Page 36 - Luce 2020

A l umni News

Congratulations to graduating from the Master of Public and
continued from page 35
Helen Garner International Law that I’d been studying
in 1987 when the sharemarket dropped Our congratulations while working full time. Looking out
dramatically. Professor Robert Officer to acclaimed across the plane trees on South Lawn
was the Head of the Business School at Australian author (there’s clearly some deep-rooted –
pun intended – botanical romanticism
and JCH Fellow,
the University of Melbourne. I was able Dr Helen Garner going on here…) I realised I needed to
to consult Professor Officer. He very (1961), on being work somewhere with purpose beyond
generously gave time to serve JCH on the recipient of profit, and very shortly found myself
Council’s Finance Advisory Committee the 2020 Lloyd O’Neil Award. The back ‘home’ on the Parkville campus
for many years. award recognises outstanding service in professional services (surrounded by
to the Australian Book Industry by an green spaces and armed with a library
While I was Council Chair we also individual from within its ranks, including card) in a part-time role to free up more
organised celebrations for the JCH publishers, booksellers, authors and time for my reading habit.
centenary. There was a wonderful series other industry representatives with
of events. This was a great challenge, but exceptional long service to the industry. In 2020 I left the University to take up
a very important beginning for me and a management position at the National
for Phyllis Fry who had only recently Lloyd O’Neil was a pioneer of Australian Ageing Research Institute. In keeping
become Principal. She was outstanding, publishing, beginning his career as a with the lifelong need for green spaces
a great leader and example for the bookseller and becoming an insightful and the love affair with Parkville, NARI
students. She was widely cultured. and talented publisher, printing popular is located in the middle of Royal Park!
She was a scientist and also a lover of mass market titles that captured the The work we do in improving the lives
literature and music. She encouraged mood of the nation and developing of older people and those who care
students to engage with the wider world hugely successful educational and for them fills me with pride every day.
and she began regular music concerts travel lists. Somewhere in amongst all of that I wrote
at JCH. She had her own family and a children’s book and established a
responsibilities but she was very close Jessica Currie (2003) small graphic design and creative writing
to the students and gave richly and Moving from the small studio with my partner, which we have
purposely kept small so we can continue
town of Boort (in
selflessly to them and to the College.
the Mallee region of to enjoy creating together alongside our
Victoria) to Melbourne ‘day jobs.’ We live by the Maribyrnong
Fiona, it seems to me that your whole was something I’d River on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung land
life has been characterised by a sense looked forward to for with our two springer spaniels, Summer
of service, including through voluntary many years before and Marcie.
service to a range of organisations. finally taking the big leap in 2003.
Where does this sense of service come Throughout high school I had pictured Dr Josephine Bell
from? that spectacular avenue of plane trees (Hawkes 1963)
along Royal Parade as a ‘home base’ In the beginning of
Voluntary service was what so many from which I’d search for people and 1963, I had been
people did when I was growing up. I places that would stretch and challenge signed up to study
feel JCH was a huge influence on my my curiosity about the world. My ‘fairy the first year of a new
life, academically and also in helping my godmother’, Julie Ager (1972), had Veterinary Science
development as a person. Volunteering lived in JCH and established friendships degree at Melbourne
delivers rewards personally and there that still feature in her life to this University. There were only four females
intellectually. To give assistance in the day. Julie was (and is) an influential role in the class in those days! I was living
environment in which young people are model for me, and so I earmarked JCH as on a farm at Riddell’s Creek… a bit too
learning is very gratifying. the perfect spot to start independent life. far away to do a course which was 9am-
5pm, five days a week, with occasional
And finally if you had to home in I lived in JCH for the first year of my evening events. So I applied for residency
on one thing about JCH which will Bachelor of Arts and Sciences, and while at Janet Clarke Hall. Fortunately, I
continue into the future, despite all the I was a bit of a ‘grey man’ in College life was offered a double room with an
– having established connections through Ag. Student for my first year and was
changes over the last seventy years, community sport and family outside of awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship
what would that be?
College – the friendships I developed in which provided enough money to pay
Manifold Wing are certainly amongst the for it, as my parents did not have the
What do I hope will remain at JCH long most significant in my life. necessary finances.
into the distant future, no matter how
the world changes? I think my answer I completed my BASc in 2006 and I was regarded as a ‘different’ student
is the long and close association with went on to achieve a Bachelor of Arts with a strange and very busy course…
students and scholars, the exchange (Honours) in Criminology in 2007, before at least eight hours every day. Because I
of ideas in friendship and tolerance, embarking on a career in the Australian had rubbed out the ‘sephine’ part of my
actively keeping your mind open to new Public Service with a focus on strategic ‘Josephine’ name badge, my JCH friends
ideas and learning all the time. This, I intelligence in anti-money laundering decided that was better than my name
believe, is at the heart of JCH and I hope and counter-terrorism funding. I then ‘Jo’, so I was called Sephine by the JCH
will always remain so. spent some time in financial crime students.
consulting for one of the ‘Big 4’
professional services firms before I had I did spend late nights with the Arts
an ‘aha’ moment in Wilson Hall while students talking about the extremes of

36 LUCE Number 19 2020