Page 22 - Luce 2018

A l umni News A l umni News

A lumnae R eflections... A lumnae R eflections...

Carol Richardson Indeed, my scientific ‘career’ was very won their first intervarsity race, stroked Elizabeth Vines planet’s survival! Indeed, the UNESCO (known in the legal profession as the
(Austin 1958, short lived. ‘Farmer’s wife and mother’ by Pat Oddie, a cousin of mine. OAM (1972) Sustainable Development Goals of LPLC) to manage civil claims made
Senior Student would be my main career – and I enjoyed I was in Janet 2015 – particularly Goal 11 (Make cities against solicitors. This new venture of
1960) it immensely. Somehow, despite the fun and Clarke Hall and human settlements inclusive, safe, self-insurance came at a time when
distractions, we all managed to fit for my second resilient and sustainable) – stress the insurance markets were very expensive.
I studied for a * Founded in 1929 by Leila Tulloch in lectures, pracs, tutes, exams and year of my need for heritage to be a core element of It was the second scheme of its kind in
BSc at Melbourne and Nancy de Crespigny, ‘Tulligny’ graduation! My first job was at Sydney’s architecture our future. the common law world of UK, Canada
University and was a scavenger hunt in which JCH Royal North Shore Hospital where I degree – and the other states in Australia, all of
was in JCH for freshers had to find an extraordinary saved enough in one year to join several following in I found my time at JCH a wonderfully which followed suit in the following
three wonderful and amusing set of objects (and people) ex-JCHers on a sea voyage to England. the footsteps grounding time, sharing ideas with other years.
years. The highlight of my time in JCH within a three-hour period. Trinity and of my mother Vera (Hanly 1942) and architecture students and having easy
was, without doubt, being in Alice in Ormond men did their utmost to thwart In London I worked as a research sister Robyn (1970) – before leaving access to all that Melbourne University As CEO of the LPLC from 1996, I was
Wonderland, the play we performed the girls’ efforts! assistant at University College Hospital Melbourne for a year’s study at Carleton had to offer. I realise now what a encouraged by my Chairman to expand
with Trinity in 1959. Those years were, Medical School, but also managed University, Ottawa. privilege it was, and how lucky I was to my experience, which included being
indeed, our salad days – working out the trips around Europe, including skiing have this wonderful experience! a Trustee of the Melbourne Cricket
world under the oak tree, being part of Susan Sypkens in Switzerland where I met my future Like many students, I had no idea what Ground, and a director of another
‘Tulligny’*, or watching Med. Medleys (a (Oddie 1958) husband, John Sypkens, a South African my degree would lead to, and in fact statutory insurer. I now sit on various
fun event run by the medical faculty) and Living in JCH mining engineer and rower. was quite unsure that I wanted to be Miranda Milne committees at the Royal Australasian
hoping for an invitation to the Trinity Ball. was not only a an architect! However, after travelling (1972) College of Surgeons.
supportive home- John and I married in Trinity Chapel in in Europe, (particularly four months in It is 40 years
Post-JCH, life started with the almost away-from-home, 1963 and moved to live in Armidale, Italy learning the language and sketching since I graduated After 32 years at the LPLC, an office
obligatory world trip and then came but also where I NSW. I worked in the Physiology old buildings), I found my passion and from Melbourne of three people become one of 20,
some of the best years of my life. enjoyed one of Department at the University of New was very fortunate to find a niche/ University after and a fund of $4M became $240M,
I worked at the Walter and Eliza Hall the best times of England (UNE) while John did mining specialisation in heritage conservation. completing what insuring all Victorian barristers, Victorian
Institute for more than four years in my life. consulting and prospecting work. Later, Since leaving Melbourne in 2000 to was then known solicitors and many large national law
Sir Gus Nossal’s lab. The exhilaration we had apple and pear orchards, then a move to Sydney and subsequently to as Law/Arts. I firms.
of working in this environment Until then, my education, particularly cattle and sheep farm. Adelaide, I have been very fortunate embarked on a career in civil litigation,
made every day a treat. Gus made tertiary, had been very piecemeal. When to have worked Australia-wide and more by accident than by choice. In my final year at University, one
us all feel as though we really were I was not yet 16 our family moved to the Rowing and skiing were our lifelong throughout Asia. My recent adventures barrister lecturer said from the lectern
contributing to science. Today’s work USA. Between 1954 and 1959 I attended interests. In 1988 we and a few others have included consulting with the After working for a city firm in that female students should confine
looks so complicated compared to our no fewer than three US colleges and founded the Armidale Rowing Club, European Union in Yangon, Myanmar Melbourne, circumstances took me to themselves to conveyancing and family
experiments, yet I guess the work in the two Australian universities – but it was and later coached and managed rowing (in 2015) to assist with writing their North Carolina and then to Oxford, law as they would find it hard to be
1950s and 1960s was providing building at the University of Melbourne and JCH at several schools. Both John and Conservation Planning Strategy, and where I worked for a law firm, housed employed in other areas of practice. I
blocks for today. where I completed a BSc (Physiology and our younger son, Andrew, rowed for in 2016 spending a memorable three in what was once a grand eighteenth am pleased to have been a small part of
Pharmacology). Australia at World Championships, John months at the Getty Centre in Los century house near the Oxford Union. proving him wrong.
Following this exciting period I married being world champion in five events. Angeles, researching ‘Creative Heritage Among my Dickensian experiences was
Don, who was running a large cattle By moving into JCH I was following the In 1957 I became a foundation member Cities’ with my most recent book, riding to court down the High Street –
property in the high country near Mt. tradition of many family members who of the Thredbo Alpine Club where we Streetwise Design, being the outcome of sometimes in snow – on the office bike, Madeleine
Hotham. No medical research up there, had been at Trinity and JCH. My late spent many winter holidays. Later we this research. file in the basket on the front of the Heyward (2002)
but Don was very interested in the father, Dr Hal Oddie, was the co-founder travelled extensively to mountain regions bike and double decker buses rushing JCH was a really
science of cattle breeding and that forced of ‘Juttoddie’, the Trinity steeplechase in New Zealand and Norway, and to the Together with my historian business by. It was also the days of fault divorce fundamental part
me to learn to use a computer to keep originally over the fences of the Bulpadok Andes, the Canadian Rockies and the partner, Kate McDougall, we ran a – ‘unreasonable behaviour’ being the of my university
records. I felt learning to use a computer where the cows grazed – a variation of Himalayas. successful conservation architecture most common ground. This made most experience. I
was like scaling a mountain – a big which continues to this day. practice in Adelaide for 30 years, and couples I knew eligible. had taken a year
challenge. After 47 years in Armidale we moved are now both semi-retired. I continue off after high
Life in JCH was great fun – making friends to Melbourne when John became ill. to take on advocacy roles in relation The firm acted for members of the school to travel,
And then children arrived – another with girls from across Australia and Although a wrench to leave Armidale, to heritage issues, lobbying about Thames Valley police who were and moved to
dimension to life which cannot be overseas who were studying a variety it has meant more time with my inappropriate development here in themselves in trouble. Cases ranged Melbourne from a stint as a nanny in
appreciated until you have them. There of courses and had a broad range of three children and six grandchildren. Australia where I think inappropriate from theft of a bicycle to assault of a Washington DC knowing no one other
was little time to do anything but look interests. Retirement has remained busy with design outcomes are negatively prisoner at the local police station. I also than my grandparents… JCH quickly
after the children, tend the garden and gardening, competitive bridge and U3A impacting on the urban environment. acted for criminals, and was shocked felt like a place to return ‘home’ to after
feed people. We had jackeroos as well as Having been envious spectators at men’s German. by the meaty sentences – particularly classes – and equally importantly, gave
other extra hands coming and going. And rowing, some of us organised a JCH eight I am a visiting Professor at Hong for crimes against property – handed me lasting friendships with a diverse
when shearing occurred I learnt, with crew, with difficulty persuading Trinity to Kong University where I teach in the down by the courts. This took me to the group of people all heading in different
help from Don, about cooking in bulk. lend us a boat. We challenged Women’s Architectural Conservation Program, Crown Court in Oxford and to the Royal directions in life. Had I not lived in
Buying as we did in bulk, made it easy College and St Mary’s to a Boat Race and also undertake consultancy work Courts of Justice in London. College, my university friends would
to cater for whatever might turn up… in 1959, which we won – and this was with the Getty, UNESCO and other likely have been found only in the Law
the start of university women’s rowing
On one occasion, a bus broke down on Club was formed. In 1970 a MULRC four R agencies on conservation issues in I returned to Melbourne to civil litigation School, and I would have missed out on
Asia. I am strongly committed to the
in 1982, working in private practice.
its way to the snow, landing 32 cold and in Australia. It wasn’t until 1968 that eflections... so much.
hungry people on our doorstep! Melbourne University Ladies’ Rowing protection and good management of our After three years I joined a new I was always interested in international
statutory corporation, now called the
heritage cities and towns, and believe
that this is an essential part of our Legal Practitioners’ Liability Committee (continued overleaf)
22 LUCE Number 17 2018 J anet Clarke Hall 23