremony in the College Chapel on Thursday
20 September 2012. The service was conducted
by the Archbishop of Perth, the Most Reverend
Roger Herft, assisted by the College’s Chaplaincy
team of Dr Michael Champion, Dr Sarah
Gador–Whyte and Rev Michael Wood.
Afterwards, guests enjoyed gathering in the
Hackett Dining Hall and hearing Ian’s vision for
the future of the College. (To read more about
this, see the Warden’s Report on page 5). G
4
Valedictory Dinner 2012
The Valedictory Dinner was held in the Dining Hall on
Wednesday 24 October 2012. The Valedicts were each
presented with a plaque of the College Crest and the
following prizes were awarded:
1: L-R Sebastian Kirby, Rebecca Civil, Ashlee Bongers,
Merredith Cully, Anna Civil, Ellen Tapsell, Emily Denholm
2: L-R David Vernon, Tao Mantaras, Olivia Moody,
Matt Mantaras
3: Kirsten McKenzie & Lis Hunt
4: Jess Edmeades & Sarah Cummings
5: Ian Hardy & Kelly Fitzsimons
6: L-R Dumisani Mashinini, Sandra Mashinini,
Michael Champion
7: Back row L-R Ash Blackwell, Oli Mashinini, Tao Mantaras
Front row L-R Anna Civil, Sebastian Kirby, Andrew Lim
8: Andrew Guzzomi (2000)
9: L-R Richard Pengelley, Kirk David, Charles Pym,
Darcy Thompson, Alistair Marchesi
10: L-R Vroni Zoidl, Ellen Tapsell, Takara Putland,
Karen Bromley, Arabella Stewart, Isabelle Mendoza,
Michael Salmon, George Giudice-Nairn, Katie McDonald
11: Matthew Shaw & Umberto Anderle
The Leeman Cup: Kelly Fitzsimons
The Lindsay Scott Prize: Anna Civil
The Newby Prizes: Ashlee Bongers,
Sebastian Kirby, Jess Edmeades
The St George’s College Prize: Emily Denholm
The Georgian Prize: Rebecca Civil
The Maxwell Newton Travel Bursary: Ellen Tapsell
The Gascoine Memorial Bursary: Merredith Cully
1
1: L-R Ian Hardy, Cameron Brewer, John Craig (1937),
Rory Argyle (1956)
2: In the Chapel
3: Ian Hardy & David Platt
4: The Archbishop officially installs the Warden
5: L-R John Craig (1937), Joy Shepherd, John Shepherd,
Tony Munday
2
5
6
7
8
3
9
10
4
11
5
10
THEGEORGIAN
DECEMBER 2012
DECEMBER 2012
THEGEORGIAN
11
Annual Giving
Annual Giving
Annual Giving 2012
Philanthropy is an integral part of the
St George’s College culture. We were founded
as a result of Sir John Winthrop Hackett’s
benefaction, and many of the opportunities
that our students enjoy today are the result of
the foresight and generosity of such people as
John Elsey (1940), Jean Rogerson, David Newby
(1962) and Peter Goodeve.
The College depends upon community
support to raise additional funds to pay for things
that fees just don’t cover, such as developing cultural
programs and facilities and creating and maintaining
scholarships. We have a generous community and the
College is very grateful for the financial support given by
Georgians, Friends of the College and parents of current
residents, which makes it possible for St George’s to
continue to provide promising students of diverse
disciplines and backgrounds with a collegiate education
which enhances their aspirations, develops their
capabilities, and encourages them to lead and serve.
The St George’s College Foundation acknowledges
with gratitude the following individuals for their
generous support during Annual Giving 2012. Many
thanks also to those who preferred to make their gifts
anonymously, and to those whose gifts were received
after this list was compiled for publication.
Friends of the College
Mr M R Beech
Mr & Mrs Boyle
Mr & Mrs Bromley
Mrs E Broome
Mr & Mrs Clark
Mrs M L Courtney
Mr J Denholm
Mr & Mrs Doney
Mr CL & Mrs RC Evans
Mr & Mrs Fitzsimons
Mr & Mrs Graves
Mr I Hardy
Mr K L Hendon
Ms Johnson & Mr Longman
Mr & Mrs Kikeros
Dr Kruger
Dr & Mrs Lian
Mrs J Martain
Mr & Mrs Meek
Mr & Mrs Milton
Ms J Pringle
Mrs N A Reid
Mr C N Ryan
Mr & Mrs Smith
12
THEGEORGIAN
Dr G Tapper
Mr & Mrs Taylor
Mr & Mrs Thomson
Mr & Mrs Tibbitt
Mrs Wall
Mr & Mrs Wang
Mr & Mrs Wheeler
Mr & Mrs Willmott
1930s & 1940s
Mr C P Farrow
Mr E F Biddiscombe
Mr W E Ewers
Dr B E Balme
Mr R O Cook
Prof A R H Cole
Dr J J E Glover
Mr R W Nash
Dr J T Jefferies
Mr J G Marsh
Mr E P Anderson
Mr A G L Elliott
Mr E G Hayman
Mr P T McCulloch
Em Prof P R Jefferies
Mr R A Piesse
Prof J C Rivière
Mr W D Gobbart
Mr B W S James, oam
Dr S G Webster
Mr W S Cooper, oam
Prof D T Downing
Mr E R Palmer
Mr T J Poutsma
Mr J O Stone
Dr P B Tunbridge oam
Mr L G Wilson ao
Dr I P Barrett–Lennard
Mr M C P Clifton
Mr E J S Cook
Mr H D B Norman
Dr A C Riviere
Mr J N Mora
Mr J Puzey
1950s
Dr J S Gladstones
Dr G E Bevan
Mr K J Cuming
Mr D D B McNaughton
Mr F J F Owen
Mr A L Vincent
A/Prof R S Crisp
Prof H L Davies
Mr D R Grant–Frost
Mr T W Moore
Dr A J Peck
Dr R D Sturkey CVO am
Dr L E Ward
Dr R L Chase
Dr J C Hanrahan am
Dr C J Powell
Mr H C Grant–Frost
Mr N E Mouritz
Mr I R Oldham
Mr R E S Argyle
Mr J F S Browne
Mr R D P Clifton
Mr A J MacMillan
Mr I L K McNaughton
Mr R G Bunning
Mr G R Hogbin
Mr D W Nairn
Mr I J V Sanderson
Mr D R L Burt
Mr M D Mercer
Mr P H Stewart
Mr C J C Trott
Mr P R E Wann
Dr J W Copland ao
1960s
Mr R D Collister
Mr S P Harrison
Dr G A Lefroy
Mr K R Wark
Dr P R Jackson
Dr R I T Prince
Mr B B Baker
Mr J D Barrett–Lennard
Mr D A Cannon
Dr F T A Lovegrove
Mr R W Mercer
Mr D M Newby
Dr T M Height
Dr D J Lord
Dr R B Whitwell
Dr P F Hopwood
Mr J M Johnston
Mr B Wills–Johnson
Mr R A C Cullen
Mr D A McTaggart
Mr M F Monaghan
Mr D L Armstrong
Mr W A James
The Rev E P Witham
Mr G W Heberle
Dr A E S Tan
Dr P S Hanrahan
Mr G T Tilbrook
Mr P T Trend
Mr G P Walker
Mr A W G Boele van
Hensbroek
Dr G G Jacobs
Mr P Marshall
Mr W S Peters
1970s
Dr M J E Davis
Mr I Goldsmith
Mr M J Young
Mr G D Blue
Mr S R J Cullen
Mr P A Ewing
Dr J T Gliddon
Mr M S Manea
Mr T R D Mason
Mr J K Pearse
Mr T D Petersen
Mr J C S Bogle
Mr S Browne
Mr G W Rich
Mr J H D Day
Dr P De Boer
Mr A P Baird
Mr J P Bargiev
Mr R W Dark
Prof G I Gallop
Mr R L Reynolds
Mr P L Ridgway
Mr M T Rogers
Mr M P Thornton
Mr D J Herron
Dr I J Johnston &
Ms B Maclean
Mr S D Payne
Mr N A R Cameron
Dr N E Casson
Mr T W Hall
Mr J I Rick
1980s
Hon J A Cowdell
Mr M W Ivanac
Mr M S Irving
Mr M W Jones
Mr R J Nash
Dr J N Openshaw
Mr D I Sharp
Ms S A Blakely
Mr C E Carter
Mr M R Evangelisti
Mrs A E Hawkes
Dr & Mrs Horn
Ms A M Weller
Mr A K Duckett
Mr S D Hicks
Mrs M D Rogers
Mr S Trevisan
Mr T T Whittington
Mrs A M Dennison
Ms L A Goldacre
Ms L J Pilkington
Mrs M R Wolff
Ms J F Evans
Mr A & Mrs R Prentice
Mr K J Smith
Mr & Mrs M Stickells
Mr A F Wiese
Mr I & Mrs A Cunningham
Mrs J E Spencer
Ms K J Teale
Mrs J H Wills
DECEMBER 2012
1990s
Ms G H Scott
Ms A Agnello
Mr and Mrs O &
D Charlesworth
Dr A J Hewitt
Ms M J Humann
Ms A N Day
Mrs E M Kent
Mr J & Dr J A Maldon
Mr R M Oddy
Mr J D Power
Dr G I Bond
Mrs N E Eva
Dr J A Love
Ms T M Barker
Mr J M Rintoul
Mr K W Karlsen
Ms F B Seaward
Dr A Turner
Mr R M O’Donnell
Mr I Mukmin
Mr J R Beaver
Ms A M Carson
Mr K A Kerr
2000s
Dr P E Dewing
Miss V A Brown
Mrs J Green
Mr B L Baker
Miss K Patel
Miss S C Peet
Ms J G Macgowan
Mr L W Bennett
Mr S R Lofthouse
Miss M Malherbe
Mr D M Pontifex
DECEMBER 2012
Acoustic Concert on top of the Tower
Inset: Turret being repaired
Top of the Tower re–opens in Style
David Platt
Deputy Warden
As 2012 draws to a close, the Tower repair and
restoration is nearly complete. The works undertaken
by stonemason Tony Graneri and his team have
rectified the cracked and damaged turret while
Multitech Builders have re–surfaced the roof and
installed balustrading throughout. The access stairs to
the tower have been made safe and even the flagpole
received a makeover – including gold–leaf being
applied to the ball (truck or finial) at the top of the
flagpole. New College flags are on the way and with
some minor final works to lighting and the ceiling at
the top of the spiral staircase, the Tower will be restored
to its full glory.
To celebrate the majority of the works being
completed, the students hosted their Semester Two
Acoustic Concert on the roof of the Tower. After
dragging beanbags, blankets, pillows and chairs to
the roof to ensure that all in attendance had comfy
seats, the acoustic crew added mood lighting, banners,
the College keyboard and other bits of kit to ensure
that all the fixings were in place for a great concert.
After a couple of hours showcasing the musical stylings
of College residents and some recent Georgians,
the Tower was pronounced open for business and fit
for purpose.
None of this would have been possible without the
generous contributions of so many members of the
Georgian community who dug deep once again
in support of an iconic piece of the fabric of St George’s
College. The remediation works were absolutely
essential as the rooms directly beneath the turret were
in danger of being deemed unfit for occupation. The
additional works to the Tower ensure that another great
College asset can be used by students, alumni and the
wider community well into the future.
A drinks party on the top of the Tower, to thank
individuals and groups who donated $5000 or
more, will be hosted early in 2013. In addition any
Georgians visiting the College are most welcome
to request a tour of the Tower so that they can inspect
the works while taking in the amazing view of UWA,
Matilda Bay and surrounds.
Annual Giving 2012 officially closes on
31 December and while a significant portion of the
work has been funded, the College is still facing a
shortfall against the total cost of the project. Any
additional contributions in support of the Tower
restoration would be gratefully received. G
THEGEORGIAN
13
Engineers Without Borders
Engineers Without Borders
Engineers Without Borders at UWA
Andrew Lim Guan Tor
I never thought I would pursue
my study in Australia, as I could not possibly
afford an overseas education. From my
home in Malaysia, the most distant place
I thought I would pursue my education
was Singapore, a 5 hour drive from my
hometown. When I was offered a scholarship
from Yayasan Tenaga Nasional, a trust body
for Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Malaysia (the
largest electricity utility company in Malaysia)
to continue my tertiary education in
Australia, I felt really blessed and committed
to take this opportunity to further develop
myself. I knew that I would gain new and
valuable knowledge, experiences, a new
lifestyle and an opportunity to learn about
Australian culture. As I wished to interact
with people from different backgrounds and
cultures in Australia, I got involved with
volunteering at UWA. Most of the people I
have met through volunteering are inspiring
and motivating, especially volunteers in
Engineers without Borders.
Community service is a big passion of
mine and I have been actively involved with
community service programs since high school.
My passion for helping others found a new
outlet when I joined the Engineers Without
Borders UWA Chapter (EWB UWA) as
the Co–ordinator for Roelands Technical
Development Tank for this year. The Roelands
Tech Tank is a new initiative by EWB UWA to
provide support for Woolkabunning Kiaka Inc.
to develop Roelands Village. This team helps
Roelands Village to become a tourist attraction
that can attract both local and international
visitors while providing opportunities for
Aboriginal people to take responsibility for
their own future.
Roelands Village is located on Seven
Hills Road, approximately 155 km south
of Perth and 22km east of Bunbury. It is
easily accessible as it is close to two major
arterial roads, the South West Highway and
Coalfields Road. When I arrived in Roelands
Village for the first time and saw the very
modest dwellings of the Roelands community,
the experience transported me back to my
hometown. It made me realize that even in
a rich and prosperous country like Australia,
there are still people who could use a helping
hand. I learnt that Roelands is a unique site
because it represents an important place in the
history of the Stolen Generation of Aboriginal
Children in Western Australia. From the
1930s to the 1970s, it was a mission that
housed Aboriginal children who had been
removed from their families. An estimated
500 children stayed here during the life of
the mission. In 2004 it was purchased by the
Indigenous Land Corporation.
The village is nestled in lush, green,
forested hills, and is a quick hike away from
the still and tranquil waters of a nearby lake.
There is a certain charm and beauty to the
place, and calmness settles on you when you
are there. It is the kind of place where you
would go to get away from the hustle and
bustle of city/university life. A respite for the
soul. Looking at the vast area of the land in
the village and the beauty of nature this place
inherited, I can see the potential the Village
has and how it can be developed to become
a top Aboriginal tourist attraction.
During my 9 months’ involvement
with Roelands village, my team and I
have maintained a strong relationship
with Les Wallam, the Executive Director
of Woolkabunning Kiaka Inc, during our
monthly trips. We came together and thought
about how we could help the village, a lot of
innovative ideas were suggested and brain–
stormed. At the end we produced a hefty
report outlining various strategies that could
be used to bring out the best in their village
such as repairing the existing basketball court
and building an obstacle course in the village.
It was rewarding to know that they used the
document to apply for grants for developing
their village. In order to fund our monthly
trips down to Roelands, we also successfully
fundraised over $600 with a movie night
screening Men in Black 3 at ACE Cinema in
Subiaco. I have regular fortnightly meetings
with engineers to discuss strategic plans and
ways to achieve the same goals. I have finally
come to understand how my engineering
skills can benefit society.
It is very powerful to realise that what
I’ve learnt won’t just be useful for getting a
pay cheque in the future, but can make real,
significant impacts today!
Woolkabunning Kiaka Inc also runs a
very successful employability skills program,
RESPECT. The RESPECT program supports
young Indigenous people to develop their
confidence and skills for work, and then
to promote themselves to employers with
real jobs. The 2012 pilot programs were
funded by the Department of Education,
Employment and Workplace Relations
(DEEWR). Confidence building includes
opportunities to hear from motivational
speakers such as Indigenous people in
industry and business like Mark Olive (the
Black Olive, internationally acclaimed
Indigenous chef), and other community
members whose stories are inspirational, and
to take a leadership role themselves through
Roelands Village based community projects
such as the community vegetable and bush
tucker garden.
RESPECT students also participate in
the Red Dust Healing program, founded by
Indigenous man Tom Powell and delivered
at Roelands by Darryl Kickett. Red Dust
with RESPECT facilitators encourage young
people to take control of their choices,
environments and pathways to a healthy and
rewarding life, and employment.
As our relationship continues it will
be exciting to see how we can also work in
with the RESPECT program and perhaps
even inspire some young people to explore
engineering as a career. I can see that through
working together on–the–ground in the
Village, there are so many opportunities
to build a young person’s interests and
confidence in many areas of potential work
and learning. Currently, I am working
together with Korrine Bennell, a young
adult from Roelands Village, to start a new
calendar printing project. This project will
help to market and publicise Roelands village
and at the same time promote the sharing of
knowledge between both of us.
In 9 months’ time, I will graduate and
return to Malaysia to work with Tenaga
Nasional Berhad. I don’t have a great deal of
time to make as big an impact on this village
as I would like to. I would love to see this
THEGEORGIAN
village become one of the famous tourist
attractions in WA but unfortunately it is
going to take more than my team to do it.
It has been a rewarding experience for me
and I believe it would be a rewarding
and eye–opening experience for anyone
to get involved with. St George’s College
has nurtured me to bring out the best in
educational and social needs of the whole
community and it has prepared me to go
out into the world to make a difference.
As our College was founded as a result
of benefaction, I believe there are a lot of
Georgians and friends of the College who
are philanthropic and willing to contribute
to society. It would be great if we could help
Woolkabunning Kiaka Inc to continue to
develop Roelands Village into the future.
Note: If anyone wants to know more
about this village, they can contact Les
Wallam via email at [email protected].
au or his contact no: 0427 689 200.
If any College students would like to get
involved, they can contact me through
email: [email protected] G
Andrew is a 3rd year Engineering student
from Malaysia
1: Panoramic view of the countryside around
Roelands Village
2: Roelands Village at sunset
3: The group from the WA and UWA Chapters of
Engineers Without Borders
4: RESPECT cultural awareness program
5: Andrew Lim in the orange orchard
1
14
2
december 2012
december 2012
3
4
5
THEGEORGIAN
15
Formal Dinners
Formal Dinners
Gowns
& Guests
Ian Hardy
Warden
Gowns have returned to the College.
Not only is this a doffed cap to
St George’s unique and historical status
but also a fitting scholarly uniform in
which to welcome distinguished dinner
speakers who so generously agree to
visit and to address the College.
The speakers this semester have been
Ann Pickard, head of Shell Australia; Nobel
Laureate Robin Warren; Chairman of Atlas
Iron and philanthropist David Flanagan;
Antoinette Kennedy, the State’s first female
District Court judge; Virginia Christie, WA
Reserve Bank chief; and His Excellency the
Governor, Malcolm McCusker.
After a clear explanation of the Reserve
Bank’s role in relation to monetary policy
Virginia Christie was assailed with cunning
and clever questions designed to elicit
significant pieces of economic data that
would assist our College speculators.
With poise and cool professionalism she
demonstrated that vigilance and responsibility
have to be the watchwords of senior civil
servants (and, of course, others holding
positions that require confidences to be
maintained and who are bound by their
position not to make certain comment).
2
16
THEGEORGIAN
4
3
1
1: 2012 version of the 1932 photograph (inset)
2: Barbershop performance with Chad Abbott in front
and Oli Mashinini and Angus Turner (1995) behind
It was a master class for the residents. This
respect for position was later reinforced by the
Governor, who gently indicated that he was
unable to answer a question that related to
the direction of government policy regarding
the jury system; he did, however, invite the
audience to consider certain questions and
examples that provoked thinking; his skills
as a former UWA law lecturer remain.
With the exception of Virginia’s address
that self–evidently had a different intent,
every other speaker challenged the College
through their clear unwillingness to accept
the status quo, unfairness, or overt or latent
bias. Each of their tales revealed that they had
consistently challenged prejudice, worked to
overcome opposition or inaction, and chosen
at times in their careers to tread individual
paths determined by belief in their principles
and confidence in their own analysis and
findings. Their messages could not have
been more appropriate for their intelligent,
young audience, whom they urged to test
commonplace perspectives and behaviour.
Ann Pickard explained why, in some
significant part as a consequence of being a
female employee in major oil companies, she
had been prepared to accept the challenge
of difficult roles in Russia, Africa and the
Middle East, turning possible disadvantage
into valuable experience that underpinned her
subsequent career. Her speech also included
consideration of need for careful management
of natural resources, including food and
water; the promotion of innovative and varied
technologies; assessment of government roles
in infrastructure planning with less pluralist
countries sometimes achieving more efficient
results than their democratic counterparts;
and the primacy of safe business practices.
Her presentation fully demonstrated the range
of professional and diplomatic skills that are
required of a successful major international
company chief executive and charted an
inspiring journey that started with the study
of geology in Wyoming.
Robin Warren echoed elements of Ann’s
speech, commenting that the unfashionability
of gastroenterology had perhaps in part
created the conditions that made the
winning of a Nobel Prize more possible in
this somewhat neglected medical field. This
thought was corroborated by Fireside Chat
guest Jackie Davidson, UWA physics professor
and former NASA scientist, who encouraged
College members to press their academic
leaders about less obvious but potentially
highly productive areas of inquiry within
their discipline. She urged listeners to be
imaginative and open–minded and presented
a vision of a world not circumscribed by
conventional scientific boundaries, an
approach so brilliantly exemplified by Ken
Freeman (1958) in his ground–breaking
research into dark matter.
What was clear from Robin Warren’s
words was the painstaking precision of his
observations. Photographic allied to pathology
skills enabled him improbably to detect
bacteria (helicobacter pylori) in the acidic
stomach environment. The refusal of Warren
and his research partner, Barry Marshall, to
abandon their evidence, that others pooh–
poohed or ignored, led to their exceptional
contribution to public health with painful
and widely prevalent stomach ulcers now
december 2012
being cured by a simple and cheap course
of antibiotics. His popularity with students
could be seen in the animated conversation
that continued well after the dinner.
Robin Warren was also greatly enthused
by the College’s barbershop group that
provided the musical interlude that evening,
making their debut performance. Other
guests have been entertained by Lucian
Watkins’ Melismatica classical singing group,
Alex Nicholls’ cello trio, and Katie McDonald
singing her self–composed ‘When I was
younger’. The musical addition provides for
a delightfully rounded evening and gives
College musicians the opportunity to perform
publicly and before supportive peers.
David Flanagan mirrored Robin Warren
in his story of determined and individual
progress, David’s from Bunbury to the
School of Mines and later corporate success.
He recounted the significant personal and
financial risks that he faced in the course of
his career and the creation and development
of Atlas Iron. This presented an interesting
comparison to Ann Pickard’s corporate career.
Their different pathways have nevertheless led
to both becoming people to be consulted, if
not necessarily wholly listened to, in relation
to resources policy development.
David was candid in his presentation
and in his concern about the impact of
taxation on the resources industry. He
additionally painted a fine picture of the
extensive development of Port Hedland, its
infrastructure and hinterland that underwrote
his confidence in the future of WA and its
iron ore industry. He also emphasised the
responsibility of companies and individuals
to support their communities through
philanthropy; David received the inaugural
Governor’s Award for Giving in 2011 and
the Governor, when he spoke to the College,
made significant reference to David and
Give 1, one of the major charities with
which David is associated.
december 2012
Antoinette Kennedy reinforced the
requirement for personal discipline and
recognition of risks and legal consequences
of individual actions. Like Robin Warren
she emphasised the responsibility to focus
on evidence, to establish one’s own opinions,
and to put aside prejudice and preconception.
She very clearly and insightfully discussed
distinctions between the roles of the
judiciary, legislature and executive in a
manner appreciated by both law students
and non–law students. She also commented
on the unhelpfulness of emotive and extreme
characterisation, believing that ‘declaring
wars’ on, for example, drugs reduced future
review and flexibility thereby precluding
beneficial policy evolution. Like Ann Pickard
she too had encountered some resistance in
her early career as a pioneering female lawyer.
Her elegant presentation and delivery made
for a speech that profoundly impressed the
College audience.
The Governor concluded the semester’s
program with a speech that fascinated the
College. He provided details relating to the
Mallard, Mickelberg and Walsham cases,
including the dispiriting setbacks that were
at times encountered. On the eve of the
Rayney verdict he explained the arrangements
regarding the appointment of Justice Brian
Martin. He talked extensively about the
benefits of philanthropy to recipients and
givers, and answered questions about his
family’s different foci that include support for
medical science, the arts, and the highlighting
of problems linked to binge drinking. It was
interesting to learn that a key consideration
in the Governor accepting the Premier’s
invitation to office was the opportunity
that the position might provide to highlight
philanthropy in WA. The Governor hoped
that he could promote philanthropists and
their good causes. He did not expect an
overnight transformation but was sanguine
about a gradual development as Western
3: L-R Lenita Engelke, Matthew Goss, Nadia Sloan,
Marjorie Main, Tamsyn Lenferna de la Motte
4: L-R Takara Putland, Ryan Kirke, Robin Warren,
William Cheng, Thomas Drake-Brockman
Australians contributed more time and also
financial support to community causes, gently
changing a philanthropic culture to match the
great efforts of, for example, the United States.
The Governor, a barbershop singer of repute,
finished entertainingly with some singing,
having enjoyed our barbershop’s laughter–
inducing contribution earlier; he received
a spontaneous round of loud applause that
well reflected the College’s great appreciation
of his visit, speech and time taken in talking
individually to so many residents.
The Formal Dinner Speaker program
has been complemented by the Fireside
Chats that tend to have a more specific and
biographical emphasis. Our guests have been
interviewed by Dean of Studies, Dr Michael
Champion, or one of the tutors. Fireside
Chat guests have included Jesuit historian
Oliver Rafferty, visiting from London, who
talked with particular feeling about religious
divisions in Northern Ireland of which he
had personal experience; Professor Cheryl
Praeger who reflected appropriately on
symmetry and indicated the wide–ranging
applicability of mathematics to business
strategy; Jackie Davidson who, based on her
University of Chicago experience, highlighted
the attractions of interacting in a close
collegiate academic environment, such as at
St George’s, and excited the audience with her
journey to NASA; Fred Chaney who spoke
of encouraging leadership and programs
amongst the indigenous communities and
about the determined work of people such as
Ronald Wilson and Robert French that had
contributed to essential improvement within
the legal system for indigenous Australians;
and Ted Snell, Director of the UWA Cultural
Precinct, who advocated the importance of
public art and fluently linked his early career
to the Empire and 1962 exhibition at the
Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery. G
THEGEORGIAN
17
Gascoine Memorial Bursary
Gascoine Memorial Bursary
The Gascoine Memorial Bursary
and Chinese Economic
Development
Charles Pym
The travel opportunity offered by the Gascoine
Memorial Bursary is conceptually brilliant –
the application form is a blank sheet of paper
upon which the applicant writes down a list
of spurious travel plans, and why they think
they deserve funding. When Interim Warden
David Platt announced, at the 2011 Valedictory
Dinner, that the plans I had cobbled together
to go to China would become a reality,
I was quite nervous for two reasons – firstly
that the scholarship was conditional on
my acceptance into a university program in
Beijing, and secondly that I was travelling alone
and cannot speak a word of Mandarin.
18
THEGEORGIAN
Above: Charles Pym
on the Great Wall.
Several months later I was accepted
into my course and began to prepare properly. The
London School of Economics runs a Summer School
in collaboration with Peking University and attending
the Summer School was the materialisation of a
long–term ambition. I enrolled in Chinese Economic
Development which my friends told me would not
be as glamorous as some of the other courses on offer,
(‘Inside The Dragon’ is apparently a very interesting
and controversial insight into the world of Chinese
politics) but it provided a fascinating run–down of the
transformation experienced by the country over the past
century and particularly in my lifetime.
My first and probably favourite stop was Hong
Kong. Predominantly English speaking, (though you
might doubt this while trying to find a toilet or order a
meal) the city is an amazing clash of cultures where you
see Rolls Royces squeeze down alleyways full of hawkers
trying to peddle traditional Chinese herbal medicine.
Hong Kong maintains a strong sense of liberty that
underpins free taxation and labour laws, which drive
the city as a centre of global commerce, as well as
making for an incredible place for food and nightlife.
I thought the Hong Kong monetary system was
fascinating – four private banks are allowed to produce
their own US Dollar–backed banknotes but I am yet to
find somebody that shares my enthusiasm.
I went to Ocean Park (‘a better Disneyland’, I was
promised) with some backpackers I’d met and there was a
two hour wait in the queue on arrival. One of our group
found a shady–looking man outside the gate selling
‘special tickets’ with no line, for half price. I warned my
friends that it was clearly a scam, but they bought tickets
anyway. As it turns out, the tickets worked fine, the line
was avoided and I refrained from providing any more
helpful advice for the rest of the trip.
I had a traditional Chinese meal with fellow
St George’s resident and Hong Kong local William
Cheng and his family, which was delicious. Warden Ian
Hardy gave me a list of things to see and do in the city,
and I ticked off as many as time would permit.
While in Hong Kong, I caught a ferry to the other
Special Administrative Region of China, Macau. Macau
has Portuguese colonial roots rather than British like
Hong Kong, and as such had a very different feel. The
day and night spent there were immensely enjoyable.
Highlights were the 16th Century heritage site, the
ruins of the Cathedral of St Paul, and Macanese food,
billed as an Asian–Portuguese fusion.
Once I arrived in China proper, I discovered that
intra–China travel is comparatively cheap, so I made
the most of the opportunity and visited a few different
cities. Shanghai is, by some measures, the world’s largest
metropolis. I went to the viewing station in the Pearl
Orient TV Tower and could see nothing but high rise
buildings stretching to the horizon in every direction.
I reached Shanghai via Pudong International Airport
where I took the Shanghai Transrapid Maglev Train on
DECEMBER 2012
a world record 431km/h journey that saw a futuristic
looking tube punch through the vast city in a matter
of minutes. It was silent, blurry and exciting. An
exploration of the outskirts of Shanghai (a satellite city
the size of Perth called Kunming) gave me a feel for the
speed of the massive urbanisation currently taking place
in China.
I took a day trip to Hangzhou where imperial
temples perch on the edge of the beautiful West Lake.
This provided perhaps the only calm and slow hours
during the trip. I had to take a ‘black market’ taxi back
to the train station and the angry taxi driver could have
given the aforementioned Maglev train a run for its
money! She was more than happy to weave through
traffic on the left (wrong) side of the road if it meant
saving a few precious seconds. Along the way she
vented many grievances. I am not sure what she said
to me, as her rant was completely in Mandarin, but it
lasted for 20 minutes and was very loud. Next time I
will take a real taxi.
Xi’an is an ancient capital of China and, according
to an old man I met, one of the two cities one must
visit to have properly been to China. My four days
there were very enjoyable as I ventured to the Terra
Cotta Warriors and was able to set aside a day to hike
up a sacred mountain, Hua Shan. This was incredible.
There were very few foreigners in Xi’an and I was
something of a novelty. Some of the locals laughed
at me, others practised their English and one lady
recorded a video of me for 15 minutes. I am yet to
take her up on her offer to “visit my village meet
one daughter”.
Beijing was where I spent the largest amount of
time. The course at Peking University (or ‘Beida’ as
students call it) was riveting, exploring the history,
mechanisms and current driving forces of the Chinese
economy. The LSE workload and the Chinese study
ethic, however, did not fit well with my desire to see the
capital city, so I managed on very little sleep during the
DECEMBER 2012
Left: Tiananmen Square.
Right: Snacks for sale at
the Beijing markets.
three weeks of the course. I could not have anticipated
the number of distractions provided by the sights of
Beijing but I think I struck a good balance between the
two. The course had students from around the world
and there was never a shortage of people wanting to go
out and explore after class.
I am told that every major political movement in
China originated at Peking University – Chairman
Mao Zedong first learned about communism in
the very library in which I sat to write my essays.
Thankfully those Marxist ideas seem all but vanquished
from present–day Peking Uni. Interestingly, the
most heavily policed part of China that I visited
(Tian’anmen Square aside) was the University itself.
My classmates speculated that this was to stop the
spread of revolutionary ideas.
In Beijing I was able to visit the Great Wall,
Tian’anmen Square, the Forbidden City and the
significantly newer Birds Nest Olympic Stadium.
The Great Wall was my favourite; apparently we had a
once–a–year clear day and uncharacteristically brilliant
weather for the visit.
I made it back to Perth in late August, almost a
month behind in my UWA studies. Although I have
spent almost every day, since my return, trying to
catch up, the entire experience is one that was entirely
worth the time and effort and will stay with me forever.
Studying a course run jointly by two great institutions
was an amazing opportunity that simply would not
have been possible without the support of the Gascoine
Bursary. I wish to express my gratitude to the Gascoine
family for giving me such a wonderful opportunity, and
to recommend to any College student considering a
similar venture in the future that they plunge forward
and put big ideas, however distant they seem at the
time, onto the blank application sheet. G
Charles is a 4th year Economics and Law student from
Golden Bay.
THEGEORGIAN
19
Relay for life
PM’s visit
Relay for Life
School Holiday Program
Anna Civil
Since 2010 St George’s College has been keenly participating in
UWA’s Relay for Life on Oak Lawn, and each year we have set our
sights a little higher than the last. In 2010 we registered one team, a
last minute effort within a group of friends that turned out to be the
start of a tradition. 2011 saw us win ‘College or University Club with
the most Participants’, an admirable prize reflecting the enthusiasm of
the 25 people participating. Finally, in 2012 we registered 3 teams and
had just under 40 College residents walking/running/skipping around
the track. This year was a milestone for us; we raised over $2,000 and
we had someone running the entire time – deserving winners of ‘Best
College Team’, an accomplishment that reflects the time and effort put
in by the key organisers of the day; Jessica Edmeades, Sophie Smith,
Sebastian Kirby and myself.
The event was a lot of fun, despite the rain and potential
thunderstorms that threatened overhead… St George’s had two
marquees, two tents, a lot of pillows and beanbags, board games,
snacks, a fairy floss machine and a popcorn maker (we were selling
treats to continue adding to our donation total). In short, we had
a great set up and great people for company! A few people stayed
the full 24 hours, while others squeezed in a few hours’ sleep at
College before coming back down to soldier on through the morning.
No matter how long you were there for, even if you just stopped by
for an hour, everybody could see that the morale was high and the
atmosphere contagious – especially at about 10:30am on Sunday
morning. That was when we hit our one thousandth lap! We walked
the lap as a team chanting ‘O When the Saints’ at the top of our
lungs; add in red and white face–paint, a banner and anything red
that we could find, and you have a true depiction of College spirit –
and all in the name of such a worthy cause!
Anna is a 3rd year Science student from Wattle Grove
For the first time, St George’s College hosted a school holiday
program for local primary school children in years 3–6. Billed as an
opportunity to explore the “Hogwarts–like” castle on Mounts Bay
Road, the program featured a mix of educational and recreational
sessions. The students who attended enjoyed events and activities
including: an Amazing Race around the College, Chemistry Magic,
arts and crafts, African Drumming, Junior First–Aid, Crime–Scene
St George’s, dancing, yoga, dodge–ball (a favourite) and daily
cooking lessons in the College kitchen.
The children were supervised by a group of current College
residents who coordinated the various activities and served as
mentors for the participants. Each day was jam–packed with
fun and excitement while featuring a number of serious learning
opportunities.
New Warden of the College, Ian Hardy said of the program
“Education is at our core. We aim to educate and inspire across
all age groups. Whether you see St George’s as a university–
college and cloisters or as a re–creation of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts
Hall, you can’t fail to be excited and motivated to learn and to
flourish here.”
The feedback from children and their parents was very, very
positive and many have already enquired about booking for
the July break in 2013. It is likely that the program will become
a staple over the winter break; offering College residents the
opportunity to be employed in–house and local school children
early entrée to a place they might one day call home.
1
2
3
1: The St George’s College Relay for Life team
2: Ellen Tapsell & Kelly Fitzsimons
3: Henry Giles
Art Exhibition
1
2
3
1: L-R Andrew Lim, Louise Williamson,
Les Wallam, Calvin Glanz, Kean Gin Yong
2: Kate Crawford & Alison Dymond
3: Gerry Mazza & Mark Dodd (2006)
20
THEGEORGIAN
St George’s College showcased the students’ art, photography
and musical talent at an Art Exhibition held on Sunday 21 October.
The pieces on display were created at a range of art classes run by
current resident Alison Dymond throughout the year as well as private
pieces and unique photographs from the students. The Exhibition
was an opportunity to showcase the incredible depth of artistic talent
at the College.
A select number of pieces went into a silent auction, which raised
over $1000 for Woolkabunning Kiaka Inc, to assist them to continue
to develop Roelands Village. (See article on pg 14). Les Wallam,
the Executive Director of Woolkabunning Kiaka, gave a speech
about Roelands Village, and musical entertainment was provided
by the Barbershop Group, Francesca Lau, George Giudice–Nairn
and Justin Kruger.
Congratulations to Alison Dymond for organising such a
successful event.
Visit from the PM
David Platt
Deputy Warden
In mid–July, the College assisted UWA with the launch of
In the Zone – 2012. The launch event was hosted in the College
Dining Hall and involved a round–table discussion between the
In the Zone advisory board and the Prime Minister. Needless to
say, the College was abuzz in the days and hours before her arrival
with many wondering which other College in Australia had hosted
the Governor General, the Governor a former Prime Minister, the
State Premier, and the sitting Prime Minister all within a 12–month
period of time.
The Prime Minister arrived promptly for the meeting and was
greeted by the Warden, Mr Ian Hardy, and the Chancellor of the
University, Dr Michael Chaney. She was then introduced to the
College’s Senior Student, Ms Michelle Hepworth, and the College
Club Vice–President Ms Adeline Brosnan. The three women had
a lovely discussion about education, career pathways, choices and
opportunities. Although Ms Gillard was on a tight timeline in
regards to the actual meeting, she was very generous with her time
as she spoke to the two College women – a most significant moment
for St George’s as the first woman Prime Minister of Australia shared
some valuable life–lessons with the first two women to hold both the
Senior Student and Vice Presidential positions on the College Club
Executive.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Ms Gillard graciously agreed
to meet with the children who were at St George’s for the July
School Holiday Program – a genuine thrill for both the children and
their College mentors. G
1
2
december 2012
1 & 2: The Prime Minister meets some of the children and
mentors at the College’s School Holiday Program.
3: The Prime Minister chats with Michelle Hepworth and
Adeline Brosnan before the “In the Zone” meeting begins.
december 2012
3
THEGEORGIAN
21
Travel Prize
Travel Prize
Victorian Georgians’
Travel Prize Report
Jordan Morris
Above: St Patrick’s Cathedral
22
THEGEORGIAN
When the opportunity to apply for the Victorian
Georgians’ scholarship arose at College, I was immediately interested.
To be given the chance to learn from ex–collegians was an inspiring
notion; they have been where I am today and made it out the other
side. The Victorian Georgians broadened their horizons beyond the
isolation of Perth and made lives for themselves in the reigning ‘most
livable city in the world.’
So, needless to say, Melbourne had a lot to live up to.
When I arrived in Melbourne, I was pleasantly surprised to
discover it was not actually as cold as I had prepared myself for. That
being said, it was still cold enough for me to don the heaviest jacket I
am ever likely to own and brave the ‘Melburnian’ weather.
I met Victorian Georgian Ted Mouritz (1955) at the airport after
touchdown and the trip was officially underway. Ted has a mind for
dates and places, and by the end of the week I had learnt so many
amazing things about Melbourne and its history. We arrived at Trinity
College on the University of Melbourne campus at around 9pm and
made our way to the Deanery. Despite the darkness, the beauty of
the College was plain to see, and its chapel is one to rival our own
here at St George’s. Campbell Bairstow (1972) and his wife Jill played
host and showed me my living quarters for the next week. They were
absolutely fantastic, and the proximity of the College to the heart of
Melbourne really contributed to the success of my week.
The following day I boarded the City Circle tram to plot out
my week. The tram is free and goes past many of Melbourne’s main
attractions. With the aid of a knowledgeable voiceover, I started to
familiarize myself with the city. Later that afternoon, Campbell and I
made our way to the Water Rat Hotel in South Melbourne for drinks
with the Victorian Georgians I was yet to meet. Ted and Brenda
Mouritz, Roslyn and Peter Marshall (1969) and Lonely Planet travel
writer Tim Richards (1982) greeted us at the restaurant. Both food
and conversation were delightful and by the end of the night I was
truly exhausted.
With Wednesday came more walking; I made my way to the
Royal Botanical Gardens to start the day. By this stage I was beyond
impressed with the public transport. It really does leave a lot to be said
about Perth. The RBGs took up most of the morning but on the way
back I visited the State Library which was teeming with academics,
students and tourists alike. It was an amazing building located in a
prime situation for the people of Melbourne to take advantage of all
that it has to offer.
In all seriousness, I have a passionate distaste for shopping. But by
this stage, the option to do just that had become a little bit too hard
to resist, so I got in a couple of hours of retail therapy. Honestly, even
shopping is easier in Melbourne.
My knowledge of the urban lifestyle is relatively limited but
from what I experienced, Melbourne is just as incredible as the
Victorian Georgians made it out to be. Thursday was another cultural
DECEMBER 2012
“Learning about people
from different places
and career backgrounds
is something that
fascinates me; it is
always inspiring and
makes success seem like
more of a reality than
a fictional concept.”
immersion day with the Melbourne Museum, St Patrick’s Cathedral
and the Fitzroy Gardens all on my to–do list. They were all incredible.
I also dedicated some time to exploring what Melbourne University
has to offer. The students living on campus are in a wonderful
location; everything is just a short walk or tram ride away. China
Town was my destination for dinner and it was bustling with activity.
Learning about people from different places and career
backgrounds is something that fascinates me; it is always inspiring
and makes success seem like more of a reality than a fictional concept.
Hearing the stories of people now based in a different city, who
have moved away from Perth to further themselves, may ebb
away some of the naivety I perhaps have as a privileged student
at St George’s College.
My final day in Melbourne I spent with Tim Richards (1982),
who knows the city like the back of his hand. Every alleyway had
something hidden and exciting to discover. Oddly enough, even down
the most abandoned looking alleyway were places always packed to
the rafters with locals. After an enlightening tour around the city
center, Tim and I parted ways and I continued exploring on my own.
Campbell then gave me a tour of Trinity College, which is amazing in
its own right.
Even with the excellent food we get at College, I have come to
appreciate a home cooked meal so I was then off to Ted and Brenda’s
house for dinner and it was lovely. By now, it had dawned on me that
I had a 5am departure to look forward to, so I headed back to base
camp at the Deanery.
I was certainly sad to go; the week had come and gone too fast
and I had a newfound passion for the urban lifestyle. Melbourne is
an incredible city with so much to do and see and the opportunity to
visit a sister college and another of Australia’s top universities showed
me what is out there beyond Perth. I am so grateful to the Victorian
Georgians, who gave me such an amazing opportunity and provided
me with fantastic experiences I am unlikely to forget for a long time. G
Top: L-R Brenda Mouritz, Jordan
Morris, Ted Mouritz (1955)
Left: Jordan Morris &
Campbell Bairstow (1972)
Jordan is a 2nd year Science student from Dunsborough
DECEMBER 2012
THEGEORGIAN
23
Maxwell Newton Travel Bursary
Maxwell Newton Travel Bursary
Maxwell Newton Travel
Bursary Report: My Journey
to the Swiss Alps
Ming Shi
When I packed my luggage in the evening of
January 25, 2012, I still could not believe that I was
going to study in Switzerland, a country that has been
witness to so many famous scientists such as Albert
Einstein, Wolfgang Pauli and Hermann Staudinger.
When I was a child, a Japanese cartoon called “Heidi,
Girl of the Alps” brought Switzerland into my life for
the first time. Since that time, Switzerland had become
a country I was very keen to visit. The night before my
departure, I was too excited to sleep as I knew I was
finally going to the country that I had always dreamed of
visiting. Moreover, it was going to be the first time that I
would be in a different time zone from my hometown in
Yantai, a city in Shandong province in China.
My first impression of Switzerland was the heavy
snow. In the weak dawn light, Zurich was coated in
white. As I grew up in a snowy region, Swiss snow
made me feel at home. After a quick breakfast at
McDonalds, I stepped on the train to Lausanne which
was where I was going to be staying for the next two
months. Switzerland is a mountainous country and
24
THEGEORGIAN
Above: Ming Shi
the up–and–downs on the train made me sick for two
hours… However, the beautiful scenery helped to
make the trip bearable. Compared with Australians,
I found that the Swiss were not extroverted. Occasional
eye contact often made them awkward. Once you
started a conversation, however, they would try to
get to know you without invading your privacy. I
also noticed that many people on the train were busy
reading and studying. Perhaps this was because January
is the examination period in Switzerland but such a
hard–working attitude really impressed me. Two and
a half hours later, the train arrived in Lausanne, my
destination. As a student in Western Australia, such
short distance between the eastern and western border
of the country was a pleasant surprise.
At UWA I am studying for a Bachelor of Science
(Advanced Science Program) with Honours. In order
to finish my degree, I had to undertake an overseas
placement. With the help of Jeremy Cheang (2009),
I went to work with the so–called “Best Asian Synthetic
Professor on the European continent” Professor Jieping
Zhu (originally from China, but now a French citizen)
at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in
Lausanne. My project was to prepare intermediate steps
for Professor Zhu’s PhD student to complete the total
synthesis of Goniomitine, which is a tricky compound
with only four previous total syntheses.
DECEMBER 2012
The EPFL also has a sister school in Zurich and many
great scientists have graduated from these two institutes,
which are regarded as the MIT of Europe.
Although EPFL is famous for its education and
research, the campus is not as attractive as UWA. The
EPFL’s main problem is that all the buildings look the
same, so as an exchange student, it took me at least
an hour to find the chemistry building. Despite the
trouble locating it, the facilities inside each building
were very advanced. Each building had a cafeteria and,
at least one vending machine on each floor. Funded by
the Swiss Government, EPFL gives an impression of
industrialisation, modernisation and humanity.
After the first few days of lab work, I spent my first
weekend in Basel, on the border of France, Germany
and Switzerland. The most famous place in Basel is
the Zoo, the largest zoo on the European continent.
As an animal–lover, I spent a whole day there and
though I had seen many animals on TV, the internet
and other zoos, Basel Zoo was still fascinating. It is a
combination of an aquarium and animal zoo and has
a wide variety of animals. The most beautiful was the
snow leopard from the Himalayas. Different from the
cheetah and leopard, the snow leopard is more flexible
and agile in order to survive in mountainous areas. I
also found the Antarctic penguins and Swiss bears really
interesting. The first time I saw real penguins was on
Penguin Island in Rockingham. The penguins in Basel
Zoo were much bigger and more curious about their
surroundings. At 11am, there was a Penguin Parade
through the Zoo. Many penguins got distracted by all
the people around them and wandered away. After the
parade, it took zoo keepers quite a long time to gather
all the penguins. After the trip to the Zoo, I spent some
time wandering around the University of Basel. As a
public university with a long history, University of Basel
was different from both of the Swiss Federal Institutes
of Technology. The differences lie not only in the style
of the building but also the view of the campus. In
terms of the building style, University of Basel is more
like UWA. However, there is not a specific campus
for the university. Various departments are located in
different places; hence, travelling from one department
to the other takes quite a long time.
My second weekend was spent in another country,
Liechtenstein. Although Liechtenstein is said to be a
country, it is more like a province of Switzerland: the
only soccer team in this country, Vaduz FC, joined
the Swiss soccer league a few years ago. Although
Liechtenstein is smaller than Perth, it is an important
country in the world and is most famous for its banking
and stamps. Most people know about Swiss banks;
however, Liechtenstein banks are said to be just as
reliable. Therefore, many rich people put their money
into this tiny country, which contributes to the wealth of
local people. The most famous industry in Liechtenstein
is not banking but stamps and it has the largest variety of
stamps in the world. You can find any kinds of stamps,
even Chinese, Japanese or Brazilian stamps. It was
DECEMBER 2012
interesting to find that my father actually has some of the
same stamps as the ones in the museum. Besides these
two well–known industries, Liechtenstein is also famous
for its delicious chocolate, although the taste is similar to
Swiss chocolate. I was keen to travel to Liechtenstein as it
was the only central European country not conquered in
WWII apart from Switzerland.
Bern is the capital city of Switzerland; however it is
not as well–known as the other cities. To some extent,
Bern is much like Canberra – an assigned capital city to
balance the whole country. In Switzerland, it was more
obvious because Bern is located in the centre among
German–, French– and Italian–speaking regions. On
the day that I went to Bern, there was a friendly soccer
match between Switzerland and Argentina. Fortunately,
I managed to get two tickets with my German friend in
my lab. The game was held in the Bern Soccer Centre,
which witnessed the “Bern Miracle” in 1954, when
Germany beat presumably unbeatable Hungary in
the finals. The friendly game between Switzerland and
Argentina was very entertaining and I saw Lionel Messi
in the game. Although there was a riot during half–
time between Argentina and Swiss fans, the European
passion for soccer impressed me a lot…
As an athletic person, it was not surprising that
I tried skiing in Switzerland in spite of my lack of
experience. To avoid potential injury, I didn’t start
with skiing or snowboarding. Instead, I tried sledging
at Interlaken. Initially, I was not confident enough
to sledge as some of the slopes were quite steep.
After a few trials, I started to really enjoy it. In fact,
it was more like enjoying being in the snow rather
than driving the sledge… Meanwhile, I tasted Swiss
hot chocolate and discovered that a hot chocolate
after exercise was really refreshing. In the evening,
my friend and I decided to go to a fancy restaurant
in Interlaken. I tasted guinea fowl for the first time,
which was exquisite. After a whole day trip, I returned
to Lausanne at midnight. Although it was snowing
outside, I was really warm and content.
On March 11th, my Swiss study finished and I
travelled back to Zurich to start the long journey back
to Perth. Swiss spring was on its way and the weather
was not as cold as when I arrived, however, I missed the
snowy days.
It has been eight months since I returned to
Perth but I still miss the time I spent in Switzerland.
Although there are no beaches, kangaroos and
oceans there, the mountains and lakes make the
country gorgeous and attractive. I hope to go back to
Switzerland in the future and spend more time in the
snowy Alps.
I would like to express my gratitude and thanks
to the contributors and supporters of the Maxwell
Newton Travel Bursary for providing me with such
an amazing opportunity. G
Top: Top On the ski lifts.
Above: Castle in Liechtenstein
Ming is a 3rd year College resident from
Yantai, China
THEGEORGIAN
25
Chapel report
The Winthrop Singers
News from the Chapel at
St George’s College
1
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3
4
5
26
THEGEORGIAN
Dr Michael Champion
& Dr Sarah Gador–Whyte
Lay Chaplains
Following the departure of
Rev Canon Richard Pengelley, St George’s
has a new, three–person chaplaincy team.
Dr Michael Champion and Dr Sarah
Gador–Whyte are Lay Chaplains living at the
College, while Rev Michael Wood, the UWA
Anglican Chaplain, continues his association
with St George’s as the ordained member of
the chaplaincy. The Most Reverend Roger
Herft, Archbishop of Perth and Visitor of the
College, commissioned the Chaplaincy team
in August.
Since then, it’s been a busy time in the
Chapel, with services for the installation
of the Warden, commissioning the new
Residential Advisors, and giving thanks
for students leaving the College, alongside
the regular Sunday 5pm Eucharist, 6pm
Thursday Evensong with the UWA Winthrop
Singers, and 8am Morning Prayer, to
which all members of the wider College
community are warmly invited. There are
plans to introduce other services, lectures and
study groups and to strengthen the College’s
connections to other parts of the Anglican
Church. Links with congregations and the
mission and service activities of the Diocese
will also supplement and support the vibrant
volunteering activities in which students are
already passionately involved.
Our beautifully refurbished Chapel is set
at the heart of the College; an architectural
statement of the College’s founding
understanding that ‘to know God is to
live’. That understanding invigorates the
worshipping life of the College. We pray that
it will sustain all members of the College and
continue to inform the College’s activities
in education and service in the wider
community. We acknowledge with gratitude
Dr John Craig’s (1937) generous gift towards
the Chapel restoration.
The following reflection was offered at the
Service to Reopen the Chapel, and sets out
something of what the Chapel can be in the
life of the college.
1: L-R Michael Champion, Sarah Gador-Whyte,
Samuel Champion, Archbishop Roger Herft,
Michael Wood
2: Benefactor John Craig (1937) & Bobbie Craig
3: L-R Back row David Platt, Ian Hardy, John Craig
(1937), John Inverarity, Rory Argyle (1956)
Front row Sophie Platt, Mia Platt
4: L-R Peter Wreford (1963), Kevin Palassis,
Peter Hopwood (1964)
5: L-R Ian Hardy, Archbishop Roger Herft, Sarah
Gador-Whyte, Michael Champion, Michael Wood
Reflection on 1 Pet 2, 1 Cor 3 and
George Herbert’s The Altar for the Reopening
of St George’s College Chapel
We celebrate the reopening of this
marvellous building, and straightaway are
reminded the building is not the church.
We’re very grateful that our bricks no longer
have cracks in them, and that the mortar
has been replaced. We glory in the beauty
of the refurbished panelling and stonework,
and give thanks for the generous donations
and the skill of the architects, builders and
craftsmen who have made the chapel sparkle
with such fine work – work which may very
well ‘withstand the judgment fire’. Yet, Paul
tells us, God’s temple is the worshippers.
This temple is ‘a chosen people, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation’.
Now humans are rather good at defining
insiders and outsiders, and the corollary of ‘a
chosen people’ seems inexorably to exclude
people we don’t like or who are not like us.
But if Christians are chosen, they are called
into being and community by God: ‘once
you were no people, now you are God’s
people’. A ‘chosen people’ is the opposite
of them versus us. Instead, it puts the accent
on the gracious, divine invitation that creates
the Church.
To say Christians are a chosen people
means proclaiming a God who welcomes
all people into loving relationship with him,
creating community where before there
was nothing. To build on the foundation
of Jesus Christ is to point to the action of
a loving God who chooses to be with us,
and to mirror God’s universal invitation
to all people in our own lives. The God
who chooses us is a welcoming, hospitable,
merciful and creative God. A church built
december 2012
on that foundation welcomes, creates,
reconciles and acts with the mercy it has
from God.
There is no more hospitable, welcoming
act in Christian worship than the breaking
of bread in the Eucharist – sharing a meal
together with all comers, remembering
the vulnerability of Christ’s broken body
that challenges us to remove the barriers
we place between ourselves and others,
and celebrating the divine invitation and
the peaceful unification of God with
all humanity. The Eucharist is an act
of thanksgiving and an act of peaceful
unification between God and us. And just
so it is the act of a royal priesthood, for it is
priestly work to give thanks and reconcile
differences. To act as a royal priesthood
means acting sacrificially: ‘O let thy blessed
sacrifice be mine, and sanctify this altar to
be thine’.
It means making ourselves vulnerable,
standing with the poor, speaking out
against injustices. And it points us to a
God prepared to act sacrificially to reconcile
heaven and earth and bring humanity into
the divine life as a new creation.
A new creation is what Peter is talking
about when he speaks of the church as a
holy nation. A holy nation lives as though
this new creation of humans reconciled
to God and one another were the present
reality, free from malice, guile, insincerity
and all the ways in which humans seek to
manipulate and do violence to one another.
Our hope for this beautifully restored
chapel is that it will be a chosen people,
a royal priesthood and a holy nation. It
will be welcoming and inclusive, created
and sustained by the hospitable God who
creates communities. It will stand alongside
those God stands with, seeking justice and
peaceful reconciliation of difference. It will
offer to God all the gifts he bestows on us
in joyful acts of praise and service. And it
will model a world of reconciled, healed
humanity, questioning the claims to power
of provisional authorities and pointing
towards the City of God. Such a community
will live in the light, building soundly on
the sure foundation, Jesus Christ. G
december 2012
The Winthrop Singers
A highlight of the Semester was
the Winthrops’ performance of the
“Earthquake Mass” by Antoine Brumel as
The Winthrop Singers have had
part of the Pipe Organ Plus concert series
a busy term, and it’s not over yet! They
at Fremantle Basilica. This extraordinary
were excited to be able to return to their
work tested the choir’s abilities to the limit
own home in St George’s College once the
and was, as far as we know, a WA premier.
extensive repairs to the Chapel had been
The choir has been preparing for the UWA
completed, and led the service of dedication
Centenary next year through recording a
that paid tribute to the sponsors who made
newly–commissioned piece, “Gaudete” by
the restoration possible. This was quickly
long–term friend and supporter Emeritus
followed by services to commission the new
Professor David Tunley, as part of the CD
Chaplain, Michael Wood, Lay Chaplains,
of works by UWA composers past and
Michael Champion and Sarah Gador–Whyte; present that forms the musical centrepiece
and to install the new Warden, Ian Hardy.
of the 2013 celebrations.
Members of the choir felt a really strong
The Winthrops will be touring to
sense of identification with the College and
Geraldton at the end of November, with
its history as a result, and this strengthened
concerts at St Francis Xavier Cathedral and
further and widened to embrace UWA more
Geraldton Grammar School. They hope
generally with performances at two Friends
to see any Georgians who live in the area!
events, The University Open Day, and,
Then, 2012 activities come to a seasonal
especially, the Memorial Event in Winthrop
close with The University and College Carol
Hall for former Chancellor of The University Services on December 13th and 14th,
the Hon Justice Geoffrey Kennedy.
in the Chapel at 7pm. G
Nicholas Bannan
Director, The Winthrop Singers
THEGEORGIAN
27
Rhodes Scholar
The Little Dragon
Business Lunch
The Little Dragon
Rotary Ramble II
2013 Rhodes Scholar
A Georgian with a passion for volunteer
work and educational reform plans to leave
his research background behind as he
takes on the mantle of Rhodes Scholar.
David Sherwood (2009) was named
WA’s 2013 Rhodes Scholar at a ceremony
at Government House on 26 October. He
will head to Britain’s prestigious Oxford
University next year to study Politics,
Philosophy and Economics.
The former Bunbury Senior High School
student has had a brilliant academic career
in the field of science, winning multiple
scholarships and grants, including the UWA
Fogarty Foundation Regional Scholarship,
and becoming one of a small group of
students to undertake UWA’s elite Bachelor
of Science (Advanced) course.
He has just completed a thesis on
the application of nanotechnology to
sexual reproduction in honey bees, but
it’s his voluntary work with struggling
schoolchildren that has ignited his dreams.
Last year David co–founded the not–for–
profit organisation Teach Learn Grow Inc,
a volunteer group which sends university
students to primary schools in remote
and regional areas to help boost literacy
and maths skills. The program, which
deliberately targets rural and indigenous
populations (the two areas identified by
the Federal Government’s Gonski Report as
being the most educationally vulnerable),
sees university students travel to distant
schools twice a year to provide one–
on–one tutoring and mentoring to three
children each over a one–week period.
David, who graduated from Bunbury
Senior High School in 2008 as dux and
28
THEGEORGIAN
with a Tertiary Entrance Rank of 99.80,
said studying politics, philosophy and
economics would help diversify his skills.
He is very interested in education and
educational reform and would like to lead
an educational movement in Australia.
A broad economics, philosophy and
politics course will give him a much better
understanding of working outside scientific
fields and in particular, working for not–for–
profits and working with the government.
David said he loved science and his
Advanced Science degree, with honours
in chemistry, had given him invaluable
analytical and problem–solving skills.
However, research could be a solitary
pursuit and he had a strong desire to work
with and inspire other people.
In addition to his academic
achievements David has been heavily
involved in community activities including
university soccer and netball, soccer and
badminton organisations in Bunbury,
volunteer tutoring at Homework Centres,
and volunteering with Fire and Emergency
Services Australia and Scitech WA.
He said his early experiences
demonstrated the value of good education
and mentors, and he particularly singled
out his high school chemistry teacher,
Georgian Alan Osborne (1968) as
someone who had inspired him throughout
his education.
They’ve done it again! For the
second consecutive year, a team from St
George’s College has taken out top honours
in the Perth Rotary Ramble. The Ramble is
an annual event in which teams comprised
of 2 to 6 people race around Perth doing
challenges, riddles and puzzles in the hopes
of scoring the most points. The grand prize
for the winning team is a trip for four to
Paris. The event is part challenge and part
fundraiser with all proceeds going to charities
supported by the Rotary Club of Perth. The
winning team is determined according to
the highest total points combining scores
from the challenges with fundraising points.
The St George’s team of Ash Blackwell, Lis–
Marie Hunt, Natasha Giles and Dan Hunt
(2008) set out with only one goal in mind
– defending their title. And although it took
two competitors to replace Angus Johnson
(2008) from last year’s team (Ash, Lis and
Angus) the George’s crew was stalwart in their
defence and are once again off to Paris as a
result. G
Congratulations to Melismatica, a UWA
vocal group made up of members of The
Winthrop Singers, who won the ABC 2012
Classic Vocal Romp Competition. Their prize
included performance at Perth Concert
Hall and a recording contract. The winning
performance can be viewed at: youtube.
com/watch?v=Ll1HFv9niCo
Members of Melismatica are Soprano
(and former College resident): Kate Oliver
(2011), Tenor: Adrian Maydwell, Baritone
(and College resident): Lucian Watkins,
Bass: Francis Cardell–Oliver.
1: L-R Taylem Frost, James Bowie (1990),
Daniel Engelke
2: Trevor Whittington (1985), Monica Leslie,
Michael Salmon
3: Russell O’Callaghan (1982)
& Emily Denholm
4: L-R Damien Pontifex (2006), Mark Dodd
(2006), Margo Darbyshire (1989)
5: Chad Abbott & Stewart Bogle (1973)
6: L-R Karen Bromley, Craig Jamieson (1981),
Nick Casson (1978)
1
2
3
Georgian
Business
Lunch
4
Article reprinted from www.news.uwa.edu.
au/201210265145/awards-and-prizes/
bunbury-dux-uwas-newest-rhodes-scholar
5
december 2012
december 2012
6
The Belgian Beer Cafe once again
provided a great venue for the Business
Lunch in August.
There was a great turnout of both
Georgians and current College residents
who enjoyed the opportunity to meet and
swap stories of how College life has changed.
Thanks to Trevor Whittington (1985)
and Margo Darbyshire (1989) for
organising the lunch. G
THEGEORGIAN
29
20 Year Reunion
The Little Dragon
1: L-R Wanda Tingley (Coad 1992),
Anita Cunningham (Stratford 1993)
Joanna Seymour (Ladyman 1992)
2: L-R Mark Michael (1991), Mike Shields (1991),
Joff Crawford (1992)
3: L-R Richard Oddy (1992), Andrew Simper (1994),
Kristin Schultz (1993), Skot McDonald (1992),
Tara Surry (1992)
4: L-R Ryah Prentice (Eastman 1992), Leanne
Eckersley (1992), Fiona Mackie (1992),
Amy Day (Hutchison 1992)
5: L-R Wanda Tingley (Coad 1992), Elizabeth
Kent (Smith 1992), Joanna Seymour (Ladyman
1992), Aaron Edmonds (1992), John Dunkley
(1992), Andrew Shultz (1989)
6: L-R John Dunkley (1992), Mike Shields (1991),
Ian Seymour (1988)
7: Ryah Prentice (Eastman 1992) & Jane Locke
(1992)
8: Amy Day (Hutchison 1992) & Brenda Bleazard
(1992)
9: Matt Wittorff, Sarah Freeman (Booth 1991),
Jon Ackinclose (1991)
10: Tanya Ladyman (1992) & Fiona Isbister (1992)
11: Christine Oldmeadow (Bone 1993),
Damian Oldmeadow, David Haddingham,
Wenona Haddingham (Bird 1993)
1
20 Year Reunion
Ryah Prentice (Eastman 1992)
It was an exciting lead up to the “St George’s College 20 Year
Reunion”, as many of us had joined the Facebook Group of the
same name and enjoyed John Dunkley’s (1992) Music Journey
and Ryah Prentice’s (Eastman 1992) Pictorial Fashion Journey of
1992 and the hilarious comments from others along the way.
On Saturday 8 September
St George’s College came alive once again
with the return of the legendary Freshers
of 1992, and friends from around that era.
Like every former resident I am sure you
can’t help but smile as you walk through the
Archway into the Quad. Past memories come
flooding back as you return to the castle on
the hill that you once called home.
The evening began in the College
foyer where about sixty guests gathered for
drinks. Once sufficiently warmed up, the
90s crew hit the JCR for more reminiscing
and catching up on the past 20 years. It was
just like old times. Later in the night John
Dunkley’s wicked 90s playlist beckoned
people onto the disco dance floor and guests
continued to reminisce and dance like it was
1992 (Sing Hallelujah!)
Overall it was a fabulous evening,
catching up with old friends and talking
about “The Good Old days” way back in
1992 when life was so simple, pure and much
less complicated....
30
THEGEORGIAN
Below is an excerpt from the Toast to 20
years on.
Remember the days when.......
First Years were “FRESHERS”, Second Years
“SOPHOMORES”, Third Years “SENIORS”,
those residing at College for four years or
more were respectfully referred to “LADIES
& GENTLEMEN” and those “Students
commencing College After Beginning tertiary
Studies” were affectionately referred to as SCABS!!
There were the honorary positions of the College
Bastard and its female equivalent and of course
the sacred College Ghost. Apparently these terms
no longer exist, so my question is: How does
everyone “know their place”?
These were the good old days, before
mobile phones, email and Facebook. When, if
you arranged to meet someone somewhere,
you simply had to turn up, and on time, as
there was no way of communicating a change
of plans.
It was a time when we communicated by
writing real notes, with a real pen and paper
and in whole words and sentences:
For example: “Hi Fiona, Busy week ahead.
Please mark in your diary, the usual: Wednesday
night– Steve’s, Thursday– Coronadoes,
Friday– Top of the Terrace then Clubba,
and Saturday– we have the UWA Law show.
PS can I please borrow your Biology notes from
today’s lecture? Thanks”
As opposed to these days when
communication is abbreviated as SMS, MMS,
FB, TXT etc i.e. “Hey WC, BIF OMG WTF
totally LOL @ IC ball u throwng Pot Plants out
window– SAL GF– LOLO your BFF RE xx”
It was a time where owning a TV was not
heard of. We would all huddle around the one
communal TV in the Guest Wing “TV room” to
watch Melrose Place followed by The X Files.
If you wanted milk for your coffee you
would visit someone with a bar FRIDGE
(wow!), or powdered coffeemate would do!!
Now students have their own TVs or simply
download shows to their media device. There
are even plasmas in the library, and Old Guest
Wing is partly a trendy student café for making
your own espresso and home baked muffins!!!
This must surely have put “Mothers Foods” on
Broadway out of business by now.
It was also a time when students did not own
computers [however a heckle from “Monty” on the
night corrected this statement proudly announcing
that Enginerds did actually have their own
computers in their rooms]. Everyone else would
head down to the South Wing Computer Room
with their handwritten assignment, type it out,
save it to floppy disk then print on the dot matrix
printer. Who knows, I am sure the old computer
room is probably some funky cool basement
lounge bar now?
december 2012
20 Year Reunion
The Little Dragon
It was a time when we
communicated by writing
real notes, with a real pen
and paper and in whole
words and sentences...
The 90s were the days of real friends and
real people. Friends were your neighbours in
Hall, Outer, Tower, South/North/Guest Wings
(oh and Inner), and not your 900 Facebook
mates. You didn’t look to see who was “on–line”
for a chat – you simply wandered outside in
your PJs to see who still had their light on. You
would knock on their door then chat til 3am –
or plan practical jokes!
Speaking of jokes, those on the top of my
favourites’ list were: literally filling a student’s
room waist deep in scrunched newspaper,
planting parmesan cheese along window
sills, removing all furniture from a room and
placing it on their balcony as a surprise, and of
course the night when the 1st years were all out
celebrating the “Freshers Dinner” at the popular
Golden Swan in Northbridge, only to come back
to College to find every single sheet from every
freshers’ bed tied together and strung up across
the Quad from the Top of Tower to the steeple of
the Chapel!!! To this day, I have no idea how the
sophomores and seniors achieved this.
Apart from various monobrow man–icures
and Heirisson island holidays, it was generally
good CLEAN fun (wasn’t it?)..... Like being
given a relaxing bath on your birthday....in the
pond. Or Freshers carefully showered with a
bucket of water if they ever laid foot on the
Top Balcony. Why Ben put a stop to those antics
I don’t know. But it was TRADITION!!
Things may have changed for better or for
worse but what has remained are some very
special friendships and some great memories.
It was a very significant part in our lives as we
transitioned from high school students to uni
graduates and became confident, independent,
sensible adults...(well maybe that came later)...
It has been great to get everyone together and
reminisce about the “good old days” and relive a
special part of our youth.
(Unfortunately on this night, however,
the bus to Clubba did not arrive).
To see more photos of the evening
and view some classic college photos and
music clips from the early 90s please join
the “St Georges College 20 year Reunion”
Facebook group (www.facebook.com/
groups/304020829684003) G
december 2012
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THEGEORGIAN
31
Vale
The Little Dragon
Victoria Georgians
The Little Dragon
Vale Frank Hibberd (1945)
Victorian Georgians in 2012
Francis Harold Hibberd (1945)
was born in England in 1923. His father, upon
returning to England from the trenches of the
Somme, found long queues for scarce jobs.
So when Frank was four years old his family
moved, not just to Australia, but to ‘the West’,
as he fondly referred to Western Australia.
Frank attended a one-teacher school
opposite his mother’s general store in
Spearwood, which was then a village south
of Fremantle. He went on to Fremantle Boys’
High before leaving school aged 15 in 1939.
This was during the Depression, however, and
as he was unable to find a job, he applied for
a government scholarship to Perth Modern
School. Frank’s life turned on that scholarship
and he was forever aware of the broad
implications of moral choices and social
values. From Perth Mod he went on to study
a Bachelor of Science, majoring in physics
and chemistry, at UWA. Here he was also
involved in student politics and he was the
Guild President in 1945, the same year that
he lived at the College. While at university
he worked part-time in the abattoirs, as a
chemist, to support himself.
After graduation, he moved to the
University of Sydney where he completed his
PhD. In Sydney he met his wife Fay and they
were married in 1951.
Frank and Fay moved to Armidale,
NSW, where Frank helped to expand the
Physics Department at the University of New
England (UNE). It moved into a new three
storey building in the 1960’s and thrived for
several decades, as did his career, progressing
from lecturer to professor.
Frank was passionate about physics.
When he was growing up, physics was having
a major impact on people’s lives – fridges,
telephone, radio, transistors, nuclear bombs
– and many physicists saw themselves as
playing a role in social change and improving
people’s lives.
Frank’s field was the ionosphere, the
layer of the earth’s atmosphere extending
up to 500km out into space. As it reflects
radio waves, it was used for short-wave radio
transmissions before the advent of satellites.
As such, there was enormous interest in
understanding how it worked and how
it changed hour-to hour, day-to-day and
even year-to year (so called space weather).
It is not altogether surprising that many Georgians say the time they spent at
College was one of the most important periods of their life−those key years through
eighteen to say twenty three or four embrace possibly the most significant time
of life’s discoveries. Away from our family’s direct influence we discovered a whole
new world of people with contrasting views, values, experiences and cultures
which could be set against our limited understanding of life.
32
THEGEORGIAN
Above: Frank and Fay Hibberd at the opening of the Memorial Wing in 2007.
Frank’s measurements were highly regarded
internationally and he was invited to become
involved with the NASA unmanned space
programs, delivering data from Australia
which helped in the search for ionospheres
in other planets. After Frank’s retirement, he
collated 20 years’ worth of records of space
weather above Armidale, which is now stored
with the World Space Data Centre.
Frank was very proud to have been elected
as a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
and the Institutes of Physics of both Australia
and the United Kingdom.
Frank had a profound sense of social
justice and was made a life member of the
Labor Party in 1990. He was very proud of
having contributed to the successful election
campaign of the prominent Labor activist
Jessie Street, as well as having met Labor
Prime Minister Ben Chifley while still a
student at UWA.
Frank was fluent in German, and also had
a smattering of French, Russian and Japanese,
which he went back to studying after
retiring. He loved travelling, the Australian
countryside and good Australian wine. He
felt a lifelong connection to “the West” and
in later years, he and Fay made regular trips
back to WA to attend 50 Year Club lunches at
St George’s College as well as other reunions
at UWA.
He is sadly missed by his wife Fay, his
children Mark, Clare and Sue, and their
families. G
With thanks to Fay Hibberd, Mark
Hibberd, Clare Sandal and Sue Hibberd
Vale
Sympathy is expressed to the family
and friends of the following Georgians:
Alan Albany (1964)
Ernest Biddiscombe (1938)
Brian Denney (1952)
Frank Hibberd (1945)
Phillip Jefferies (1945)
Vernon Young (1943)
december 2012
For the last forty plus years various
groups of Georgians resident in Victoria
have enjoyed coming together to talk of their
lifes’ journeys and look back on the good
times spent at St George’s. Sometimes we
met in a city hotel, and for a number of years
at Trinity College. More recently we have
found that a centrally located suburban hotel
with free adjacent car parking and pokies
subsidised meals, the best combination to
attract Victorian Georgians (VGs).
One idea to emerge from these recent
meetings has been the desire to try and
assist College in ways other than making a
donation. Financial gifts to St George’s are
essential but we believe they are best left to
the central body to plan and implement.
Rather, how could Victorian Georgians assist
current residents at College better prepare
themselves for life, and if possible involve
VGs in the process?
The Victorian Georgians Travel Prize
was created whereby initially one and now
two students per year are selected to visit
Victoria, each provided with $1,000 and
accommodation assistance, and invited
to discover and experience many of the
features and attractions which are not
available in Western Australia. The Australian
Tennis Open, AFL Finals, National
Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne’s bars, alley
developments and night life, University of
Melbourne and Trinity College, the snow
fields and the Great Ocean Road are just
some of the experiences which have impressed
Travel Prize Winners to date.
When planning this prize it was
anticipated that because of the widespread
range of Victorian Georgians active in
virtually every area of business and the
professions, visiting students would want to
hear sage advice from these older Georgians
relative to the areas of future employment
the student might be contemplating. After
all it had been the desire of those earlier VGs
when leaving Perth to come to Melbourne,
december 2012
Canberra and Sydney to be able to be a part
of Australia’s major economic, professional
and political decision making process which
was taken only along Australia’s eastern
seaboard. And no doubt today’s students
would want the same.
At first we were unable to understand why
the incoming Travel Prize students seemed
little interested in the business side of these
offers. Then the penny dropped. Western
Australia has moved away from measuring
itself against the eastern states; far better to
measure against the best in the world. Further
with a greater awareness of our country’s
relative wealth, let us help the less fortunate
wherever they might be. And that is where
many of Australia’s students choose to go.
So we believe VGs now better understand
what drives the modern St George’s College
resident and what he or she may want to
make of his or her life.
It is probable that well over one hundred
Georgians have participated in the various
VGs functions over the past forty plus
years. In recent years, each has contributed
in one or more ways: by attending one of
the two dinners held annually, financially
contributing to the VGs Travel Prize,
providing accommodation for the visiting
student, acting as a guide or driver, acting as
a guest speaker at a VGs dinner, providing a
boardroom and refreshments, assisting with
planning and running these functions.
VGs have enjoyed wide on–going
support from College in both the exchange
and dissemination of information as well as
many visits from various Wardens and other
College officers. We aim to work as closely
as possible with College at all times and are
looking forward to hosting the new Warden
to Victoria in 2013.
There is also a Victorian Georgians
group on Facebook which is used to
let people know about forthcoming
events (https://www.facebook.com/
groups/293369510752343/).
There are now one hundred and forty
Georgians resident in Victoria which is a
strong base from which we can mount our
activities. We encourage active involvement
of Georgians and their partners in the years
ahead. Each of us was fortunate to spend a
precious time at St George’s. The opportunity
to share our memories and experiences with
others is a pleasure that awaits us all. G
THEGEORGIAN
33
PM Science Awards
The Little Dragon
PM Science Awards
The Little Dragon
A Georgian who has truly made a galactic impact
Congratulations to Georgian Professor
Ken Freeman (1958) who was
awarded the prestigious 2012 Prime
Minister’s Prize for Science at a black
tie ceremony held at Parliament House
on 31 October 2012. He was awarded
the $300,000 major prize for his
founding of what today is one of
the hottest fields of investigation in
astronomy, galactic archaeology.
In April 2010, an unusual party was held
under the clear skies of the Namibian desert.
It was an international science conference
to celebrate the 70th birthday of Professor
Ken Freeman (1958), the Duffield Professor
of Astronomy at the Australian National
University’s Mt Stromlo Observatory, a man
regarded internationally as Australia’s most
renowned astronomer.
Among many achievements, Ken is
perhaps best known for putting “dark matter”
on the galactic map. In 1970 he published a
paper showing that what we see of galaxies
—as stars, gas and dust— is only a small
fraction of their mass. The rest is invisible,
dark matter. It’s a finding which changed the
course of astronomy. But that was only the
beginning of his career.
More recently, in 2002, he became a
founder of what today is one of the hottest
fields of investigation in astronomy: galactic
archaeology – determining the age and
movement of stars in our own galaxy through
analysing their chemical composition.
The aim is to work out how galaxies were
constructed. And the field has become a
major driver in the commissioning of new
ground and space–based telescopes.
Now, after nearly 50 years of shaping
and changing the human view of galaxies
and the Universe, Professor Ken Freeman has
been awarded the 2012 Prime Minister’s Prize
for Science.
It all started in 1959 with a flyer on a
noticeboard at the–then Weapons Research
Establishment in Salisbury, just north of
Adelaide. Young Ken Freeman, a student
in physics at the University of Western
Australia, saw it while working there in the
holidays at the end of his second year. The
advertisement encouraged him to apply for
a vacation scholarship at the Mt Stromlo
34
THEGEORGIAN
But he noticed an astonishing regularity of one property, the
brightness of the surface of disc galaxies was always the same,
no matter what their size. This law provides fundamental
information about how the discs of galaxies were assembled
in the early Universe. It is now known as the Freeman Law.
“I’m pretty pleased with that,” Ken says.
Above: L-R Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Professor Ken Freeman (1958), Senator Chris Evans
Observatory near Canberra. When he did
so, he was overwhelmed by the enthusiastic
two–page, hand written response he received
from the–then director, Professor Bart Bok.
“This was a man who charmed (then–Prime
Minister) Bob Menzies,” Ken says. “He was a
real showman.”
After two years of summer employment
at Mt Stromlo, Ken was hooked. He decided
to apply for a PhD at Cambridge on the
advice of an astronomer he had met at the
observatory. What attracted him —and still
does— was the scope for problem–solving
that astronomy throws up. “It’s you against
the Universe.”
In the late 60s, after a post–doctoral
fellowship in Texas, Ken was back at Mount
Stromlo, studying galaxies. He started
thinking about how spiral galaxies, such
as our own, rotate. The motion is almost
circular, and it’s a tenet of basic physics,
dating back to Newton, that in order to
have circular motion you need an inward
force towards the centre of the circle to keep
things from flying off in a straight line. In a
galaxy, that force would be provided by the
gravitational attraction of the matter in the
galaxy – the stars, gases and dust.
But when Ken did the numbers, they
didn’t even begin to add up. To prevent it
from splitting apart, a rotating spiral galaxy
would need far more mass —at least 10
times more, Ken calculated later— than had
ever been seen. In 1970, Ken published a
paper to that effect. The recognition of the
missing mass, dubbed “dark matter”, changed
the way astronomers perceived galaxies and
the Universe. The paper started a decade of
dispute about whether dark matter really
existed, and a hunt for ways of detecting and
measuring it. Dark matter is now generally
accepted throughout astronomy.
In the 40 years since that time, Ken
Freeman has continued to work on problems
december 2012
to do with the structure and movement of
galaxies, and his pile of achievements has
continued to grow. The most precise evidence
about dark matter still comes from studying
the rotation of galaxies. That data usually
originates from tracking the motion of atomic
hydrogen in galaxies using radio telescopes.
Ken and his colleagues developed the analyses
still used to break down these observations
into components for stars, dust, gas and
dark matter.
While it has long been known that
the luminous, visible matter in galaxies is
normally deployed in the shape of a flat disc,
Ken has been interested in trying to work out
the shape of dark matter in galaxies. Another
question on which he is working is the ratio
of dark to luminous matter in the parts of
our galaxy closest to Earth – near the Sun,
for instance.
Some of his achievements have given
him particular pleasure. As part of the work
in recognising dark matter, Ken surveyed
information on the properties of many
galaxies, to determine how varied galaxies
were. But he noticed an astonishing regularity
of one property, the brightness of the surface
of disc galaxies was always the same, no
matter what their size. This law provides
fundamental information about how the
discs of galaxies were assembled in the early
Universe. It is now known as the Freeman
Law. “I’m pretty pleased with that,” Ken says.
Another achievement of which he is
particularly proud came out of discussions
in the late 80s with Joss Bland–Hawthorn
— then a young post–doctoral fellow, now a
professor at the University of Sydney — at a
conference at Princeton University. They like
december 2012
to call it near–field cosmology, although the
more popular term is galactic archaeology.
Most stars in galaxies form in groups or
clusters of between about ten thousand and
a million stars. But these clusters do not
typically persist over time. As the stars begin
to shine they blow off gas and lose mass.
After about 10 million years, the clusters have
lost so much mass that there is not enough
gravitational attraction to hold them together,
so individual stars begin to wander off. By
the end of three or four galactic rotations
of about 200 million years each, they are
spread far and wide throughout the galaxy.
But because they all formed at the same
time in the same place they all have the same
ratio of elements in their makeup. It’s like
a fingerprint. Professors Bland–Hawthorn
and Freeman realised that such a chemical
tag could be used to determine the age and
movement of stars that formed in the same
cluster, and could provide strong evidence
for how galaxies are constructed. Ultimately,
tracking the stars within our own galaxy, the
Milky Way, could give us a lot of knowledge
about the structure of galaxies in general. But
that enterprise called for instruments that
could make it possible to record and analyse
the spectrum of light of up to a million stars.
Since publishing their ideas in 2002, the
field of galactic archaeology has taken off all
over the world. For instance, the $1 billion
European Space Agency telescope, GAIA, to
be launched in 2013, has been equipped with
instruments to pursue galactic archaeology.
And the Australian Astronomical Observatory
is just completing the construction of an
instrument, HERMES, which can gather
the spectra of 350 stars in our galaxy
simultaneously and send them for automatic
analysis for about 30 elements. The hope is
that it can tag about a million stars in the
five years after testing is completed. It is
scheduled to begin operations in 2014. The
project will involve about 40 astronomers,
mostly Australians.
It is with such collaborations, and
particularly in interactions with students,
that Ken has left an enduring mark. Already
he has supervised and mentored more than
50 PhD students, including five of the ten
Australians selected by NASA as Hubble
Fellows, regarded as one of the world’s most
prestigious post–doctoral positions. “It’s a lot
of fun, working with students. When they
come in, their basic knowledge is zero, and
they learn on the job. After three and a half
to four years, they know as much as you do –
and they’re quite ready to tell you so.”
With HERMES about to start testing,
doing the rounds of six grandchildren in
Canberra and others elsewhere, travelling
to conferences, a bit of bird–watching and
furniture–making, and making observations
with optical and radio telescopes, Ken
Freeman shows no sign of slowing down.
Almost like the Universe, he just keeps
expanding his horizons. G
Reprinted with permission of The Prime Minister’s
Prizes for Science Department of Industry,
Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary
Education Science in Public
Photo reprinted with permission of The Prime
Minister’s Prizes for Science, Department of
Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and
Tertiary Education Idphoto
THEGEORGIAN
35
50 Year Club Luncheon
The Little Dragon
50 Year Club Luncheon
The Little Dragon
50 Year Club Luncheon
The 18th Annual 50 Year Club Lunch
was held on Friday 16 November at
St George’s College.
Fifty years earlier as the Freshmen
of 1962 were enjoying their first year
at the College, Perth prepared for the
Commonwealth Games, and basked in its
title of the “City of Lights” after John Glenn
orbited Earth.
Tensions between the West and the USSR
continued. The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred
when a US spy plane took photos of Soviet
nuclear weapons being installed in Cuba. The
US responded by blockading Cuba and a
stand-off ensued for 12 days, threatening the
world with nuclear war. It was resolved when
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev ordered the
removal of Soviet missile bases in Cuba in
exchange for the withdrawal of US missiles
from Turkey.
1
Marilyn Monroe died and the Beatles
drummer Pete Best was fired and replaced by
Ringo Starr. Their first single for EMI, Love
Me Do, was released.
A referendum in Singapore supported
the Malayan Federation, and Dr. No, the
first James Bond film, premiered in the UK.
Gretel made Australia’s first challenge for the
America’s Cup, losing 4–1 to the American
opponent Weatherly.
Although time has marched on since
then, many members of the 50 Year Club
felt that it was only yesterday that they were
living at the College.
Some members travelled a long way to
attend the luncheon, including John Rivière
(1945), David Evans (1959) Lew Ward
(1953), Sam Fisher (1953) and David Newby
(1962). Members were welcomed by David
Cannon (1962) who also made the toast
to absent friends. Tony Bolt (1944) said
Grace and the Toast to the College was
given by David Newby (1962) to which
Ian Hardy replied.
The College Barbershop Group made a
surprise appearance and entertained everyone
with their renditions.
We look forward to welcoming the
Freshmen of 1963 to the 50 Year Club
next year. G
1: Enjoying the Barbershop group’s performance
2: L-R Gary Quan Sing (1962), Bill Rigg (1962),
Peter Wann (1958)
3: Barbershop group
4: Sam Fisher (1957) & Max Mercer (1958)
5: L-R Rob Viol (1960), Harry Wood (1959),
David Evans (1959)
6: L-R David Newby (1962), Rory Argyle (1956),
David Cannon (1962)
7: L-R Arnold Potts (1945), Wilf Ewers (1940),
Bruce James (1946)
8: Errol Crawford (1962) & Alan Forsyth (1960)
9: Daryl Williams (1960) & Les Waldon (1960)
2
6
5
3
4
8
9
7
36
THEGEORGIAN
december 2012
december 2012
THEGEORGIAN
37
Visitors and Mailbag
The Little Dragon
Visitors to the College
Visitors and Mailbag
The Little Dragon
Below: L-R Anna Curry (2010) and
Steve Lofthouse (2005)
Bob Leschen (1951), pictured below right
with the Warden Ian Hardy, was delighted to
visit the College and meet the new Warden.
J Y Tan (2006) visited the College recently
during his first trip back to Australia in
3 years. He is working for the ANZ Bank in
Singapore. He is pictured at right, with his
brother Matt.
L-R: Theo Mellor, Gabbie Mellor (Evans 1990),
Matilda Mellor, Josephine Evans (1988)
David Craddock (2005) pictured above,
visited the College to organise a concert to be
held in the Quad on Sunday 3 February. As
part of the Perth Fringe Festival, the concert
series “Hush” will perform an “Evening of
Quiet Music” from 6pm to 10pm. It is an
“unplugged” concert that features leading
local musicians and bands – some of whom
are backed by string sections and choirs.
Andrew Guzzomi
(2000) has returned
to the College to
take up a position
as a Tutor. He has
spent a number
of years overseas
working at the
University of
Bologna in Italy,
but is now back
at UWA where
he is an Assistant
Professor in the School of Mechanical and
Chemical Engineering. He is also Director
of Goccia d’Oro Olive Grove which is part
of his family’s business Tren Creek Chalets
(www.trencreekchalets.com.au).
38
THEGEORGIAN
Gabbie Mellor (Evans 1990) and her
children dropped into the College recently
while in WA on holiday from their home
in Khartoum, Sudan. They are posted there
for another two years as Gabbie’s husband
Ben is the head of the British government
Department of International Development
Office in Sudan. Gabbie is working for the
UN Development Program in a project on
Crisis and Recovery Mapping and Analysis.
Above: L-R Mike Jarvis (1984), Jack Jarvis,
Shari Jarvis, Di Jarvis
Freddie von Schmidt
(1967) visited the
College on a recent
trip to WA from
Tasmania. He was
in WA to attend the
40th Medical School
Reunion. Originally
from London, Freddie
came to study medicine
at UWA on the advice
of his uncle Sir Charles Gairdner – a move
Freddie never regretted! He was recently
made a Lid in de Orde van Oranje Nassau by
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands for services
to the Dutch community in Tasmania.
Freddie enjoyed a trip down memory lane at
the College where he had a look at the room
he was in as a fresher in Inner, saw where he
jumped off his South Wing balcony during
the Meckering Earthquake and remembered
missing a lecture to watch the moon landing
on TV, in the South Wing Common Room.
Anna Curry (2010) and Steve Lofthouse
(2005) pictured above right, came
along to the College Art Exhibition and
Silent Auction.
The College is available for individuals
and corporates who wish to hold events
in our beautiful grounds.
The College has hosted everything from
State Dinners to art exhibitions, dramatic
performances to board meetings, cocktail
receptions to feature films, training
seminars to private dinner parties and
Christmas parties to quiz nights.
We offer meeting and training rooms that
suit groups from 15 in the Reynolds Room
through to 100 in classroom–style seating
in the Hackett Dining Hall. Projectors and
screens are available as well as catering
packages from our kitchen.
Stay in touch
If you have any news or photos
you would like to share with
fellow Georgians, please email it to
[email protected]
or contact the College Office
on (08) 9449 5555
december 2012
Jeff Vance, from the Anglican Community
Fund, is pictured above presenting a donation
of $10,000 to the Warden Ian Hardy.
This generous gift will meet part of the costs
of restoration of the Chapel Bell Tower,
a project to which the ACF has already
contributed $15,000.
december 2012
During the non–academic period
(late November to early February)
we also provide overnight accommodation
for private functions.
For further information, contact the
College reception on 9449 555 or
[email protected]
Dates for your diary
Mike Jarvis (1984) came to have a look
around the College on his first trip back to
Perth in many years. He has been living in
California for the past 7 years.
The media call for the start of the Australian/
New Zealand tour of “Potted Potter: the
Unauthorised Harry Experience – A Parody
by Dan and Jeff” was held in the Hogwarts–
like Dining Hall at St George’s College.
Pictured right are the stars of the show, Garry
Trainor and Jesse Briton. “Potted Potter”
condenses all 7 Harry Potter books into 70
minutes, with two actors playing
all the parts.
The College is also the ideal location for
product launches, cocktail parties and
Christmas parties with areas that will suit
intimate parties of 30 in the Upper Foyer
to larger groups up to 175 in the magnificent
Quadrangle which is breathtaking on a
warm evening from late November through
to early April.
The Georgians have some red
polar fleece St George’s College
throw rugs/blankets for sale
for $40.00.There is a limited
number so be quick!
Thursday 13 December 2012 7pm:
Christmas Carol Service in the Chapel
with the Winthrop Singers
Friday 14 December 2012 7pm:
Christmas Carol Service in the Chapel
with the Winthrop Singers
Saturday 2 February 2013: Georgian AGM
Sunday 3 February 2013 6pm Hush:
An Evening of Quiet Music
Friday 8 February – Sunday 19 February
2013: UWA Centenary Reunion
Celebration weekend
Saturday 29 June 2013: 25 Year Reunion
for the freshers of 1987 & 1988
Call the College Office on
(08) 9449 5555 for more
information.
THEGEORGIAN
39
Interested in getting in touch
with long lost Georgian friends
or organising a Georgian get together?
St George’s College
Mounts Bay Road
Crawley WA 6009
The College is happy to help.
Email Jo Evans (1988) at
[email protected]
or call on (08) 9449 5555.