Page 4 - Luce 2020

T he I nterview

Professor Erika Feller (1967) is currently a Professorial Fellow of the
University of Melbourne. She is a former Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow
of the University of Melbourne and a former UNHCR Assistant
High Commissioner for Protection. She was interviewed late in
2019 by Shelley Roberts (1972), Director of Development.
SR Professor Feller, thank you very as an architect and was obliged to
much for making time to talk with me stay in Albury, reporting regularly to
today. What brought you to JCH back in the authorities. He talked little about
1967 and what memories do you have this time and went on to build a fine
of being here in College? career as an architect in Australia. But
probably, even intuitively, a sensitivity to
EF JCH was justly reputed to be the the refugee experience was born in me.
pre-eminent women’s college at the
University. I was keen to enjoy its SR Getting back to your career
facilities, including the tutorials it offered progression, upon graduation I
both in the College and at Trinity. I also understand you were offered the
wanted – needed – a haven. You know, opportunity to be the first female
you start University and you’re not sure articled clerk at the law firm Arthur
– it’s all very strange, very big and busy. Robinson. What was the story there?
I clearly remember coming here when I
wanted peace, a quiet place to study. I EF In those days, the Department of
would also enjoy the lunches and great Foreign Affairs – before it became the
company it offered. I remember it as a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
welcoming place to come to in my early (DFAT) – did a recruitment drive around
university days. Australia. When I was in my final year
of law I went to one of their sessions
SR I don’t think it’s changed at all in and became intrigued by the idea of
that regard! I gather, too, back then an international career. I put in an
you were quite involved in student life application, not really believing it would of the team set up to defend Australia
and already starting to look at some go anywhere, even while I completed against an effort by the US Government
humanitarian causes? all the necessary requirements for to bring Australia to the International
my Articles. I was finally selected for Court of Justice over its successful efforts
EF Well, I always had a bent for writing. I Foreign Affairs very shortly before I to end sand-mining on Fraser Island by
spent a lot of my early time at university was supposed to start my Articles with US-based multinational, Dillingham
working on Farrago, at one point as the Arthur Robinson. At the eleventh hour, Corporation. It was my first exposure to
news editor. If you go back, you’ll see so to speak, I advised them I would international law being put into practice.
articles headlined ‘Feller at the Demo’ not be joining them as their first female
and things like this... That was me! I also articled clerk. This, I am sure, set back Such exposure continued with my later
used to write for Summons, the Law the cause of women with them for quite appointment as assistant to the then
magazine. a time! Legal Adviser to the Department of
Foreign Affairs, Sir Elihu Lauterpacht.
I enjoyed a role at one point as the SR On the other hand, you would have Eli was the son of probably one of the
treasurer for the African Australian been upholding the cause in Foreign most famous international lawyers of
Association. I knew very little about Affairs – there wouldn’t have been the time, Sir Hersch Lauterpacht, author
finance but I met some fine African many women being accepted in those of textbooks which are still used today.
students. It was around the time days. He was eminent in his own right, a
of troubles in Biafra and a number practitioner before the International
of the students were here as quasi EF Very few. When I joined, I think Court of Justice, and later the founder
refugees. We used to talk a lot about there were about five or six women of the Institute of International Law
the circumstances in their country and who were selected as part of my intake, in Cambridge. As Eli’s assistant, I
it awoke in me a real interest in the with all the rest men. By the way, there received an invaluable education in the
refugee plight. weren’t so many women studying law realities of international law, its utility,
at Melbourne University in my day – possibilities and limitations. He was not
Actually, though, this was not my first happily, how times have changed! only a very good professional, he loved
association with what it meant to be a the law, and he managed through a very
refugee. My father and his brother fled SR Please do tell us about your early charismatic personality to convey that
Germany before the war as stateless career in the Department of Foreign love to others.
refugees, having been stripped of their Affairs.
nationality under the Nuremberg laws I had several postings with the
because of their Jewish father. As an EF One of my early assignments was Department of Foreign Affairs. The first
enemy alien ‘refo’ – as they used to with the Legal Division where we was one of the most fascinating postings
call them here – my father was not worked on some significant international – I was sent to the Australian Military
initially able to practise his profession arbitrations. I was a very junior part Mission in Berlin.

4 LUCE Number 18 2019