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L UCE

Mrs Phyllis Fry

10 December 1933 – 21 July 2013

Everyone who knew her was deeply Returning to Australia in 1969, Phyllis worked as Senior Tutor in
saddened to hear that Phyllis Fry had the University of Melbourne’s Physiology Department, assuming
passed away on 21 July 2013 after a responsibility for teaching Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy and
period of illness with cancer. On 3 Occupational Therapy students. In 1975 it she was appointed
August her friends across generations Foundation Head of the School of Biological Sciences in the
of association met in the College, Lincoln Institute, a post she held until her appointment as
at her request, for a celebration of Principal of Janet Clarke Hall. Her extensive career as a scientist,
her life as her children Brad, Margie educator and academic administrator underlined her suitability
and Suzie and their families were to become Principal of Janet Clarke Hall after Dr Eden’s long and
able to express their love for their mother as a women who had distinguished term of office, a role Phyllis assumed in November
combined fearlessness and grace throughout her life. 1984.

Mrs Fry’s twelve years as Principal of the College, from Always a feminist, and a role model for many women at a time of
1984 to 1996, were marked by the strong community spirit significant female underrepresentation in scientific posts, Phyllis
she engendered between her staff and the student club, her herself noted the attraction of providing leadership in what was
commitment to and leadership within the intercollegiate and ‘the first residential college for women in Australia’, whose alumni
wider University setting (including through four years on the included ‘many women who were pioneers in their professions,
University Council), and a number of major projects – including including scientists’.
the massively expensive fire protection programme undertaken
with limited resources and a concerted effort for philanthropic At the time of her appointment, the JCH Newsletter noted that
support – which dramatically increased the safety of Phyllis’s interests included ‘reading, music, golf, playing Bridge
the building. and swimming’. One might add gardening to this list, as Mrs
Fry was often to be found in the College garden that still bears
In all of this she worked particularly closely with long–serving the fruit of her love and care. These were but some of the many
Chair of Council Dr Fiona Caro, building together a formidable interests she continued to pursue throughout her life as she built
partnership aided by Fiona’s strong association with the friendship and community across Melbourne before and after her
University. Reflecting upon Mrs Fry’s qualities in 1998, Dr retirement.
Caro noted ‘the quality of her leadership, her immense skill as
the manager of a complex and ever-changing “small business”, At the celebration of her life, students and staff who knew Mrs
and above all, her deep understanding of the intellectual and Fry during her time as Principal reflected upon the ways in which
personal needs of the individual students in the College.’ ‘She she had enabled them to grow as people, always encouraging
gave unflagging pastoral care to her students and tutors’, Dr respect, and always giving of herself while thinking of others. As
Caro rightly continued, ‘and created an environment in JCH, her former deputy Trevor Andrew has noted, Phyllis ‘put all other
which was intellectually stimulating, friendly and secure.’ interests second, even herself. Friends, hobbies and cultural
interests all had to wait for JCH… there was a never-ending
Phyllis Fry was created a Fellow of the College, the highest concern for the welfare of the students, which extended to all
honour the College can bestow, following her retirement as facets of student life’.
Principal, and was a regular and active supporter of College
events in her retirement. Given her values, it is not surprising She will be sadly missed by past students for whom she cared
that the current Principal learned a great deal about the College deeply, and by all those who knew her during her years as
from Phyllis, who took on the role of friend and mentor from the Principal and thereafter as a Fellow of the College. We are all
time of his arrival at JCH. the poorer for her passing, but her memory will continue in
those who knew her, in the Fry Rooms named in her honour in
Phyllis Fry was a scientist of distinction. She graduated with a the third floor Main and Joske Wings, and in the establishment
Bachelor of Science from the University of Sydney in 1953 and of the Phyllis Fry Scholarship to be offered in her memory by the
a Master of Science from the University of Western Australia in College.
1956, tutoring in Physiology at UWA and holding a NHMRC
grant from 1955 to 1957. From 1959 to 1961 she worked as a Dr Damian Powell
research assistant at the Clinical Research Unit at the Middlesex Principal
Hospital in London, and from 1961 to 1963 she was a Research
Fellow in the Department of Physiology at University College,
London.

Mrs Fry discusses a Traill etching donated by Penny Lewisohn at a
dinner held in early 2013. As a College Fellow, Mrs Fry remained
an active and generous supporter of Janet Clarke Hall.

2 LUCE Number 12 2013