2011 uc alumni booklet

ALUMNI

Australian Government Higher Education (CRICOS) Provider; University of Canberra #00212K, University of Canberra College #01893E.

Information in this guide was correct at time of printing. The University of Canberra reserves the right to change aspects without notice.

Up-to-date information is be available on the University’s Alumni website www.canberra.edu.au /alumni

Printed March 2011

the university of canberra 01

contentsWelcome from the vice-chancellor 2

Welcome to the uc alumni netWork 2

university of canberra in 2011 3

the uc alumni netWork 4

stay connected 5

alumni benefits 5

contribute 5

Get involved 6

Get active 8

the uc World-Wide alumni netWork 9

our alumni 12

our history 28

history of the c star 34

stranGer than fiction (by charlene smith) 35

GivinG back 448

alumni netWork02

Welcome from the vice-chancelloras an educational institution for over 40 years, the university has achievements of which we can be justly proud. over 65,000 students have graduated from the university, and many have gone on to senior and responsible careers in the public service, business and the professions. others have become prominent writers, journalists, performers and sports people. the university is committed to graduating creative professionals who are capable of developing innovative solutions to problems facing society.

in 2011 the university was awarded a maximum “5-star rating” for graduate employment by the Good universities Guide.

We are re-positioning ourselves as a leader in tertiary education and our performance in education and research is rising. for those of you who come back to campus you will notice changes abound; the old refectory and bar have had a complete facelift, we have a new state-of-the-art building for uc’s major research arm natsem and work has begun on a new building to house the insPire centre, a centre for excellence in ict education and research. our educational reach now extends to two local schools, uc high school (kaleen) and uc senior secondary college (lake Ginninderra) and we are looking to extend our footprint into the broader capital region.

While all of these initiatives contribute to our success as an institution, we have but one asset which matters more than any other, you. our graduates, our alumni.

Graduates of the university of canberra and its predecessor the canberra college of advanced education can be found all over canberra, australia and overseas. our graduates represent the success and achievement of the university.

i am proud to offer you a place in our alumni network and hope the university will continue to play a role in your journey of lifelong learning.

Professor Stephen Parker, vice-chancellor

Welcome to the uc alumni netWorkto those of you who have recently graduated, congratulations and welcome to the uc alumni network.

i would also like to warmly welcome the alumni who have recently reconnected with the university of canberra and its alumni network. We are looking forward to hearing from you, welcoming you back onto campus or connecting with you through alumni chapters.

the university is proud of all our graduates and we are honoured to have been a part of your successes so far. We would love to hear what you have been up to, help you reconnect with friends, staff and the uc community, or provide networking opportunities.

i encourage you all to take advantage of the opportunities available to you as members of the uc alumni network.

Whether you are a new graduate, or have been a part of the alumni network for some time, please keep your contact details up to date so we can keep you informed.

i look forward to hearing from you and hope to welcome you back onto campus in the near future.

Mr Luke Garner, manager alumni relations


university of canberra in 2011• 70, 000+ courses have been

completed

• 12, 000+ students are currently enrolled

• these students originate from over 100 countries

• 70% of students are domestic, the remainder are international or studying in offshore programs

• 65% of students are studying full time

• sports science will celebrate its 40th anniversary

• the $7 million inspire centre will open

• the university bar will reopen

• uc has a five star rating for graduate employment and positive graduate outcomes

• uc is the first australian university to ban the sale of bottled water on campus

dr John mackay am, chancellorthe university of canberra council appointed dr John mackay as its 5th chancellor on 1 January 2011. dr mackay is a proud graduate of the university’s predecessor institution, the canberra college of advanced education having studied a bachelor of arts in administration graduating in 1980 and having previously served as a member of the university council from 2010.

since graduating from the ccae, dr mackay has maintained his involvement with the university, first as a tutor then as a member of the steering committee of the university’s 40th anniversary celebrations in 2008. dr mackay is a highly regarded member of the

canberra community and in 2008 was awarded canberra citizen of the year and in 2009 was conferred with an honorary doctorate by the university of canberra.

dr mackay was ceo of acteW aGl from 2000 to 2008 and is currently chairman of acteW, the canberra international arboretum, canberra Glassworks and the salvation army advisory board.

the uc alumni network is delighted that one of our most prominent canberra alumni has been appointed as chancellor of the university, and we look forward to working with dr mackay to strengthen ties in the alumni community over the course of his term.

alumni netWork04

the university of canberra alumni netWorkthe alumni netWorkthe university of canberra alumni network is made up of more than 65,000 graduates, friends and former staff from the university of canberra and the former canberra college of advanced education.

the network has global reach with members located in over 100 countries and offers impressive professional and social networking opportunities.

university of canberra alumni contribute to canberra’s diverse community. many of our graduates work in government departments, private organisations and the not-for-profit sector. some of our more prominent alumni are writers, journalists, performers, sports people and entrepreneurs.

the role of the uc alumni network is to support the university by enabling graduates, friends, and former staff to be actively involved in the life and growth of australia’s capital university.

did you knoWthe university of canberra, home of the first creative writing course in australia, has produced many high-profile writers who have established productive and prosperous careers. these alumni include:

felicity Packardawarded the Queensland Premier’s literary award for an episode of underbelly, series one.

steven conteawarded the Prime minister’s $100,000 literary award for fiction for his novel The Zookeepers War

alyson hillawarded the coves historical Writing competition (nsW Writers’ centre) for her short story The Sculptor’s Daughter

Felicity Packard

uc alumnus felicity Packard completed a bachelor of Professional Writing at uc and in 2008 was a recipient of a distinguished alumni award. felicity has had particular success in television script writing, her

credits include, GP, Blue Heelers, MDA, Home and Away, McLeod’s Daughters, Sea Patrol, The Strip and Underbelly. felicity is also a published writer of short fiction and art criticism.


stay connectedmembership to the network is free and open to graduates, friends and former staff of the university of canberra and the canberra college of advanced education. to register or update your details visit www.canberra.edu.au/alumni. registered alumni can receive a free subscription of monitor to keep you well informed about the recent happenings at the university and keep you connected with your fellow graduates.

Join the university of canberra alumni facebook Group, linkedin page and follow us on you tube and twitter to stay connected with your alumni network.

alumni benefitsuc alumni are welcome and encouraged to visit the campus. there are numerous benefits made available to uc alumni such as

• free access to the uc library

• free access to career services

• discounts at the uc Gym

• free subscription to uc news publications

• a lifelong student email address

if you would like more information about alumni benefits please contact:

t 02 6206 3852

e [email protected] or

contributethe university benefits greatly from the contributions made by graduates, friends and former staff. contributions assist the university to advance teaching and research, help to fund campus development and assist students in accessing education.

contributions in the way of donations, in kind support, bequests, mentoring, career assistance, hiring of graduates, sponsoring scholarships and prizes and offering internship opportunities are highly appreciated. if you are able to make a contribution, please contact the office of development.

for more informationdevelopment office

building 23 level b

university of canberra act 2601

t +61 (0)2 6201 5050

e [email protected]

W www.canberra.edu.au/innovation-engagement

stay connected and Win an iPadStay connected to the University of Canberra & go in the draw to win an iPad when you register to join the UC Alumni Network before 31/1/12.

For competition terms and conditions go to www.canberra.edu.au/alumni

“The Scholarship came to me at a time when I was really struggling. During my first semester at UC, I was dealing with homelessness and hospitalisation due to my chronic illness. Being awarded the scholarship enabled me the chance to breathe a little financially, which helped me to focus more on my studies.” -Tess Ryan, Scholarship Recipient

alumni netWork06

Get involvedthe university of canberra alumni network hosts regular business and social networking events, lectures and functions, involving internationally recognised guests, speakers and entertainment from local, national and international talent. these events allow our alumni to engage with members of industry, the community and reconnect with former students, staff and friends.

netWorkinG events industry, faculty and social networking events provide opportunities to meet with other members of the alumni network and special guests from industry and government. attend an alumni networking event to boost your

professional contact lists, meet potential employers/employees and enjoy a good time with like-minded people.

sPecial events uc alumni are always welcome at uc special events. uc special events include openings, launches, and music festivals. uc alumni members can often take advantage of invitations to exclusive events and discounted event tickets. in 2011 uc special events include Groovin the moo and stonefest.

Public lecturesuniversity of canberra public lectures are important for national and international speakers to share the latest ideas, thinking and opinions from a diverse range of disciplines. uc public lectures


allow for the dissemination of ideas between academia, government and professional bodies and promote community debate on a range of issues of local and global significance.

reunion eventsattend a reunion event to connect with old friends, meet new ones and learn about future plans for your university and how you can be

“i enjoy attending alumni events to catch up with friends and network with colleagues from industry”

-adam verwey, graduate, australian ethical investment at the e-court launch 2010 networking night.

involved. uc alumni reunion events are held regularly in australia and overseas.

“Through the Alumni Network I still keep in touch with old friends and staff from my days on campus”

-Ron Miller, graduate and former staff member

www.canberra.edu.au/events

For more information on upcoming events, head to

alumni netWork08

Get activeuniversity of canberra alumni can get active, get involved, and make a difference with team ucan.

What is team ucan?team ucan are a diverse group comprising of various members of the uc community. although they vary in many ways each strive to make a difference in our community. team ucan is largely made up of uc staff members, uc students, uc alumni, uc friends and family.

members of team ucan participate in a number of events and activities held in the canberra region, which aim to raise funds for a wide range of charities, whilst also promoting a healthy lifestyle. activities include running, walking, cycling and swimming. but, do not be concerned about your level of fitness, these events cater for participants with a range of fitness abilities.

What’s in it for you?Participants will not only contribute to the welfare of the community and support numerous charities, you will also have the opportunity to meet new people, engage with the community, improve your level of fitness, and spend time with friends and family.

register for your first event now to receive your team ucan singlet and gift pack.

uPcominG events• megaswim

• mother’s day classic

• million Paws Walk

• canberra times fun run

• lifecycle

• Walk to cure diabetes

• fitz challenge

• ben donohoe run and Walk for fun

team ucan is also interested in promoting other events around canberra so please email us with your suggestions.

for more informatione [email protected]

www.canberra.edu.au/team_ucan


the university of canberra World-Wide alumni netWork Join or form a local chapter or network

Would you like to connect with uc alumni in your industry, town, city or country? alumni chapters and local networks allow you to meet new friends, reconnect with uc alumni and network.

membership of a uc alumni chapter or network can offer many benefits:

• valuable professional and business connections

• a way to find and re-connect with uc classmates

• a global point of view to assist growth and learning

• a way to keep up-to-date and in-touch with the university

alumni chapters and networks may organise a variety of activities:

• social and networking events such as luncheons, dinners,

receptions and reunions

• members’ professional development opportunities

• community service outreach programs

• mentoring programs

• development of community scholarships

if you would like to be involved with an alumni chapter or network or

form your own please contact the alumni network office.

for more informationalumni network office

building 23 level b

university of canberra act 2601

t +61 (0)2 6206 3852

e [email protected]

W www.canberra.edu.au/alumni

Where are our alumni noW?key High alumni population

Low alumni population

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alumni netWork12

our alumnimeet some of the uc alumni working in the canberra community who have stayed connected with uc and contributed to the community in many ways.

uc alumni at daryl Jackson alastair sWaynmeet the uc alumni at daryl Jackson alastair swayn (dJas), one of canberra’s leading architecture firms. recently dJas designed the new international microsimulation centre, which was opened in 2010. this building, which includes a 200 seat auditorium, offices, teaching and seminar rooms and the latest audiovisual and computer technologies, has been awarded a 5 star green rating. other uc projects include the 2010 refurbishment of the architecture studios in building 7, the uc hub in 2009, the school of law and management, building 6 in 1995 and the boiler house lecture theatre in the early 1990’s.

daryl Jackson alastair swayn’s extensive experience includes projects such as the brindabella business Park, the canberra centre consolidation, and the interior of the department of the Prime minister and cabinet.

for more information on daryl Jackson alastair swayn please visit www.djas.com.au

UC Alumni at DJAS are from back left to right, James Heatherington, Anthony Knobel, James Andrews,

Adam Litherland, Luke Bonham, Andrew McInnes and Grant Butler. Middle left to right, Jacob Laird,

Michelle Richardson, Uy Nguyen, Adam O’Meara, Brianna Smith, Robert McNamara, and Scott Hodgson.

Front left to right Evan Williamson and Michael Tolhurst.

The new International Microsimulation Centre Designed by Daryl Jackson Alastair Swayn.


meet the uc alumni at Zoo who recently developed the uc events page, you can check it out at www.canberra.edu.au/events.

for more information on Zoo advertising visit

www.zooadvertising.com.au

uc alumni at Zoo advertisinG

UC Alumni at Zoo are from left to right are Scott Ketley, Martin Flemming, Sophie Hynson, Alison Garth, Helen Simenic, John

Ruman, Kate Fenning, James Peek, Lori Bautista, Mark Williams and Luke Wrigley.

bearcage Productions have worked with the university of canberra on various multimedia productions including the bruce exhibition at the university of canberra’s 40th celebrations.

for more information on bearcage Productions visit

www.bearcage.com.au

From back left to right Casie Loutit, Nick Wansbrough, Kate Betts, Michael Tear, Serge Ou, Nick

Munnings, Harriet Pike and Wayne Brown. Front left to right Daniel Llewelyn, Nunzio Gambale, Ben

Cochrane, Matthew Nightingale, Kelly Charls, Chris Bamford and Darren Blin.

uc alumni at bearcaGe Productions

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craiG sloanPartner, KPMG

university of canberra graduate craig sloan completed a bachelor of accounting. craig is a chartered accountant and a Partner of kPmG, the firm he joined upon graduating 24 years ago. craig is also a Partner of the firm’s Government advisory services division, responsible for the provision of financial management, business and program advisory and taxation services to public sector organisations. he is also a member of the national Partner team responsible for addressing all People, Performance and culture

aspects of the firm. outside of kPmG, craig has and continues to be actively involved in a broad range of business, charity and community activities. since 1996 craig has been a member of the board of directors of the canberra business council, and chaired the organisation for 7 years from 2002 to october 2009. he is currently the chairman of regional development australia act and on the board of the australian foundation for mental health research. craig is not only regarded as a successful alumni, he is a highly respected member of the canberra business community.

uc alumni at kPmGmeet a few of the uc alumni working at kPmG, canberra. kPmG is a multinational firm and its services include auditing, as well as tax and advisory services.

for more information on kPmG visit www.kpmg.com.au

UC Alumni in this photo are from left Sian Powrie (Associate Director),

Salam Saffarini (Manager), William Munro (Senior Advisor), Craig Sloan

(Partner), Don Cross (Partner), and Isaac Burgess (Senior Advisor).


meet some alumni WorkinG throuGhout australiaclaire connellyfounder/creative director, PaPercutuc alumnus claire connelly graduated from the university of canberra in 2002 with a bachelor of Graphic design. claire went on to work in a design role at early childhood australia, followed by various local design studios and also a stint in the public service, before founding Papercut in late 2007. claire had a vision to create an environmentally sustainable business, “i’m passionate about sustainability, especially in an industry that has the potential to impact so significantly on the environment. sustainable design is the way of the future and it excites me to be leading Papercut in this innovative direction”.

Papercut has seen huge successes since establishment, the business

has won three environmental awards, three business awards, and has become a hub for young designers to gain experience in the field, particularly students from the university. on reflection of how she can contribute to the university claire says ”i found it invaluable as a student that people gave me the opportunity to work in a studio, so i thought it was important to offer that experience to others, and i have subsequently employed graduates from the university as a result”.

in 2010 claire’s hard work and innovative business solutions were rewarded when she was named act business Woman of the year by the act chamber of Women in business. claire received this award for her leadership qualities, tenacity, compassion and for being a role model for fellow businesswomen. claire is an ambassador of the 1 million Women campaign - inspiring climate action, vice President of the chamber of Women in business, and an active member of Women chiefs of enterprises international.

for more information about Papercut visit www.papercut.net.au

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2001 and he attributes the skills he learned at the university of canberra to be the secret of his success in property development and the real estate industry over the last twelve years. trenton has developed luxury townhouses in the inner south suburbs of canberra. trenton has sold over 1300 houses in the canberra region and is the owner of morrissey Property and a director of the landlords’ club.

for more information on morrissey Property visit www.morrisseyproperty.com.au

trenton morrisseyfounder/manaGinG director, morrissey ProPerty

trenton morrissey started his degree to learn how to become a public servant, but he left with much more - a newfound knowledge of successful communication techniques. trenton completed a bachelor of information management with a major in Public relations in

meet some of the uc alumni working at the canberra times. the canberra times have sponsored several events at the university including the biggest election Party held in 2010.


engineer in the infrastructure services team at the university. in this role robbie was responsible for the design and implementation of various it infrastructure technologies. after completing his bachelor of computer engineering in 1996, robbie moved on from the university of canberra. of his time studying and working at the university robbie says that “the experience not only proved to be an extremely valuable learning opportunity, it did act as a catalyst in fast tracking my career. Graduating from uc was a

robbie elhassanGeneral manaGer, excite itrobbie elhassan, like many uc alumni, was not only a student but also worked at the university. in 1991 robbie commenced as a student of the university and in 1993 robbie was employed as a network manager in the faculty of management. here robbie was responsible for network and system administration and various it support activities. robbie remained in this position until 1995 when he was employed as a systems

very important milestone for me, it marked the end of a wonderful learning experience”. in 1997 robbie joined babcock and brown, an international investment and asset management group, where he went on to become the head of the it department, in the asia Pacific region. throughout his 11 year tenure with babcock and brown robbie transformed their it operations to support the fast growing investment finance business across multiple international locations.

in 2010 robbie elhassan joined excite it as General manager. in this position robbie is responsible for the overall management and coordination of the company’s functions and projects. the university of canberra promotes lifelong learning, and robbie is an example of a uc alumnus who has continued studying. after completing his bachelor with uc, robbie went on to complete a masters of management, and is now completing a masters of business administration. When asked about what advice he would give to graduating students robbie says, “make a habit of building new relationships and maintaining a large network of contacts, particularly with genuine people that you know you can get along with.”

for more information on excite it visit www.exciteit.com.au

tell us your storycontact the alumni network office at [email protected] or go to www.canberra.edu.au/alumni to register, update your details and tell us your story

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Claudia Borella with one of

the three commissioned glass

artworks for Sir Elton John

claudia borelladirector, claudia borella Glass desiGn ltdin 1992 claudia borella had her first experience with glass while on exchange at the european institute of design in milan. in 1993 claudia returned to canberra and graduated from a bachelor of industrial design at the university of canberra. after graduating, claudia studied at the canberra institute of the arts where she was awarded the 1995 institute of the arts acquisition award, and graduated with first class honours. claudia’s talents were rewarded once again in 1997 when she was the recipient of the kyhoei fujita award in denmark, and the Gold medallist of talente, munich in 1998. these were great achievements for borella and resulted in the acquisition of her awarded works by the Glasmuseum in denmark.

in 1998 borella completed the international young artist in Glass Program in Portland, oregan. the skills and techniques gained in the program allowed claudia to return to canberra and produce a large body of work, some of which have been acquired by the national Gallery of australia.

claudia borella’s work has been featured in lino, australia’s premier lifestyle and design magazine, australian Glass today, and artist’s in Glass: late twentieth

century masters in Glass. claudia has exhibited nationally and internationally, including in the united states, italy, switzerland, hong kong, and the united kingdom. in 2007 claudia borella’s work featured in the prestigious art and craft fair collect 2007 at the victoria & albert museum, london in february 2007. later that year claudia also founded her own company claudia borella Glass design ltd. borella is a highly regarded artist who has lectured as an invited guest both nationally and internationally. the uc alumni network recently spoke with claudia about her time at uc and her enormously successful career thus far.

Why did you decide to study at the University of Canberra?

born and bred in canberra, the university was a convenient choice with interesting programs to study

such as architecture, landscape design, and industrial design, the field i ultimately chose to study because of its versatility in problem solving combining design and logic.

What did graduating from UC mean to you?

uc gave me the opportunity to find my direction in design. it gave me the time to mature into the ‘real world’ as a practitioner.

What have you been doing since graduating from UC?

since graduating from uc, i undertook further study in another degree achieving first class honors at the canberra school of art majoring in Glass. since then, combining aspects of both fields of study, i have managed independent workshops creating glass artworks for exhibitions, some production prototypes,


though mostly uniquely crafted glass works.

sir elton John alongside other notorieties are now collectors of my glass work. i am also now the director of my own company claudia borella Glass design ltd incorporating the distributorship for bullseye Glass across new Zealand operating as the Preferred kiln Glass resource center for bullseye Glass.

What does your role involve and what are the best aspects of your career?

my role involves a lot of hard work, long hours, and volunteer work assisting communities in glass, the highlights being the sum of works created at the end of the day, week or year. the best part is being able to keep one of my own works, which i no longer have much of as it is usually sold to maintain this artistic life.

What are the highlights of your career so far?

my work being collected by well known and successful people, winning awards, and bringing enjoyment to the lives of others when they experience glass and design for the first time.

What advice would you give to graduating students?

if you don’t succeed the first time try again...persevere if you are passionate about your chosen field. the world waits for no one...go out and find your opportunities, know what it is you want and go after it.

Transference 20 by Claudia Borella (interior view

and elevation view)

Waitakere Sunset 2009 & Transference 20

by Claudia Borella. These artworks were

featured at SOFA New York in 2009

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kiri dellyGeneral manaGer, l’oréal melbourne fashion festivalkiri delly graduated from a bachelor of Public relations at the university of canberra. she has worked overseas in entertainment marketing and is now based in melbourne working as the General manager of l’oréal melbourne fashion festival, where she has repositioned the festival as a major international player in the fashion and events industry.


i finished my schooling in canberra and was keen to do something in the media and communications fields. the university of canberra offered a great selection of degrees within this area and from there i chose to focus my specialisation in Public relations. studying at uc also meant i could stay in canberra close to family and friends.

What are your fondest memories of the University of Canberra?

as i was from canberra, university was probably a slightly different experience for me than those that lived on campus. i did really enjoy meeting and mixing with fellow students from all around australia - such as country nsW and thus opening up my perspective to diversity and other lifestyles.


i realised that my degree could offer a lot of opportunities for me if i worked hard, i also knew that the area of communications was indeed where i wanted my career to head. While studying, i discovered that my favourite part of Pr was the events aspect. though this was minimal (there were no such things as degrees in event management back in 1990!) i knew that this was where i wanted to direct my future career.


i always knew i wanted to go and work overseas and after graduating in 1993 i spent two years in hospitality saving to do so. i then moved to london where i worked for over seven years at an integrated entertainment marketing agency organising film premiers, video launches and movie promotional tours and ultimately running their event department. in 2003 i returned to australia and moved to melbourne where i worked for a boutique event agency before taking on a contract role as the event manager for the melbourne fashion festival. i have been there ever since working my way up through the organisation.

What is your current position and what does your role involve?

i am General manager of the l’oréal melbourne fashion festival (lmff),

an annual consumer fashion event that celebrates australian fashion and offers a range of business, cultural and social events that work to promote the australian fashion industry. my eighth festival was held from 14-20 march 2011. log onto www.lmff.com.au to see what happened.

in my role i am responsible for managing key aspects of the festival, both as an event and an organisation. this involves overseeing the financial and operational aspects as well as assisting with the marketing, creative, event production and business development areas of the organisation also. i love being involved in creating special and exciting events that engage and inspire. there is something so rewarding about working with talented and passionate people to bring an idea to life and then watching the faces of the guests as the lights go down, the catwalk is lit and show begins!

What have been the highlights of your career so far?

events are incredibly hard work but can be so rewarding. you are often the first there and the last to leave but you are always meeting new and exciting people and getting to really stretch both your creative and logistical skills. i have traveled throughout europe and china which has been wonderful, worked on some amazing events such as the


disney promotional train tour, which went around europe promoting the film “hercules” to the crowds. i am also really proud of the role i have played in growing lmff, positioning the festival as a major international player in the fashion and events calendars and with a reputation for excellence.


Work hard, volunteer as much as you can to gain knowledge, and show your willingness to learn. Get involved and network! don’t expect it all to happen overnight and be prepared to put in the slog to get there. if you can try an overseas stint this is always a massive plus, opening your eyes to other ways of doing things and other ways of looking at things.

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steven broWnfounder/director, economic futures australiasteven brown graduated from a bachelor of commerce in banking and finance in 1996 from the university of canberra. steven’s journey through the university resulted in his immediate appointment with ausindustry. steven is now the director of economic futures australia and

has had made a large contribution to the act and beyond through his career thus far. the uc alumni network recently spoke with steven about his time at the university, and career so far.


i had started studying at the university of newcastle after finishing school in sydney. halfway through the year, my parents moved from sydney to canberra to take up

senior public sector positions. it was important to me that i had the support offered by my family, and the university of canberra (or ccae as it was in 1988) offered one of the few undergraduate degrees that specialised in banking and finance.


it proved to me that the journey is often more important than the destination. my uc degree had propelled my career before

“During my time at AusIndustry, we helped uncover a major tax loophole which lead to the closure of the scheme and the saving of hundreds of millions of dollars to the taxpayer - my career was up and running and my UC learning experience was directly responsible.”


i had even finished the course. during my last few subjects we had a guest lecturer from ausindustry (department of industry), who explained research and development syndication, a complex structured finance arrangement based on the research and development tax concession to fund large r and d projects. We were required to do an assignment on the scheme, and completing this assignment provided the insight and context to get a job assessing these finance arrangements for ausindustry. during my time at ausindustry, we helped uncover a major tax loophole which lead to the closure of the scheme and the saving of hundreds of millions of dollars to the taxpayer - my career was up and running and my uc learning experience was directly responsible.

sadly i missed my graduation ceremony in 1996 as i was sent to the us to help design a new venture capital program for the commonwealth Government, known as the innovation investment fund (iif). so i do not have a picture of me wearing a gown and hat, but my uc degree is framed and hangs proudly in my office.


since graduating from uc i have had an extended career with the commonwealth Government in the department of industry, working on the delivery, design and policy to encourage innovation in australia. i then spent five years in the economic development unit of the act Government (businessact), culminating in the establishment of the national ict australia centre of excellence (nicta) and anu connect. my uc degree and subsequent work experience allowed me to enter and complete a masters in management (specialising in technology commerciaiisation) at the anu.

i left canberra and relocated to brisbane to take up a position at the university of Queensland’s commercial arm - uniQuest. in 2007 i started my own consulting firm with a colleague in canberra called economic futures australia (efa) and our first university client was uc! We have since gone on to consult to the anu, Qut, cQuniversity, flinders university, university of south australia and the university of the sunshine coast. efa was the lead consultant

on two successful co-operative research centre (crc) bids, the crc for remote economic Participation and the crc for contamination assessment and the remediation of the environment (crc care), both were awarded the largest grant from the commonwealth in their respective funding rounds.

What are the highlights of your career/life since leaving UC?

there have been many, but i think the contribution nicta will have on the economic development of canberra and how it has driven the development of West civic is profound. that the crc for remote economic Participation may provide real and original solutions to closing the gap for aboriginal people, by engaging them in research. that my kids will grow up in a country that can effectively deal with the contamination created by past generations. i have played a very small but important part in those outcomes.


life is a journey not a destination- enjoy the ride

alumni netWork24

suZie hoitinkfounder, clear comPlexions clinics

suzie hoitink completed a bachelor of nursing at the university of canberra in 1996. after years of struggling with acne prone skin suzie turned her attention to skin

care treatments. in 2005 suzie founded the clear complexions clinic, which provides a medical approach to various skin conditions. today clear complexions is one of canberra’s most successful businesses with two clinics and 14 staff members. clear complexions place great importance on employing skilled and registered

nurses to care for its patients and the large majority of nurses at clear complexions have graduated from the university of canberra. suzie has also contributed to the university as a guest speaker at the 2010 commencement ceremony.

for more information visit www.clearcomplexions.com.au


our younG alumnus headinG toWards the toPdespite only recently graduating from the university of canberra, charlie nivison has been designing and printing his own tee-shirts for over two years. charlie who originates from Walcha in northern nsW, began studying a bachelor of Graphic design at the university of canberra in 2007. With an obvious flair for design, charlie began designing, printing and selling his own tee-shirts while living on campus. in 2008 he was approached to hold a solo exhibition of his tee-shirts at the albion street

tell us your storycontact the alumni network office at [email protected] or go to www.canberra.edu.au/alumni to register, update your details and tell us your story

Gallery in surry hills. after being invited to do so he decided it was time to start his own label. silly Pear was founded in 2008 while charlie was still studying at uc.

things have only grown since then, silly Pear tee-shirts can now be found in several stores including canberra’s own itrip iskip. When asked where he sees himself going charlie said “silly Pear will continue to produce tee-shirts, but i would also like to team up with different designers and make silly Pear a lifelong success”.

for stockists and more information on silly Pear visit www.sillypear.au.com

alumni netWork26

international alumniuc fareWells international alumniin december 2010 the university farewelled hundreds of international students graduating from the university of canberra who were unable to attend the 2011 Graduation ceremonies. the

farewell was attended by over 100 students and was held in the new international microsimulation centre. international alumnus ameen habibi was the student speaker at the event and recalled wonderful memories about his time at the university and in the nation’s capital.

ameen habibi originates from badakhshan in north afghanistan, and completed a bachelor of economic and Political science from cairo university, egypt. before studying at the university of canberra on an ausaid scholarship, ameen was the director General of the office of the economic advisor to the President of afghanistan. ameen was also the presenter on “Garden of Hope” a television program in afghanistan, which gave university students a channel to voice their opinions on current affairs. ameen has completed a masters of Public administration at the university. as a student and member of the canberra community, ameen was heavily involved as a student ambassador, an act international student ambassador, a tutor, and as a research assistant with the anZsoG institute for Governance. ameen has since returned to afghanistan to resume his position as director General.

Ameen Habibi receiving a certificate of appreciation after speaking at

the 2010 International Student Farewell.


a distinGuished alumnusdr nGuyen xuan vanGdirector General, ministry of education and traininG, vietnamdr nguyen xuan vang graduated from the university of canberra in 1990 with a masters in teaching english to speakers of other languages. before commencing studies in canberra dr vang had received a bachelor in english studies and bachelor of linguistics from hanoi university of foreign studies and after graduating from uc also received a Phd from la trobe university (honoris causa) in 2005.

dr vang has extensive experience in higher education, in 1991 he was appointed director of the esP resource centre, in 1997 became vice President of hanoi university of foreign studies, and from 2000

- 2008 dr vang served as President of the university. as President he made significant contributions to reform hanoi university of foreign studies into a multidisciplinary university, now known as hanoi university.

in 2008 dr vang was appointed director General of vietnam international education in the ministry of education and training. With over 30 years of service dr vang has received a number of awards from the Presidents of vietnam, italy, spain and brazil and has received honorary Professorships from a number of international universities. in 2008 dr vang was a recipient of a university of canberra distinguished alumni award. unfortunately he was unable to attend the awards ceremony, however on a recent visit back to the nation’s capital dr vang was presented with his distinguished alumni award.

Dr Nguyen Xuan Vang

alumni netWork28

Opening of the ‘Hub’, 1993

Mary O’Kane and John Grant visit

the ‘Hub’ under construction

Don Aitkin speaks at the opening of the Boilerhouse

Lecture Theatre, 1993. Kim Beazley and Donald Horne are

also in attendance.

The College Council, June 1978 - Back row: Mr R J Fryer, Mr R B Mitchell, Mr B G Rabone, Prof. D A Low, Mr

Justice R Else-Mitchell, Mr D M Morrison, Mr J C Olsson 2nd row: Mr L J Daniels, Mr W J Weeden, Dr D F

Waterhouse, Dr S S Richardson, Dr R D Traill, Mr G A Fiddian Seated: Mrs F StJ Moore, Mrs H C Crisp, Mrs D J

Collings - Absent: Sir John Overall, Dr W D L Ride

Don Aitkin’s first address

Dr Richardson with HIH Prince Yoshihito of Japan


our history1967 the college is established under the canberra college of advanced education act 1967.

a ceremony is held on the site at bruce to mark the beginning of site development. the first soil is turned by then minister for education and science, senator John Gorton (18 december)

1968Prime minister John Gorton unveils the foundation stone (28 october)

1969dr s.s. richardson takes up his appointment as foundation Principal of the ccae (august).

the first issue of college news, a monthly newsletter of college events is published. this newsletter

is still published today, and is now known as “monitor”.

1970building 1 is completed and the first full-time students enrol.

there were four schools established to offer courses in administrative studies, applied science, computing studies and liberal studies.

the college union is established to support on campus activities including clubs and societies, and sports.

the first foundation day celebrations are held.

1971the first students move in to college residences (april)

the school of teacher education enrols its first students.

Prime Minister John Gorton unveals the foundation Stone, 1968

1972the library building is completed and occupied.

a group of diploma students are presented their awards by the chairman of council at a ceremony in the council room.

stone day celebrations are held over one day with activities including: bbQ, poetry readings, sporting matches, film screenings, bands and beer.

1973at the ccae’s first ceremony for conferring degrees, 62 degrees and 171 diplomas are awarded in the main lecture theatre in building 2. the honourable mr k. beazley, commonwealth minister for education at the time, delivered an occasional address. Graduands wear the college academic dress.

Architect’s impression - view of Building 1 from south-west

alumni netWork30

in 1973, 31 clubs and societies were in existence. it was through one of these societies, and with the assistance of the college council, that a child care centre was established at the college.

1974the foundation stone is rededicated by the honourable John Gorton. sir John was met with an amusing surprise - a young student known as the “stone fairy” was hiding under the unveiling blanket.

the first students are enrolled in the new school of environmental design.

1976staff of the school of information sciences organise a mathematics competition for secondary school students - in future years this will become the australian mathematics competition.

a community radio station 2xx is supported and partially run by the students’ association.

stone day turns into stone Week. Week long activities for students include “union talent Quest” and “male bewdy contest”

1978the college organises a program of events to mark the ten year anniversary of the establishment of the ccae.

courses in conservation of cultural materials are introduced by the school of applied science

the school of environmental design opens.

former Prime minister John Gorton is made an honorary fellow of the college.

1981the college offers courses in

sports studies to complement the role of the newly established ais.

the centre for the teaching of english to speakers of other languages (tesol) is established within the school of liberal studies.

students steal the ‘dog on the tuckerbox’ from Gundagai as a stone day prank.

1982ccae students win several gold and silver medals at the commonwealth Games in brisbane.

1983the ten thousandth student completes requirements for an award of the college.

1984ccae hosts the first national

Enrolling at the student enquiry desk in Building 1Students at Stone Day


science summer school.

1987responsibility for ccae transferred from the federal education portfolio to the arts, sport, environment, tourism and territories portfolio.

architecture students gain first prize in the second international biennale of architecture held in cracow, Poland and first prize in the national student competition.

1988emeritus Professor r. d. scott takes up his appointment as college Principal. he joins the act education and training council and accepts membership of the act administration co-ordination committee.

the college is granted admission to the unified national system of higher education. three positions of assistant Principal are established: academic Planning & services, finance & resources, and administration.

the school of liberal studies is renamed the school of communication and the school of administrative studies is renamed the school of management.

the college hosts the 29th international mathematical olympiad.

1989the college introduces its first doctoral and honours level courses: the doctor of Philosophy course in the school of education and the bachelor of applied science (honours) course in the school of applied science.

1990the university of canberra act 1989 comes into force and the ccae becomes the university of canberra under the sponsorship of monash university (1 January)

ccae Principal roger scott is instated as foundation vice-chancellor. dr Jean blackburn is appointed foundation chancellor.

1991Professor don aitkin takes up role as vice-chancellor.

a university multifaith Group is formed to provide services to students and staff.

the ngunnawal centre is opened by the federal minister for aboriginal affairs, the hon. robert tickner mP.

the vice-chancellor initiates ‘donís dozen’ - an award to recognise achievements and contributions of staff throughout the year.

1992emeritus Professor donald horne takes up role as chancellor.

the university establishes the australian mathematics trust and the national short story competition.

1993the national centre for economic modelling (natsem) is established.

The Refectory in the 80’s

alumni netWork32

Government at an official handover ceremony.

1998canberra’s first “sorry book”is launched in o-week on the concourse as part of reconciliation on campus (roc)

1999sir John Gorton is awarded an honorary degree of doctor of the university for his role in the creation, dedication and support of the ccae.

2000celebrations are held to mark 30 years of teaching on the campus at bruce. foundation Principal s. s. richardson returns for the celebrations.

uc hosts the fifth annual national indigenous student Games (october)

stone Week becomes stonefest.

2002Professor roger dean takes up the role of vice-chancellor of the university.

the innovation centre development is launched.

2004the uc innovation centre is opened by act chief minister Jon stanhope.

2007Professor stephen Parker becomes the fourth vice-chancellor of the university of canberra.

helen mcfadden becomes the first student to receive a doctor of Philosophy from the university of canberra.

1996Wendy mccarthy becomes chancellor of the university.

the vice-chancellor moves into his new residence on campus “bimbimbie”, which was designed by mitchell/Giurgola & thorp, who also designed australia’s Parliament house in canberra.

the university co-hosts university Games.

1997the university holds its first conferring ceremony at Parliament house.

responsibility of the university of canberra is transferred to the act

Vice-Chancellor Roger Dean and Professor Craig Bremner at the inaugural

Canberra Biennial of Design and Architecture in 2005 Graham Eadie, Helen Crisp, Donald Horne and Don Aitkin, April 1994


2008vice-chancellor, stephen Parker introduces a new strategic vision for the university.

the university of canberra celebrates its 40th birthday.

the stone fairy returns during the university’s 40th celebrations.

the new student residences are opened.

2009construction of the international microsimulation centre begins.

uc achieves the highest growth rate for commencing students in the sector.

the university embarked on an expansive capital works program.

the anZsoG institute of Governance was established.

the uc for life concept was established.

2010the international microsimulation centre opens.

uc hosts the biggest election Party.

the uc reconciliation action Plan is launched.

Prime minister, Julia Gillard visits the university of canberra campus.

construction begins on the inspire centre.

the faculty of education celebrates 40 years, founding staff including

founding head of school, Professor Phillip hughes, return for the celebrations.

2011dr John mackay am takes up role as chancellor of the university.

kaleen high school and lake Ginninderra college are renamed university of canberra high school, kaleen and university of canberra senior secondary college, lake Ginninderra as part of the uc for life concept.

uc is the first australian university to ban the sale of bottled water on campus.

John Dawkins speaks at the 2008 Don Aitkin Lecture

Professor Chris Lennard giving a demonstration to Minister Kim Carr.

The National Centre for Forensic Studies was set up in 2003

Professor Stephen Parker, Vice Chancellor performing

at the 40th anniversary reunion dinner

UC graduates celebrate outside Parliament House

ACT Health Minister Katy Gallagher opening new Allied

Health Building, 2006

alumni netWork34

history of the c starthe theme of the logo is derived from the college act which specified that “the college was to provide education in the five fields of science, technology, art, administration and commerce”. these five broad areas of endeavour are embodied in the five interlocking “c’s” representing canberra and the interdisciplinary nature of the courses offered by the college, yet maintaining the interest and essential character of each.

“the council ran a competition for the design of a logo or coat of arms for the college. an advertisement attracted a number of entries from well known established graphic designers around australia, but in december of 1969, the committee appointed by the council recommended that a commission to

design an insignia should be offered to mr derek Wrigley and that the design should be an insignia and not a shield or coat of arms. mr Wrigley was asked to suggest variations on the theme which he had submitted with his application. the proposal was discussed with the students’ association before mr Wrigley’s

design was finally accepted. it was agreed that no firm colour should be adopted by the college, and that users of the logo might select their own preference colour, but that no colour should be identified with a particular school.

the insignia is now widely recognised in australia and overseas and has been reproduced on neckties, badges, stationery, advertisements, track-suits and football jerseys, and the college standard flown on special occasions.”

S. S. Richardson, Parity of Esteem: Canberra College of Advanced Education, 1968-1978, (Canberra College of Advanced Education: Belconnen), 1979, p. 277.

35the university

of canberraSTR

ANGER

THAN

FICTION

stranGer than fiction? the myths, leGends and traditions of ccae and ucyou know an educational institution has come of age

when it has its own mythology; those events and

happenings from the past that former members

recall with a smile and current staff and students

know through hearsay, retelling and the inevitable

embellishment or dilution provided by time.

the energetic and fun-filled community of the early

ccae days was a crowd prone to pranks, and some of

the best anecdotes from the history of the institution

come from these times.

Probably the most well-known and well-established

tradition of the university is the celebration of stone

day which was originally called foundation day and

has evolved into stonefest in more recent times.

the ambiguity of the name leads many people, both

internal and external, to wonder about the exact nature

of the celebrations – many a parent has no doubt

breathed a sigh of relief when they realised what the

name referred to - “oh an actual stone”.

not long after i started as the art curator at uc i was

wandering around the ground level of building 1 trying

to pin down the location of another staff member in

1b121 (that’s building 1, level b, room 121 for the

uninitiated). i took the elevator down from 1d to 1b,

took a couple of quick turns, and found myself exiting

the building. to my left i could see a nice outdoor

barbecue area in a courtyard. continuing through

the next two sets of doors i emerged in yet another

walkway. up ahead was what looked like a large

sunken glass roof. i walked over for a closer look, and

there, snugly ensconced in its subterranean nook was

an enormous stone with one smooth face and lettering

engraved across it.

The Foundation Stone before it was buried amongst the concrete

The Foundation Stone as it rests now… embedded in pavers

By C

harlene Smith

alumni netWork36

in Parity of Esteem dr richardson gave his version:

on monday, 28 october 1968, the Prime minister

the right honourable J. G. Gorton ch, mP,

unveiled a stone to mark the establishment of the

college on the bruce site…notwithstanding the

fact that the ncdc (national capital development

commission) had sign-posted a route through the

bush from belconnen Way, the Prime minister and

the leader of the opposition are believed to have

been misdirected to the refuse dump which for

many years disfigured the landscape behind the

site of what is now the calvary hospital.

intrigued i read the text:

this stone was unveiled by the right honourable

J. G. Gorton m.P., Prime minister of australia,

on the 28th of october 1968, to mark the

establishment of the canberra college of

advanced education.

having lived in canberra for more than a decade,

i was aware of the oddly titled stonefest music festival

celebrated in october each year but i had no idea of its

originating tale. this enormous stone gave me pause,

and a moment of realisation.

not so long after this discovery i started researching

the history of the university for this book. Photographs

and anecdotes of the original unveiling of the stone

in october 1968 came to light, and trawling through

old university newspapers i found annual references

to the celebration of stone day, then stone Week and

eventually stonefest.

so What Was the story?

as the stone itself revealed, it was originally unveiled

by the then Prime minister John Gorton on 28 october

1968. Photographs from the occasion show a modest

group of dignitaries, a curtain pulled open to reveal

the stone, and not much else. the bruce site at this

time was a large tract of partially developed bushland.

a staff member of the time bill dwyer recalled how the

guest of honour “got lost”:

“they delivered him firstly to the north lyneham

tip,” said bill.

“it was, in truth, a wilderness. i’m not surprised

they did get lost,” he said. xxx

Dedication of the Foundation Stone, 28 October 1968

37

a very elegant long black skirt and a lacy top which

i think the judges were quite taken with.” after being

crowned and bestowed with a sash fred was then

carried around on the door from the Principal’s office

selling kisses, “We’d taken it for the scavenger hunt,

sneaking past the one security guard. it’s a shame we

didn’t get to see sam richardson’s face when he turned

up for work to find his door missing.”

despite the original unveiling of the stone unfolding

in a comedy of errors, mr Gorton, the former

Prime minister, was invited back to the campus on

28 october 1974 by the students’ association to

re-enact the original unveiling ceremony. the story of

the re-enactment has itself since become the stuff of

legend. Where mr Gorton had drawn a curtain to reveal

the stone at the original ceremony, this time the large

rock was covered by a somewhat undignified blanket.

as he drew the blanket away, there at the base of the

stone was a young girl with short cropped hair, what

looked suspiciously like a large ‘joint’ hanging from her

mouth and the words ‘stone fairy’ emblazoned across

this mishap seems only to have heightened

mr Gorton’s enthusiasm for the occasion.

he declared that the unveiling of the stone was

one of the most satisfying tasks he could imagine

himself undertaking because it was an indication

that ‘we are really moving in building

a college which represents a significant new

approach to tertiary education.’ he went on to

say that the occasion was of special significance

to him because he remembered not so long ago

being invited to turn the first sod on the site and

‘the flies were as bad on that occasion as they

are today’. xxxi

stone day began in 1970 as a day for celebrating the

birth of the institution and was called foundation

day. it was an initiative of the chairman of the college

union board mr e. J. cooper, also a senior lecturer

with the school of administrative studies, who felt it

was important to have a day each year to celebrate

the official foundation of the college. council agreed

and the day was set aside for what sam richardson

described as “fun and revelry” for staff and students.

the day, on or around the 28th of october, was declared

a holiday from classes, and the tradition has persisted.

it became known as stone day later in the 1970s.

later it was celebrated with a week of activities such as

scavenger hunts, car rallies, film marathons, and beer

drinking and male ‘bewdy’ contests.

the 1980 winner of the mr bewdy pageant,

fred mitchell, remembers being put up to it by his

friends. “one of us had to go in it,” he said. “there was

a panel of judges and you had to parade around a big

stage in the refectory and then give a speech about

world peace and where you wanted to travel. i wore

Mr College ‘Bewdy’ competition

the university of canberra

alumni netWork38

Stone Day revelry


could be found to play her part in the re-enactment.

and so the search for the fairy began. a campaign on

facebook, news stories in The Canberra Times, all-staff

email appeals and word of mouth combined to track

down marcia mcreynolds to her home in Portland,

oregon, usa.

a new chapter in the story of the stone was written

on 28 october 2008 when, 40 years from the first

dedication, Professor ingrid moses, the chancellor of

the university, presided over a ‘stoneside’ ceremony

commemorating the distinction and accomplishments

of the institution. having travelled all the way from

oregon, the stone fairy recreated her performance

and then combined forces with lewis langton, one

of australia’s foremost didgeridoo players, to pay

tribute both to the spirit of the ccae days, and the

lingering camaraderie, irreverence and sense of

fun that distinguish the staff and students of the

university of canberra.

the chest of her sloppy-joe. the stone fairy leapt to her

feet, mr Gorton took a few steps back and watched with

a bemused expression as she danced a few steps then

flitted away into the crowd. the brazen irreverence of

the fairy’s appearance, rather than being frowned upon

by the guest of honour, was received with good humour

and the photographs of the event show lots of grinning

faces at her impromptu performance.

during the planning of celebrations for the 40th

anniversary members of the steering committee

decided that a re-re-dedication of the foundation

stone would make for a fun and fitting event in the

festivities; even better if the original stone fairy

The Stone Fairy’s debut performance, Stone Day 1974

alumni netWork40

and a thong left at the scene was the only evidence

available. students’ association representatives at

the time denied any involvement by ccae students

in the removal of the dog, speculating that another

educational institution might have done the deed.

Gundagai and act police combined forces to ensure

the safe return of the dog to its place by the highway,

with no charges being laid as the identity of the

abductors was unknown.

current lecturer michael de Percy summed up the day

with his response. “i was fortunate enough to spend

the afternoon with our wonderful stone fairy. marcia

is a gifted spirit and the stories she tells about this

place reveal a deeper, richer community and a history

in which we all share a part. i think that overall the 40th

anniversary celebration has been wonderful, a timely

reminder of what is possible here, and particularly that

breaking the rules is what universities are all about.

thanks to all involved, we need much more of this sort

of thing!”

another prank, never officially claimed by ccae

students, was an unscheduled visit by Gundagai’s dog

on the tuckerbox to the campus for stone day 1981.

local and national news stories from the time reported

that residents of Gundagai had woken on the morning

of 28 october to find their iconic tourist attraction had

strayed. a search ensued, eventually leading to the

campus of the ccae, specifically the concourse where

the dog could be seen wearing a stone day t-shirt and

sharing meat pies with revelling students. the weight

of the dog was substantial, so there must have been a

prankster or two involved in the relocation but a torch

the steering committee decided that a re-re-dedication of the foundation stone would make for a fun and fitting event in the festivities; even better if the original stone fairy could be found to play her part in the re-enactment

Above: Marcia McReynolds and Lewis Langton 28 October 2008

Below: The Stone Fairy’s encore performance at the 40th Anniversary

of the dedication of the Foundation Stone


Gundagai’s Dog on the

Tuckerbox comes to

Bruce

to this day no one has owned up publicly to this high

profile case of dognapping, but we can now reveal that

we have found them.

tracking down the perpetrators has been a real

detective story. the tale has grown over the years to a

point where if everyone who claims to have been part

of it actually had been, there would’ve been a busload

of people on the night. the irony is that the real people

have kept their identities well hidden over the years and

haven’t said a word publicly.

in reality there were only seven involved and two

of those didn’t make it to Gundagai, preferring the

comforts of the union bar to a night in the bush.

the first real clues to those involved came from former

union and students association head, dave ritchie, and

the two who didn’t make it on the night, Jim travers and

andrew ‘roo’ buttriss. dave says he was first aware of

the event when he turned up at his office the day after

the napping and was confronted on the concourse by

the dog and “at least 10 media outlets” all looking for

the story. Jim’s mum rang to tell him he was on the

front page of the daily telegraph and he’s been linked

with the story ever since. Jim and roo had kept their

secret well constantly denying involvement until this

year’s 40th celebration when Jim admitted some early

involvement and roo also after being “outed” by dave.

these three and all other clue lines we followed kept

throwing up one name, Paul ‘obes’ o’brien but no-one

knew where he’d gone apart from perhaps returning to

his home town of finley in the riverina.

alumni netWork42

he confirmed that the ringleader of the dognapping

was a certain mr P (whose name’s been changed to

protect his professional reputation). after taking such

a long time to identify one dognapper it looked like an

impossible task to find mr P. however a quick check

of the local phone book and one phone call and we

had him.

mr P is now a well-established professional living

in Queanbeyan. this was the first time he’d spoken

about the incident to people outside the circle and he

confirmed some of the stories we’d heard but also

gave us the real story – straight from the dognapper’s

mouth, so to speak.

the story is that five men in a kingswood station wagon

left late at night to finish a job others had started the

previous year when the nuts holding the dog down were

loosened but the dog couldn’t be lifted. this time the

five carried sufficient muscle including a large rugby

player we’ll call mr a. When they arrived at the site

they realised the dog was still loose and they merely

had to lift it up and place it in the wagon. a trip back to

canberra and the dog was unloaded on the concourse

about dawn, an rsvP sign was placed around its neck

and the perpetrators disappeared into the mists of

history. mr P says there was a security guard about

at the time but he didn’t seem very interested. Justly

fearing some legal reaction the dognappers did not

front for the media circus next morning and have not

spoken publicly about the events until now.

initially dave ritchie claimed ccae had been framed by

the riverina cae because we’d beaten them at football

but this didn’t get far.

the trail went cold for some time until a chance

overhearing of a conversation in a braidwood antique

store, where a customer happened to mention to the

shop owner that he came from finley. When questioned

the customer admitted to knowing Paul and his brother

and said he’d ring in a day or so with Paul’s number.

and yes, Paul was known as a man involved with the

dognapping. the friend duly rang and we spoke to Paul

from where he’s worked underground in a silver, lead,

zinc and copper mine at rosebery in tasmania for the

past 15 years or so.

he freely admitted to being involved saying the

perpetrators were from “animal house” another

name for reid house (or xyZ blocks), a set of former

government hostel buildings set up as temporary

residences. it was an apt name for according to our

information some of the dognappers were named after

various animals.

the tale has grown over the years to a point where if everyone who claims to have been part of it actually had been, there would’ve been a busload of people on the night. the irony is that the real people have kept their identities well hidden over the years and haven’t said a word publicly.


the ringleader of the dognapping was a certain mr P (whose name’s been changed to protect his professional reputation)…

mr P is now a well-established professional living in Queanbeyan. this was the first time he’d spoken about the incident to people outside the circle and he confirmed some of the stories we’d heard but also gave us the real story – straight from the dognapper’s mouth, so to speak.

the fallout from the dognapping included a furious

Gundagai shire council writing to the college

demanding compensation for having to send two staff

and a ute to canberra to retrieve the dog. dave ritchie

says he wrote to the council as President of the

students’ association saying the scavenger hunt was

a union event and it was their responsibility. Gundagai

subsequently wrote to the union and dave wrote back

as chair of the union board and then heard nothing

more. ‘roo’ buttriss says one of the letters should

have included a bill for advertising given Gundagai’s

international and national media exposure over the

event, but dave says even he wasn’t that cheeky.

the success of the dognapping was such that the

group looked at topping the event the next year. mr P

says one potential plan was to fashion a rude effigy of

the Prime minister of the time and to weld it into the

Parliament house fountain but the logistics were too

great to overcome. a similar decision was made about

kidnapping the big trout from adaminaby.

bronze dogs are not the only unusual items and

animals to have made cameo appearances on the

campus over the years as part of stone day scavenger

hunts. mr bewdy 1980, fred mitchell said a list of hunt

items was released the day before stone day and each

item was worth a certain amount of points. “each team

was also allowed a mystery prize – one of ours was

the Principal’s door,” he said. “that year i remember

we got everything on the list, including a croquet hoop

from the lawns of Parliament house, but we didn’t

win! some other group got everything as well and they

brought a goat as their mystery item, i guess the judges

gave more points for the goat than the door.”

for stone day 1978 a visiting circus obligingly provided

an elephant for a brief visit to the campus to secure a

scavenger hunt victory and egypt day in 1996 involved

a meet-and-greet photo-op between vice-chancellor

Professor don aitkin and a friendly camel.

Principal sam richardson was known for his loud and

blustering manner which at times bordered on the

eccentric. neil mcGuffog, who was activities officer

and executive officer of the union in the 1970s tells

of a phone call he received from sam one stone day

morning. “mcGuffog is that you?” “yes dr richardson,

what can i do for you?” “What you can do is get up

here and get rid of the elephant that’s peering in my

office window.”

alumni netWork44

a former student from the 1980s Jim travers

remembers a group of ressies people, the “y diners”,

so-called because they lived at the ymca in

Ginninderra (now called arscott house), that collected

a number of unusual items. these included the large

bronze direction plate from the top of mount ainslie

(later to appear leaning up against the tuckerbox dog

on its fateful day), flags from the top of the travelodge

motel, street signs, a stuffed emu, the main entrance

sign to anu and the anu shuttle bus. the scavengers

took the bus via the canberra high school in search of

passengers but were seen off by irate teachers.

not part of a scavenger hunt but another notable theft

was the removal of a number of artworks from the uc

library in march 2001 including a painting by sidney

nolan, one of the most significant and valuable works

in the collection. taken over a rainy weekend that wiped

tracks from an unsealed car park and a black-out

that erased entry records from the library’s security

system, the theft made newspapers all over the country.

the story goes that following a public appeal the works

were returned via a legal firm with no explanation and

the identity of the thieves is still not known.

it’s fair to say that uc sees all of its graduates as

success stories and legends in their own ways but

some former students (and staff) have gone on to fame

and fortune in various roles since their time in bruce.

a brief look through Monitor, alumni lists and other

records uncovered too many to name.

Fred Mitchell, Mr CCAE 1980

The goat that outscored the Principal’s door in the 1980

Scavenger Hunt

The winning ‘mystery prize’ in the 1978 Scavenger

Hunt arrives on the back of a truck

Elite athlete, walker

Nathan Deakes

ACT Attorney General Simon Corbell

speaks at the launch of our 40th

anniversary celebrations


a former student from the 1980s Jim travers remembers a group of ressies people, the “y diners”, so-called because they lived at the ymca in Ginninderra (now called arscott house), that collected a number of unusual items. these included the large bronze direction plate from the top of mount ainslie, flags from the top of the travelodge motel, street signs, a stuffed emu, the main entrance sign to anu and the anu shuttle bus.

douglas Waterhouse drive in the suburb of dunlop is named after the foundation council chair of the ccae but that wasn’t his only claim to fame. doug Waterhouse was also the inventor of aussie icon aerogard. before taking up the chair dr Waterhouse had been a well-established scientist with the csiro working in entomology and pesticides. in paying tribute to dr Waterhouse abc’s New Inventors tells the story.

“aerogard’s been keeping flies off people for about 40 years but who almost became the first woman in the entire world to test aerogard?…it was in fact the Queen. back in 1963 doug Waterhouse was working on a formula to keep the flies off. then he found out the Queen was coming.

Who better to test it on. doug got some of his fly repellent to the Queen’s people and told them what to do. sadly they were too scared to spray her… and her majesty was left unprotected.

but the Queen’s staff tried it the next day while playing golf and it worked a treat.

so what did he do? in a country crying out for an effective insect protection did he develop it, market it, sell it, see it become hugely popular and become obscenely rich? nope.

tragically for doug … when a couple of days later a nice man from the mortein insecticide company rang up and asked him how he made it, doug told him.

that was that. mortein made the money. and doug went back to the lab and kept inventing right up to his death aged 84.

doug Waterhouse inventor of aerogard, maybe not rich, but clever. We salute you!” xxxii

a small selection of those who have done us proud is:

olympic gold medallist Petria thomas studied sports

administration as part of the university’s elite athletes

program. comedian and television host Wil anderson

completed a degree in journalism before becoming one

of australia’s highest profile media personalities.

chief Political correspondent for abc radio current

affairs lyndall curtis studied journalism in the 1980s.

she says she “enjoyed my studies and enjoyed the

people i studied with. it was a good time to be at uni

and i learned a lot, often without realising i was doing

so. my lecturers gave me the confidence to take up my

alumni netWork46

career and helped me get a start – i’m very grateful for

that.” lyndall says her job allows her to have “a front

row seat at history - covering four prime ministers,

two olympic Games, being at the White house for the

first middle east Peace signing, in monaco for the ioc

announcement of sydney winning the 2000 olympic bid

…the list goes on. i’ve been very lucky”.

the university’s 2nd chancellor, emeritus

Professor donald horne, one of australia’s

foremost historians, authors and social

commentators is famous for many things, but

particularly for coining the phrase ‘the lucky

country’ in 1964. While Professor horne used

the phrase to criticise australian society, it has

been misappropriated since and is now used

to celebrate the natural, social and cultural

resources of the country.

one of ccae’s more well-known characters was

dan daniels the parking inspector. known as

‘dan dan the Parking man’ he was more than

assiduous in his task, happily booking anyone

from the Principal on down. and he was never

known to rescind a ticket or to even stop writing

one. an ex-military man, dan wasn’t very big but

when he donned his uniform he was unstoppable.

one legendary story was his reaction when an

intransigent driver of a blue volkswagen beetle

parked a number of times in the incorrect place.

after several warnings and tickets the driver

still parked in the same spot. dan could take

it no longer. he borrowed the forklift from

stores, lifted the car up and took it off to a far

corner of the campus. needless to say ccae

administration didn’t take too kindly to this and

dan was instructed to not do it again.

Dan Daniels, ‘Dan Dan the Parking man’

Albert Tucker’s Antipodean Head was the cover image of Donald Horne’s

The Lucky Country


another former student, Phil Patterson, (and son of

ccae academic registrar the late don Patterson)

went on to work in hollywood as an assistant director,

associate producer and location scout working with

directors such as George miller, Peter Weir and terry

Gilliam and stars such as harrison ford, nick nolte

and bruce Willis in a long list of films that included

Mosquito Coast, Vertical Limit, 12 Monkeys, the Crocodile

Dundees and Lorenzo’s Oil (and Scooby Doo).

a current lecturer and ccae graduate in creative

writing, felicity Packard is a scriptwriter for some of

the most successful television shows in recent years,

including the 2008 smash hit Underbelly for which she

won a Queensland Premier’s literary Prize and two

aWGie awards. steve conte, a graduate in professional

writing, won the $100,000 Prime minister’s literary

award in 2008 for his novel The Zookeeper’s War. a very

successful sci-fi writer, Garth nix studied professional

writing here in the 1980s. his Abhorsen Trilogy, and

Sabriel and Lirael books are well-known. he also

writes children’s books. another Professional Writing

alumnus, morris Gleitzman, is a successful children’s

book author and film and television writer.

the act rugby union team the brumbies have fielded

university of canberra students and graduates as

players, coaches and andrew fagan, a sports studies

graduate, as ceo. other notable ceos include ccae

graduate and former head of actewaGl John mackay,

brand hoff, founder of tower software, and lin hatfield

dodds, national director of uniting care australia. We’ve

also had a number of successful territory politicians

cut their teeth on campus including former act chief

minister rosemary follett, act attorney-General simon

corbell and former mla and treasurer ted Quinlan.

other legends include donna burke, a sports studies

graduate who became the first female chief executive

of a nsW rugby league club (the cronulla sharks);

many successful education graduates like denis

dickinson who is now principal of an act high school;

cathryn mcconaghy uc’s own dean of education;

Peter kell an associate Professor in education at the

university of Wollongong; clive dowdell who rode his

push bike from murwillumbah to start his degree in

maths/computing at ccae and has worked for groups

as diverse as the national crime authority and the

australian horse racing studbook, and now runs his

own successful wholesale medical supplies business;

and a uc tesol graduate dr Pham Gia khiem,

who became deputy Prime minister of vietnam.

the list goes on...

John Mackay and Brand Hoff fill a

time capsule at the launch of the 40th

anniversary celebrations

Creative Writing’s Francesca Rendle-Short

and Felicity Packard

alumni netWork48

• as an opinion leader, by completing surveys from time to time

• as an expert in your field, by lecturing classes, speaking at events and helping to shape curriculum

• as a donor, making tax free donations and pledges to annual appeals, for student scholarships and to capital campaigns

We encourage you to stay in touch and we look forward to hearing of your journey and welcoming you back to the university of canberra.

to find out more about any of these opportunities and to keep your details current please contact

t (02) 6201 5774 e [email protected]

there are several opportunities for you to give support and continue to be involved in the life of the university of canberra;

• as an ambassador, promoting the university of canberra to prospective students

• as an advocate, championing the university with business, government and the community

• as a mentor, lending students a helping hand, or sharing your story of success

• as a student, as learning never ends we hope to see you again at lectures and seminars

• as a supporter, by attending events at the university of canberra

• as an organiser, leading and arranging reunions for your class or year

GivinG backcongratulations on joining the extensive and growing university of canberra alumni network.

university of canberra graduates from all areas of industry and fields find that reconnecting and engaging with other graduates and current students can be personally rewarding and create fantastic networking and business opportunities.

the university of canberra alumni network is continuing to grow and strengthen, and our alumni can play a vital role in the future development of the university of canberra.

We invite you to consider how you might be able to help others and give back.

ALUMNI

2011 uc alumni booklet

Documents

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uc worldwide alumni

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