Page 20 - Luce 2014

Council News

Chair of Council Ms Margie Richardson Prof Gillian Triggs with Council members Ms Jane Tribe, Mr Tim Thwaites & Prof
with Ballarat Grammar Headmaster Doreen Rosenthal AO
Mr Stephen Higgs and Council member
Ms Anne Shea
Margie Richardson, Chair of Council from 2006 to 2008 before heading off to Rome for five
years, returned to JCH Council in June and took up the reins again. She offers her thoughts on
the past year.

2014 signalled a year of changes for John Davies, have also stepped down, A generous bequest received from
the Council. Prof Doreen Rosenthal and we are grateful that John remains Eva Eden’s estate enabled progress on
completed her three years of service as College solicitor. More recently, Bishop Margaret Henderson House. It also
Chair of Council in midyear 2014. Her Paul White, Assistant Bishop in the served to underline to the Principal
flair and articulateness, her concern for Diocese of Melbourne, reluctantly and Council the importance for the
students’ wellbeing and support for the succumbed to the increased demands of College in the years ahead of setting
Principal have clearly all been hugely his position and resigned after 12 years up a bequest programme. Council is
appreciated. I am delighted that she of dedicated membership of Council. delighted that Shelley Roberts, alumna
remains on Council to contribute with from the early 1970s and recently
wisdom and sensitivity to the College My thanks go to them all, as well as Director of Communications and
and to me as incoming Chair. to the on-going members, for their Marketing at the State Library, has been
contributions to a Council which in my employed as Director of Development.
Earlier in the year, a number of Council experience has always been energetic
members completed their terms of but cooperative in forging a direction Buildings, constitutions, fund-raising: it
office or indicated they would be for Janet Clarke Hall as a small, sounds like plodding fare! Such matters
standing down. Dr Stewart Niemann pastorally sensitive and highly academic are always the bedrock of governing
(1973) was a member of that very small, College. bodies: at Janet Clarke Hall, however,
select group of male students invited unfolding the strategic vision of Council
by Dr Eden to enter the College when These changes provided an opportunity is enriched by the extraordinary calibre
it became co-residential in the early for Council to look afresh at the best of the College’s Fellows, staff, students,
1970s. He later served on Council for 15 form of governance for the College in Fellows and alumni.
years, assisting with the 2006 strategy this 21st century. Work on a new model,
plan and always probing Council with likely smaller Council membership, Ms Margie Richardson
directions. Two less long-standing but began in earnest in the second half of Chair of Council
valued members, Ray Williams and 2014.

Council member Prof Ruth Fincher (1969) was elected a Member of the Order
of Australia (AM) in the 2014 Australia Day Honours. Prof Fincher (seen here at
the award ceremony at Government House) was recognised for her service to
education generally including as Chair of the College Council, and particularly
in geography and urban studies, and to national and international geographic
associations.

20 LUCE Number 13 2014