Page 17 - Luce 2012

A l umni News

The College has received a
generous donation of books from
Mrs Berres Hoddle (Mogensen
1941), adding significantly to
our history collection. Among
other contemporaries, Berres
was friends with Dame Leonie
Kramer AC DBE (1942) during
their time at JCH. She recalls
that during this time she and
other students got up to various
pranks such as removing
Ormond’s Dining Hall cutlery Dr Chris Watkins (2007) explains ‘Australia’ to schoolchildren in
through a hole in the fence – Commune de Saye, Nigeria
all safely returned by tea time,
but a great discomfort to Ormond men Chris writes: ‘I am working in the Australian High Commission
at breakfast! Following completion of her Arts degree, Berres in Nigeria as a Third Secretary, working on political affairs and
went on to a long and successful career as a school librarian at regional security. Nigeria and the other six countries I work on
Bayswater High School and then for twenty years at Mt Scopus are home to a huge population (160 million in Nigeria alone),
College before she retired in 1987. A direct descendant of and a number of emerging democracies, including Niger,
Victoria’s first Surveyor General, she researched and wrote Robert which is the world’s second poorest country (see me chatting
Hoddle: Pioneer Surveyor 1794-1881, a superbly crafted and with local students in the photo). Niger faces real challenges
exhaustively researched work launched at Government House from its neighbours, which include Libya and Mali, and a very
in 2004. unforgiving Saharan climate, but is being well led by a very
strategic, democratic government. I think back to my tutorials at
Mr Tosh Greenslade (2005) is JCH, and the pleasure of arguing about history and democracy
developing a growing national and economics with students, and I am struck by just how
reputation as an actor and relevant those discussions were to the work I now do. I have
comedian following his latest swapped the book-lined studies of JCH for 45 degree heat and
appearances on Shaun Micallef’s the back of a four wheel drive, but the same skills JCH fosters -
Mad as Hell on ABC television. conversation, critical thinking and writing - are exactly the skills I
Tosh’s talent for acting was seen use day to day (my football skills as a back pocket get less work,
during his years in College, with which is lucky for Australia). Should any JCH’ers find themselves
lead roles in The Crucible, and in Abuja (you never know!) I hope they will get in touch.’
Much Ado About Nothing. After
switching career paths from In Canada,
science to acting he has appeared Ms Sophie
in a range of productions, including the lead role of Jimmy Porter Webber (2005) has
in John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger, and a self devised role in been awarded a
A Night of Sonnets performed at the National Theatre prestigious Killam
Doctoral Scholarship
JCH and International Affairs to undertake
further studies on
The oftentimes colourful lives climate change
of our alumni are matched by adaptation within
their ongoing contribution to the Department of
international affairs. Among our Geography at the
University of British Columbia. Sophie’s Masters degree focussed
graduates one can trace a history
ALumni New
upon the small and low-lying Pacific island nation of Kiribati, a
of engagement with international
nation acutely vulnerable to climate change through rising sea
relations stretching from Miss
levels and threats to groundwater. Her doctorate expands upon
Valentine Leeper (1918), who
this research, exploring the climate change adaptation ‘industry’
wrote long and passionately about
– how it establishes itself and operates and what some of the
justice in Europe as the Nazis
political-economic effects of this industry are. Underlying this
extended their grip, to Ms Pera
study is an interest in the asymmetries of climate change and
Wells (1968) (former President of
adaptation in Pacific islands, whereby rich countries like Australia
the United Nations Association)
contribute significantly to climate change, yet simultaneously give
and Dr Erika Feller (1967)
resources to nations struggling from the resulting impacts without
(Assistant High Commissioner to
Valentine Leeper (from
addressing the root causes.
the cover of JCH alumna
the UNHCR), to others such as Dr
Marion Poynter’s biography)
Chris Watkins, currently serving at
the Australian High Commission in
West Africa.
J anet Clarke Hall 17