Foundat i on Report
Trustee
The Ian Potter Foundation Limited
ACN ABN
004 603 972 42 004 603 972
Address Telephone Facsimile email web
Level 3, 111 Collins Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 03 9650 3188 03 9650 7986 admin@ianpotter.org.au www.ianpotter.org.au
THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT 2004/2005
TRAVEL and CONFERENCES THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
TRAVEL & CONFERENCES
Conference Grants 2004-2005
Contents Personnel Governors Report from the Chairman Report from the Chief Executive Officer Funding Principles Program Areas Social Welfare Health Arts Environment and Conservation Medical Research Science Education Travel and Conferences Contact Details
2 3 4 5 6 8 16 21 28 34 38 42 49 Back cover
Professor Chris Whitaker To bring Dame Bridget Ogilvie, former Director of The Wellcome Trust (UK), to speak on Critical Mass: Encouraging Institutional Innovation, as part of the Alfred Deakin Innovation Lectures, held in Melbourne during April and May 2005
CSIRO Molecular Science VIC
Dr Patrick Harley To bring two keynote speakers, Professor Nissam Garti and Professor Hans Jurgen Butt, to the Australian Colloid and Interface Symposium (ACIS 2005) held in Sydney during February 2005, and for them both to attend seminars and meetings at various Australian research institutions
$6,000
Australian National University (ANU), Research School of Physical Science & Engineering ACT
Dr John Howard To bring Professor Tony Leggett, 2003 Nobel Laureate in Physics, to present a plenary talk at the Australian Institute of Physics Congress, Canberra, during January and February 2005
$6,000
Children’s Cancer Institute Australia NSW
Professor Michelle Haber To bring a plenary speaker, Dr Judah Folkman of the Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital, Boston to the 2nd Australian Health and Medical Research Congress, in Sydney during November 2004
$6,000
Prahran Mechanics’ Institute and Circulating Library VIC
Ms Christine Worthington To bring Dr Keith Manley, Fellow of the Insitute of Historical Research, University of London and Dr David McKitterick, Librarian, Trinity College, Cambridge to Australia for the ‘First International Conference of Athenaeums, Literary Institutes, Lyceums, Mechanics’ Institutes’ held in Melbourne during September 2004
$4,600
Home-Start National Inc NSW
Ms Marilyn Barnes To bring Margaret Harrison OBE, the founder of the now international Home-Start Program, from the UK to the 4th Annual Home-Start National Volunteer Conference in Gosford, NSW during November 2004
$3,700
Personnel Chief Executive Officer Associate Professor Kerry Bennett (to July 2005) John Kellaway (Acting CEO to December 2005) Janet Hirst (from December 2005) Grant Management Scott Anderson Carol Mackieson Maria Roberts
$20,000
RMIT University, Chancellery VIC
Total $46,300
Finance John Kellaway (part-time) Therese Reidy Communications Alexandra Williamson (part-time) Information and Knowledge Management Leonie Mugavin Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer Kay Roworth 55
Governo rs
The Ian Potter Foundation was established in 1964 and is today one of Australia’s major philanthropic foundations. Sir Ian Potter (1902-1994) was an Australian financier and stockbroker, and the founder and benefactor of the Foundation.
The Ian Potter Foundation is governed by a Board of thirteen non-executive Governors. The Chairman is Mr Charles B. Goode AC. Governors also serve terms on the Finance and Audit, the Governance, and the History Committees. The Board meets four times each year.
Life Governor Lady Potter AC Governors Mr Charles B Goode AC Chairman Professor Geoffrey N Blainey AC Mr Neil R Clark AO The Hon Sir Daryl Dawson AC KBE CB The Hon Sir James Gobbo AC CVO QC Mr John B Gough AO OBE Professor Thomas W Healy AO Dr Thomas H Hurley AO OBE Mr Allan J Myers QC from November 2004 Mr Frank L Nelson Dr P John Rose AO Professor Graeme B Ryan AC From the late 1930’s, seahorse was the cable address for Ian Potter and Company, the stockbroking firm founded by Sir Ian Potter. The seahorse symbol was taken as the logo of The Ian Potter Foundation in 1996.
Chairman’s Report Distributions made during the 20042005 financial year totalled $5.9 million. At 30 June 2005 the amount committed but not yet paid for approved grants totalled $6.4 million. During the year the Foundation supported its ongoing commitments to the National Gallery of Victoria, (for The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia); the Howard Florey Institute, (for the Neuropeptide Laboratory); the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, (for the Healthy Skin Program in remote indigenous communities); the Charles Darwin University (for the Principal Research Fellow in Education Economics); The Australian Landscape Trust; The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and The Ian Potter Cultural Trust. Major new commitments approved (but not necessarily paid) during the year were made in support of the Lizard Island Reef Research Centre in Far North Queensland for The Ian Potter Tropical Marine Research Centre, and for a Doctoral Fellowship Program; Australian Catholic University for the restoration of Central Hall in Fitzroy, Victoria; Austin Health for the Endocrine Centre of Excellence; the Centre for Eye Research Australia for the Retinal Vascular Imaging Centre (RetVIC); and to MacKillop Family Services for the redevelopment of their premises in Footscray, Victoria.
4
These new and ongoing commitments reflect the balance between strategic and long-term philanthropy together with responsive grant-making that has characterized the Foundation’s approach over the years.
In July 2005 Associate Professor Kerry Bennett resigned as Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation. Associate Professor Bennett was CEO during the period covered by this report, and we thank her for her service to the Foundation.
The first grants in the name of Alec Prentice Sewell were made during the financial year. In 2004 Mr Sewell of Toolangi in Victoria bequeathed a gift of approximately $5 million to the Foundation from his estate. A short biographical essay on Mr Sewell, his family history and his philanthropy is in preparation.
I thank my fellow Governors for their generous contributions of time and effort throughout the year and the staff of the Foundation for their work in managing the grantmaking process and finance administration. We are also grateful to Mr John Kellaway for acting as Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, and we warmly welcome Mrs Janet Hirst as the new Chief Executive Officer from December 2005.
A commissioned biography of Sir Ian Potter has been written by Dr Peter Yule of The University of Melbourne, and is due to be published in the first quarter of 2006. This will present a comprehensive biography of Sir Ian Potter, a man to whom we and indeed Australians as a whole owe a significant debt of gratitude for his generosity and vision. During the year the Foundation continued to be a Leading Member of Philanthropy Australia, supporting the encouragement and development of the philanthropic sector in Australia.
Charles B. Goode, AC Chairman
Chief Executive Officer’s Report The following pages document the Foundation’s grantmaking over the year to 30 June 2005. The grants cover a wide range of activities and they are listed under the program areas concerned. These lists show the distribution of grants throughout Australia and include a profile of some of the interesting grants made this year.
During the year two staff members completed the Graduate Certificate in Philanthropy and Social Investment at Swinburne University of Technology. We are proud to be associated with this, the first formal course of study in philanthropy to be offered in Victoria, a sign of the increasing size and maturity of the philanthropic sector.
Associate Professor Kerry Bennett resigned as Chief Executive Officer in July 2005. I thank her and all of the staff of the Foundation for their work in a very busy and challenging year. I also acknowledge the work of the Governors and thank them for their support during the year.
The Foundation received just under 800 requests for funding in the financial year to 30 June 2005, which is slightly less than the previous year’s figure of just over 900. A total of 131 grants were approved across the Foundation’s 8 program areas, ranging in value from $1,000 for a travel grant to $1.5 million for the expansion of the Research Centre at Lizard Island in the Great Barrier Reef. A further 58 grants were awarded by The Ian Potter Cultural Trust, which is funded by The Ian Potter Foundation.
We are also pleased to have facilitated, in partnership with Philanthropy Australia, the establishment of a User Group for MicroEdge GIFTS for Windows, a dedicated grantmaking software program. Working with members of six other Melbourne-based philanthropic foundations and trusts, we are trying to improve the efficiency of our processing and review of applications for funding, in order to offer a more professional service to applicants.
John P. Kellaway Acting Chief Executive Officer
The Foundation had a very positive year financially. Grants approved during the year are set out in detail in the report, and total $4,538,000. Payments for the year totalled $5,890,000. Outstanding grant commitments at 30 June 2005 totalled $6,408,000 which will be paid out during the 2005/2006 financial year and beyond. Other than the above outstanding grant commitments the Foundation has no liabilities of any significance.
Much time was spent during the year in the planning of major renovations to our office premises at Level 3, 111 Collins Street, Melbourne. Work commenced in June 2005 which required the office to move to temporary premises while the work was carried out. We returned to the refurbished offices at the end of September 2005. We are indebted to the ANZ Banking Group for the provision of alternative office accommodation at 55 Collins Street during the renovation period.
Funding Principles
The Foundation’s broad range of areas of interest makes it difficult to be specific about what we fund. However, there are some common principles which underlie our grantmaking. When assessing applications, we look for: • a commitment to excellence We support organisations, programs and individuals who are outstanding in their field, in a national and international context. • an emphasis on the “innovate – evaluate – disseminate” process We seek to fund programs and projects which take a new approach to problems, support the evaluation of their trial, and if successful, their replication in other locations or contexts. • a focus on prevention In seeking to maximise the value of our grants, we try to address the causes of problems, rather than treat the symptoms. Supporting research is fundamental to this approach. • potential for leverage Our grants have greater impact when combined with support from other sources. These might include other trusts and foundations, government, business, and volunteers. We are very happy to be one of a number of supporters of a program. • long-term thinking We try to fund programs that will continue to have an impact well beyond the period of our support. Will the grant be significant (within its context) in ten years time?
6
• partnerships We encourage applications from organisations which are working with others in their field, and indeed in other fields. Our wide range of areas of interest make the Foundation particularly suited to funding programs that combine elements from two or more of those areas. • ideas or programs that combine two or more of our areas of interest • sustainability In making grants attention is given to the sustainability of the project at the conclusion of the period covered by the grant. While most of the grants we make are in response to applications, we sometimes choose an area we wish to support, and seek organisations with whom we might work in partnership. These generally become Major Initiatives of the Foundation.
Si r Ian P ot t er
Sir Ian Potter (1902-1994) founder and benefactor of The Ian Potter Foundation
Right: Ryan Cowie at work on his computer, provided through the Technical Aid to the Disabled NSW Computer Loan Service Below: Welfare agencies (charities that run the food-relief programs) selecting foods in the Foodbank SA warehouse
SocialWelfare Our funding objectives in the social welfare program area are:
• to support innovative programs which have a strong preventative focus and which are directed to family preservation
• to assist programs which have an established record of providing meaningful employment opportunities for young people • to assist projects designed to develop strong business, community and volunteer partnerships which provide support for families and other groups experiencing economic or other hardships • to encourage the economic, social, educational and cultural life of communities and the people who live in them, and to help develop nationally applicable strategies for community development
• to encourage the dissemination of results of successful programs Australia wide and to assist organisations to access proven overseas practice
8
SOCIAL WELFARE THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
S O C I A L W E L FA R E
Grants made under this program area vary greatly in size. Larger, often multi-year grants support innovative new programs in organisations which are outstanding in their field. A focus on prevention, and the possibility of replication are two key issues in our social welfare grants. Strong themes in our larger social welfare grants have been: •
strengthening families with young children through community rebuilding,
•
the creation of meaningful employment and training opportunities for disadvantaged young people, and
•
interest free loans schemes, in which loans are made to low-income earners for the purchase of essential household appliances.
The Foundation also continues to provide limited support to small community-based organisations with a strong volunteer component. One-off small grants of no more than $5,000 are made to organisations whose commitment to their communities deserves recognition and encouragement. Of particular interest are those organizations with a strong volunteer component, a demonstrated need, and a history of successful project outcomes.
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, VIC $50,000 to the Pilot Counselling Program Mr Kon Karapanagiotidis, Manager Tel: 03 9326 6066 asrc_footscray@yahoo.com www.asrc.org.au The first Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) was established in Footscray in 2001 and a second in Thornbury in 2002. Since then, the two Centres have worked with over 3,000 asylum seekers from more than 60 countries, providing them with food parcels, health care and advice regarding education and employment. The ASRC also runs Australia’s largest pro-bono legal service for this group, with a current caseload of over 1,000 clients, and 25 operating clinics each month. The legal service is run by one salaried part-time worker and a team of 50 legally qualified volunteers.
A delay was experienced in appointing a Program Coordinator, who did not commence work until September 2005. However, the Centre’s work has continued and achievements include providing individual counselling services to asylum seekers; establishing a child and adolescent program called KidZone which is coordinated by a psychologist and family therapist; establishing a Legal Support Program; and recruiting 17 new volunteer counsellors who have undertaken special training to work with clients who have experienced torture and trauma. These volunteers commenced with the ASRC in early October 2005. The Foundation’s grant has supported the first 12 months salary and on-costs for the Program Coordinator, interpreters’ fees, travel costs and administration.
The Pilot Counselling Program aims to support asylum seekers and their families with a professional counselling program that is free, accessible, equitable and culturally appropriate. This pilot program will run for three years from 2005. Volunteer psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and trainees deliver counselling to asylum seekers who have experienced war, trauma and torture. The Program Coordinator’s role is to coordinate these volunteers, engage interpreters and strengthen existing community links with agencies that provided free counselling and psychiatric care. Asylum seekers living under a Bridging Visa E do not have the right to work and no access to Medicare. The counselling is to be provided in a case management context and in conjunction with the recently opened Bula Bula (meaning “Welcome” in Fijian) Medical Centre, where psychiatric conditions are the most commonly treated.
Foodbank SA staff checking stock off the inventory when the charities have completed their shop
Carers’ Link Barossa and Districts Incorporated, SA $1,798 to the Country Stitchers Ms Vicki Williamson, Facilitator Tel: 08 85624000 carerbvyc@ihug.com.au Carers’ Link is a community support group for carers of younger disabled people, frail aged people and those with mental illness. Carers’ Link works in the towns of Nurioopta, Eudunda, Kapunda, and Lyndoch in the Barossa Valley in the south-east of South Australia, approximately one hour’s drive north of Adelaide. Over 600 young and elderly carers are supported by the group and there is increasing demand for its services. These include a monthly social recreation program, regional camps, assisting young carers to participate in state wide events, and also supporting young carers to achieve education, training and employment goals. Carers’ Link recently contributed to the development of a Carer Policy by the South Australian State Government. Carers’ Link receives funding recurrently through the Federal Government’s Home and Community Care (HACC) Program, a joint Commonwealth, State and Territory initiative to fund maintenance and support services to help frail older people and younger people with disabilities continue to live in the community. The Country Stitchers are a group of 16 women who meet fortnightly to quilt, sew, knit, and crochet. The work they create is sold at the local mall to raise money for Carers’ Link. The Foundation’s grant supported the purchase of equipment and materials, which will assist greatly in leveraging further fundraising income. Carers’ Link uses the funds raised to purchase respite and other forms of assistance for carers.
10
Foodbank of South Australia Inc. $10,000 to the Food Procurement Fighting Fund Mr Leigh Royans, General Manager Tel: 08 8351 1136 leighr@foodbanksa.com.au www.foodbankaustralia.org.au/ foodbank/southaustralia/ Foodbank Australia is a charitable organisation that receives food, beverages and groceries from around 500 food companies. Food is stored in large warehouses in each mainland state of Australia and distributed to over 1,500 accredited welfare agencies for assistance to needy people. Each welfare agency is required to sign a legal undertaking to not sell, exchange or barter food product for money, goods or services. Foodbank South Australia (FBSA) has received two previous grants from the Foundation, in 2000 and 2002, towards the purchase of a large Freezer Truck and the purchase of coolrooms. FBSA has just 4 paid employees, but is supported by community volunteers who assist operations. FBSA has a close relationship with food industry partners in the State, with 70 per cent of food donations gifted by SA companies (the balance of food is received from interstate Foodbanks). In five years since opening its doors, FBSA has distributed over two million kilograms of food to hundreds of charities, helping 100,000 South Australians in need each year. The aim of the Food Procurement Fighting Fund is to secure at best supply prices possible, staple canned or packaged foods that are not readily available via food company surplus/donated stock. Foodbank welfare sector members pay a modest handling fee for food accessed. Handling fees for products accessed via the fund are reinvested in the fund.
The procurement fund helps provide a solution to the problem of increasing numbers requiring emergency food assistance. When staple products are unavailable at Foodbank, food-relief agencies often purchase foods via retail networks, to supplement those sourced from the Foodbank. The foodprocurement fund allows Foodbank to source some of the most needed but infrequently donated foods. Agency food-relief budgets stretch much further as a result. Food companies helping via this fund are advised that the Foundation has made the funding available for this special purpose. Up to August 2005, 15,000 kilograms of staple foods were sourced which otherwise would not have been available for food-relief. As Foodbank handling fees are geared at cost-recovery only, welfare agencies are keen to access food via FBSA. All foods are distributed equitably to welfare agency members. The project helps welfare agency members access more of the foods they need most, whilst making valuable savings to their limited food-relief budgets. Whilst still in its early stages, the fund is having a significant positive effect on people in need.
SOCIAL WELFARE THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
Rotary Club of Melbourne, VIC $45,000 to the Yolngu Homelands Life Skills and Health Education Program in the Northern Territory Mr John Mitchell, Chairman – Joint Committee Tel: 03 9654 7242 office@rotaryclubofmelbourne.org.au www.rotaryclubofmelbourne.org.au The Rotary Club of Melbourne was the first Rotary Club in Australia. Established in 1921, the club has a strong record of philanthropic endeavour and charity work. The Yolngu Homelands are in the East Arnhem land region in the north-eastern tip of the Northern Territory. Until 2003, the children from the Donydji Community undertook their limited education on the ground sheltered under a piece of corrugated iron propped up by tree saplings. There was no other facility available to the community where they could undertake educational programs, and government funding was not imminent. As a result young people and families were moving away from the security of their kinship group and relocating into large settlements in the hope of finding opportunities for employment and education. Unfortunately many of these young people and family groups found themselves caught up in dysfunctional communities attached to the larger settlements and towns where alcohol, substance abuse and violence are common and where their traditional support systems were missing.
Dr Neville White from the La Trobe University Department of Genetics had been working in the Yolngu Homelands for many years. In 2002, he sought the help of Rotary to build a Community Education Centre so that formal education could be provided to the community’s children. As a result of the combined efforts of two Victorian Rotary Clubs and grants from various philanthropic and corporate supporters, sufficient funds were raised and the Community Education Centre was completed in 2003. In 2004 the NT Education Authority provided a teacher on a 3 day per week basis and two of the young women from the Community were employed as trainee teachers to ensure there was a five day formal education program for the children. Families have subsequently returned to their Homeland and by the end of 2004, 42 children were enrolled in the school. The Northern Territory’s Education Authority has now agreed to provide a second classroom and a residence for a teacher. Because of the influx of families back to their Homeland a new residence has also been provided for the women and children. Having established the Community Education Centre, the second phase of the infrastructure development was the construction of a Training Workshop to provide for the training of the young men in trade skills that will lift their self esteem and enable them to find gainful employment. Named the Life Skills and Health Education Program, its aim was to provide to young men in this community a workshop building for training in basic trade skills such as motor mechanics and building construction; and an accommodation centre to house the men while they undertake their training.
S O C I A L W E L FA R E
The Donydji Homeland Community in the north-eastern tip of the Northern Territory, seen from the air
The program has three stages: 1. The building of the necessary physical facilities (completed at the end of October 2005) 2. The development and implementation of training modules designed to meet community needs and expectations (to be fully implemented in 2006) 3. The development of business plans to enable the community to become self sustaining. It was the wish of the community leaders that the building project involve young men from the community in the construction work. Plans were drawn up in consultation with the community leaders, and the Rotary Club of Melbourne undertook the task of raising the necessary funds. After a successful fundraising campaign, a team of four skilled tradesmen from the Vietnam Veterans’ Community was recruited. These four men volunteered their time and traveled to the community to work on the project. Six young men from the community became involved in the work and received training in building construction and maintenance. The participation of these young men demonstrated the validity of the training model being developed as a tool for capacity building in remote indigenous communities. The project has received generous support of a small group of Trusts and Foundations, and a major company in supplying electrical components. A formal evaluation process is being undertaken in association with La Trobe University.
11
Nicky using the joystick on his computer, on loan through the Computer Loan Service provided by Technical Aid to the Disabled
Technical Aid to the Disabled, NSW $10,000 to the Computer Loan Service Mr Geoff Prenter, Fundraising Manager Tel: 02 9808 2022 gprenter@technicalaidnsw.org.au www.technicalaidnsw.org.au Technical Aid to the Disabled (TAD) originated in 1975 in Sydney when a small group of engineers was convened by George Winston, AM, to build specialised equipment for people with disabilities. Within NSW there are now twelve regional branches; and there are also TAD branches in each Australian State and Territory.
Services provided by TAD include the custom designed aids service, the computer loan service (which began in 1995 with the support of the RA Gale Foundation) and an information service. TAD (NSW) is supported by around 300 volunteers, undertakes around 2,000 projects per annum, and assists around 1,200 clients with computers. The Foundation has provided several small grants to TAD in previous years for the custom designed aids service, in particular for the tricycle and bicycle modifications service, offered to both parents and schools of children with physical disabilities.
rack... he t down t Eastern Access Community Health, VIC
$5,000 in 1999 for additional capital for the interest free loan scheme Ms Jackie Bramwell, Financial Counsellor Tel: 03 9871 1800 Jbramwell@each.com.au www.each.com.au The Ian Potter Foundation made its first grant in support of an interest free loan scheme in 1992. Since then, more than 70 grants totalling over $1 million have been made to a variety of organisations across Australia in support of the establishment, expansion and evaluation of the schemes. Interest free loan schemes offer an alternative to low-income people who are unable to afford and or gain access to credit from mainstream finanical services. The loans enable families to purchase basic household goods such as refrigerators and washing machines. The schemes are supported by the Federal 12
The Foundation’s recent grant to the computer loan service enabled TAD to purchase, install, and modify almost fifty Pentium III computers for loan to disabled young people aged between 9 and 18. Each computer is obtained at discount cost and clients are charged $60 per annum for the service (or nil if there are financial difficulties). Having a computer at home can help TAD’s clients develop their skills and continue their education, despite their health issues. Through the Foundation’s support, the waiting list for a loan computer has been substantially reduced during 2005.
Department of Family and Community Services through Centrepay, which enables loan repayments to be debited from Centrelink payments without charge to the agency or the borrower. The Maroondah No Interest Loan Scheme® (MNILS®) was established in October 1998 and is based at the Eastern Access Community Health (EACH) Centre in Ringwood in Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs. The Foundation’s $5,000 grant in 1999 supplemented the original $15,000 capital base of the scheme, and a further $33,700 has subsequently been given by other philanthropic trusts and local community sources to date. The Maroondah NILS® has been an active member of the National No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS®) network since September 2003. In 2005 the program issued 46 loans with a value of $28,971. Repayments of $30,414 were made, and 3 loans were written off to a value of $787.
SOCIAL WELFARE THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
S O C I A L W E L FA R E
Social Welfare Grants 2004-2005
MacKillop Family Services Ltd VIC $200,000 Redevelopment of MacKillop’s premises in Footscray, involving the construction of a new two-story purpose-built building Life Saving Victoria (previously Surf Life Saving Victoria) VIC The Ian Potter Education and Training Centre, a new training and accommodation centre at Sandridge beach in Port Melbourne for members, country communities and schools
$100,000
Advocacy and Rights Centre VIC Community Legal Centre Pilot Project, a two year project in the Loddon Campaspe region in north-western Victoria
$92,108
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre VIC Pilot Counselling Program to support asylum seekers and their families with free, professional and culturally appropriate counseling
$50,000
Rotary Club of Melbourne VIC Yolngu Homeland Life Skills and Health Education Program for young men in the East Arnhem land region of the Northern Territory
$45,000
Melbourne Anglican Benevolent Society VIC What Other Way (WOW) project for ‘at risk’ and unemployed youth
$40,000
Swinburne University of Technology VIC Accredited Food Safety Training for volunteers at community not-for-profit organizations, who require targeted training in food preparation and handling
$30,780
Relationships Australia (Victoria) VIC FUN (Fathers Using Networks) for Kids, a fathering skills program for families with children aged 0 - 12 in Melbourne’s western suburbs and in Shepparton
$30,000
The Way (Support Group) Incorporated VIC Purchase of a vehicle to take dying male homeless clients to medical appointments, and on recreational and cultural activities; and for staff to undertake weekly shopping
$30,000
Oxford Houses Australia VIC 3 year longitudinal research study on the Oxford Houses model of self-managed housing and support for people in recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs
$30,000
The Queen Elizabeth Centre VIC Strengthening Multi-Ethnic Families and Communities: a violence prevention parent training program
$30,000
Life’s for Living SA Resource Kit entitled What I’d Like to Know About Me!, containing a personalised client profile of a disabled child
$26,700
Typo Station VIC Feasibility Study into expansion of the Typo Station program into NSW (grant made in the name of Alec Prentice Sewell)
$25,000
Typo Station VIC General costs for this wilderness adventure and residency program for young men
$24,000
Post Placement Support Service (Victoria) Inc. VIC $19,800 Evaluation of models of therapeutic support for children in out-of-home-care and their caregiving families, and consultation and training for community-based health professionals
13
Social Welfare Grants 2004-2005 cont’d Chain Reaction Foundation Ltd. NSW $19,420 Enablers Project, involving leaders from at least 60 non-Government organisations from the Mt Druitt region engaging in a community development project Whitelion Incorporated VIC The Purple Room, an outreach programme that targets at-risk women who have experienced extreme abuse and neglect
$15,433
Time for Kids Inc. SA $15,000 Country to City Project, which provides respite care for rural children at risk with approved volunteer families in the metropolitan area Home-Start National Inc NSW $15,000 Aboriginal Resource Development and Dissemination Project, involving the design, production and dissemination of Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Packs to all 700 Home-Start volunteers Victorian Court Information and Welfare Network Inc VIC $12,050 A book entitled ‘From Dream to Reality’ tracing the 25-year history of the organization, written by its founder Carmel Benjamin, AM Out ‘N’ About Inc. VIC $11,000 The Matryoshka Project, addressing secondary school retention in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula areas through individual student and family counselling, and peer support programs Aboriginal Catholic Ministry SA $10,000 Competent Crew, a three-day theoretical and practical course through the Australian Yachting Federation for offenders who have spent time in prison for substance related offences Technical Aid to the Disabled NSW $10,000 To purchase, install, service, program and modify 47 computers for loan to disabled children and youth aged 9 to 18 on the TAD computer loan waiting list West Gippsland Healthcare Group VIC $10,000 The Youth Alcohol Cautioning Program, an early drug intervention program for adolescents and young adults (15-34) in the Trafalgar region of Victoria The Bridge Foundation VIC $10,000 To employ a part-time Development Officer to work with released prisoners to find housing and employment, to foster community acceptance and to publish prisoners’ writing and artwork South Brisbane Immigration & Community Legal Service Incorporated QLD $10,000 Refugee and Immigrant Regional Legal Advice Project, to establish a sustainable model for the provision of legal advice and information to Queensland’s regional refugee and migrant communities Brotherhood of St Laurence VIC $10,000 A web-based community survey of the skills and qualifications of people living in the Atherton Gardens Public Housing Estate, a four by 20-storey tower-block community of residents from 47 countries speaking 38 languages Foodbank of South Australia Inc. SA To buy at best supply prices staple non-perishable canned foods, to set up the Food Procurement Fighting Fund
$10,000
Berry Street Victoria Incorporated VIC $6,000 International travel for two volunteer carers, Ms Michelle Baker and Ms Kerryn Longmuir, to attend the 14th Biennial International Foster Care Organisation Conference in Wisconsin, USA, during August 2005 The Reach Foundation VIC To run and film a Reach workshop series, and to create documented versions for use by later generations of Reach Crew
$6,000
Victorian AIDS Council VIC $5,000 PK TIX Project, to provide people with HIV/AIDS who are living below the poverty line, with free or subsidised entertainment and social outings to address the issues of depression and isolation Australian-Polish Community Services Inc. VIC $5,000 Best Practice in Health Promotion for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities, a one-day conference in Melbourne in November 2004
14
Kids Who Care Foundation VIC $5,000 Young Carers Project, which provides support, counselling and recreation to youth aged 12-18 years who are significant carers of a family member with disability or long-term illness
SOCIAL WELFARE THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
S O C I A L W E L FA R E
Social Welfare Grants 2004-2005 cont’d McCallum Disability Services Inc. VIC $5,000 To purchase a hydraulically operated machine for the compressed packing of rags into plastic bags (previously done manually) to support the Cloth Unit, which employs 15 disabled people full-time Australian League of Immigration Volunteers NSW $5,000 Children’s Play Room at Baxter Immigration Detention Centre in Port Augusta, South Australia, to allow for the provision of art and craft, music, drama and sport activities Baptist Community Care Ltd VIC Respite Activity Program for children with disabilities
$5,000
Bathurst Meals On Wheels Services Inc. NSW $4,710 Pet Support Program, assisting people who are temporarily unable to care for their pets (eg, during hospital admittance) and who cannot afford professional kennelling AIDS Trust of Australia NSW Kids with AIDS Camp Goodtime, a respite camp for whole families, giving parents a break from caring for their children
$4,236
ARBIAS Inc. (Acquired Brain Injury Service) VIC $3,000 Specialist Skills Development Music Workshops for 20 people who have acquired brain injury and who are in residential care Calvary Health Care Bethlehem VIC $3,000 Helping Children to Grieve, a low-cost professional counselling program for children aged 4-12 years from low socio-economic backgrounds (grant made in the name of Alec Prentice Sewell) Community Accommodation and Respite Agency Inc SA $2,655 Holiday Respite, offering two days of care for adults with severe and multiple disabilities who are on the urgent waiting list for accommodation Carers’ Link Barossa and Districts Incorporated SA $1,798 To purchase two sewing machines for Country Stitchers, a group of 16 women who meet fortnightly to quilt, sew and knit products which are then sold to raise money for Carers’ Link Carers’ Link Barossa and Districts Incorporated SA $880 To supply a copy of an Asperger Syndrome Workbook to ten families caring for a child with High Functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome
Sub-total $993,570
Interest-free Loan Schemes Highlands Community Centres Inc. NSW For the establishment of an Interest-free Loan Scheme
$15,000
Booval Community Service Inc. QLD For the establishment of an Interest-free Loan Scheme
$15,000
Aids Council of SA Inc. SA $15,000 For the establishment of an Interest-free Loan Scheme, as part of the Positive Services Financial Counselling service to assist People Living With HIV Aids, of whom more than half have financial difficulties Mallee Financial and Information Services Inc. SA For the establishment of an Interest-free Loan Scheme
$15,000
The Nambucca Valley Community Services Council Inc. NSW For the expansion of an existing Interest-free Loan Scheme
$15,000
Good Shepherd Youth and Family Services VIC $5,000 To research how a NILS loan addresses immediate financial concerns, and the longer term impacts on individual and family functioning, and community participation Cardinia Combined Churches Caring VIC For the establishment of an Interest-free loans Scheme
$5,000
Subtotal Interest-free Loan Schemes $85,000 Total $1,078,570
15
Healt h Elaine Thurman in her kitchen with a cassette tape from a talking book from the library at Vision Australia
Our funding objectives in the health program area are:
• to support organisations undertaking research into and treatment of major diseases
• to support innovative programs designed to improve the delivery of services to people handicapped by health conditions
• to support educational programs for the prevention of diseases Exclusions:
The Foundation will not normally support requests for funds for:
• salaries of health personnel, research assistants, small items of equipment or programs which are substantially funded by Government or major public health organizations
• equipment and services which should properly be provided for in the usual operation of the hospital or health facility 16
HEALTH THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
HEALTH
The Foundation’s health grants are focused on prevention, through academic research, community education, and screening programs. Collaborative research between universities or research institutes, and community health organisations or condition-specific associations is encouraged. This focus on prevention is also reflected in our support for indigenous health programs. Our ongoing support for Nganampa Health and for the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute’s Healthy Skin Program reflects the Foundation’s interest in programs which are subject to rigorous evaluation, and which produce outcomes which can be measured and hopefully replicated. The Foundation also consistently supports programs which offer innovative and practical solutions to people living with health problems, and those organisations or programs with a high level of volunteer support.
Diabetes Australia Tasmania, TAS $5,000 to the Pilot Camp for adolescents with diabetes Mr Christopher Stopp, Chief Executive Officer Tel: 03 6234 5223 mail@datas.org.au www.datas.org.au Diabetes Australia - Tasmania is a registered charity and community based support organisation which has worked for all people with diabetes and their families since 1955. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life and to provide assistance to Tasmanians affected by diabetes, and those at risk, through the provision of services including education, awareness, advocacy and research. The Foundation’s grant supported a 5-day pilot camp for adolescents with diabetes, which was held in early 2005. 19 teenagers, 13 female and 6 males, all with Type 1 diabetes, attended the camp. The camp provided challenging adventure-style activities that encouraged the participants to face insecurity, anxiety and fear and learn how to over come them. Diabetic adolescents are often challenged by compliance issues relating to diet and medication and camps such as this can help through forming links with a supportive peer group. Some difficulties arose with the planning and volunteer staff recruitment for the project, particularly regarding the dietary requirements of the young people. As a result, new protocols and procedures will be designed for recruitment of volunteer staff for future camps.
Motor Neurone Disease Association of Queensland $3,312 to the Motor Neurone Disease Community Program Ms Gail Headley, Community Development Officer Tel: 07 3372 9004 admin@mndaq.asn.au http://www.mndaq.asn.au/ The Motor Neurone Disease Association of Queensland (MNDQ) was established in 1983, and provides services to members including library resources, patient aids, access to information and contact with support groups. The Association employs two staff members and also works with a large number of volunteers. The Community Development Officer of the Association attended a workshop at Volunteering Queensland in April 2005. As a result of this, the Officer has been working on producing Training Manuals and Volunteer Handbooks. These have been reviewed by Dr Ken Pakenham, Director Psychology Clinic, University of Queensland before printing. Also developed were a new Information Kit and new branding to complement the Volunteer Training Program. These were launched during Disability Week in July 2005. The Foundation’s grant has supported the development of the Volunteer Support Program through training program costs, printing and in house training for volunteers.
17
St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, VIC $25,000 to the Maternal and Child Health Skin Education Program Professor Robin Marks, Professor of Dermatology Tel: 03 9288 3930 derm@svhm.org.au www.dermatology.svhm.org.au The Maternal and Child Health Skin Education Program is a high quality community health education program developed for use by Maternal and Child Health Nurses for the prevention and management of infant skin conditions. The program was established in 2000, to provide information folders containing fact sheets on common skin conditions in children under six years, for photocopying and distribution to parents. The fact sheets include photos of common skin conditions, such as nappy rash, eczema, dermatitis, cradle cap, miliaria, birthmarks and thrush. The Foundation supported the original program with a grant of $30,000 with funding also from R.E. Ross Trust and The George Alexander Foundation. A later grant of $18,500 in 2002 was for translation of the fact sheets into 7 languages: Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic, Turkish, Somali, Sinhalese and Cambodian.
The University of Melbourne, VIC, Key Centre for Women’s Health in Society $20,000 to produce “A pocket guide to keeping well on the street” Professor Doreen Rosenthal, AO, Director, Key Centre for Women’s Health in Society Tel: 03 8344 4333 d.rosenthal.unimelb.edu.au www.kcwhs.unimelb.edu.au Homeless young people can fall between the cracks when seeking help for their health problems. In an effort to reduce the difficulties young people face when trying to access health services, the Key Centre for Women’s Health in Society has produced a pocket guide for young people at risk. This guide is a “user-friendly” booklet that gives young people who are experiencing homelessness street-wise advice and information about their health, and the health services available to them.
The guide was based on the results of research undertaken as part of Project i, a unique longitudinal study of homeless young people in Melbourne and Los Angeles. 674 young people who were experiencing homelessness were interviewed between 2000 and 2004. Issues they identified are covered in the booklet, including: vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancy, problematic alcohol and drug use, depression and suicide. The guide also contains contact details for youth health services by phone, in person and online. “674- A pocket guide to keeping well on the street” was launched at Frontyard Young People’s Health Service by Dr Rob Moodie, CEO of VicHealth, on 14th October 2005. It has been distributed to key locations in Melbourne and beyond. The early demand for the booklet has been overwhelming, with 3,000 copies distributed within a week of the launch. The Foundation’s grant has supported the creative design of the booklet, a research assistant, and printing costs.
The Skin Education Program has achieved distribution saturation across Victoria with positive responses and results from parents and Maternal and Child Health nurses. This final grant of $25,000 from The Ian Potter Foundation was for translations of the 22 information sheets into a further five languages: Filipino, Hindi, Spanish, Russian and Serbian, at a cost of $4,000 per language, and to make the fact sheets available online.
18
Nurses at Maternal and Child Health Centres throughout Victoria have taken up the program with considerable enthusiasm, and the fact sheets have been well received in other states and internationally. In March 2005 the translations were placed on the website and a CD sent to those Maternal and Child Health Centres that lack internet access.
The cover of the information and resource booklet for homeless young people, produced by the Key Centre for Women’s Health in Society
HEALTH THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
HEALTH
Vision Australia, VIC
The grant enabled Vision Australia to provide a better service to the 14,500 active clients for their library, giving them a wider selection of choices. Of their clients, 70 per cent are over 70 years of age, the majority have incomes below $20,000, and most live in rural and regional areas. There is also a small but significant number of younger clients most of whom use talking books in their studies.
$25,000 to the Talking Books for people who are blind, vision impaired or print handicapped Mr David Goldstein, Funding Development, Trusts and Foundations Tel: 02 9334 3333 david.goldstein@rbs.org.au www.visionaustralia.org.au Vision Australia empowers people who are blind and vision impaired, giving them the same opportunities in work, education and recreation available to sighted people through a wide range of services. These include the provision of information in alternate format through library and electronic newspapers, assistance with daily living and employment and early intervention services for children. Vision Australia was formed following the merger in 2004 of the Royal Blind Society, Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, and Vision Australia Foundation. The libraries of RBS, RVIB and Vision Australia Foundation also merged to form the National Information and Library Service with the library services now provided from Kooyong in Melbourne and Enfield in Sydney to clients nationwide.
People who are blind and severely vision impaired, along with the print handicapped, have access to only three per cent of the printed information available to sighted people. This severely curtails their ability to study, work, keep informed and their ongoing development of literacy. Research has found that the inability to access print materials was rated as the area which impacted most on respondents in their daily lives. The support of the Foundation is a vital step in making more of the world’s information available to people who are blind, vision impaired and print handicapped.
The Foundation’s grant was made in recognition of the amalgamation efforts, and with regard to the ever-increasing demand on audio-books. As our population ages, the number of vision impaired people grows with significant numbers being educated and literate, but finding they are unable to access books and newspapers like they used to. The grant supported the addition of 360 talking books to the library. This grant builds on previous support from the Foundation in 1993 and 1994 when smaller grants were made to the audio book collection.
Rita Lucas, one of the active clients of Vision Australia’s library of talking books for people who are blind, vision impaired or print handicapped 19
Health Grants 2004-2005
Nganampa Health Council Inc. NT $120,930 Child Health outreach and monitoring project on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands in the far north-west of South Australia One Tribe Incorporated QLD $32,500 Purchase of a people mover vehicle to enable indigenous youth workers to conduct home visits, run day trips and transport clients to and from camps Aspire - A Pathway to Mental Health Inc. VIC Mental First Aid Instructor Training in small communities in South West Victoria
$30,000
Caritas Christi Hospice VIC Refurbishment of the Lohan Wing of the Kew Caritas Christi Hospice, a palliative care facility
$25,000
The Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW Incorporated NSW $25,000 Clubhouse Development Project, to establish further clubhouses in NSW, and to develop a training program to assist members (people with a mental illness), staff, management and supporters St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne VIC $25,000 To translate into five languages information sheets for parents on common skin conditions in children under six years, as part of the Maternal and Child Health Skin Education Program Vision Australia Foundation NSW To purchase an additional 360 talking books as part of an acquisitions program to expand existing collection
$25,000
Down Syndrome Society of South Australia Inc. SA To update the current website of the society
$20,000
Mental Illness Fellowship (Victoria) Ltd VIC Translation into five languages of Fact Sheets on Mental Illness
$20,000
The University of Melbourne, Key Centre for Women’s Health in Society VIC $20,000 To produce a ‘user-friendly’ booklet to give young people experiencing homelessness, information about the health services available to them Australian Drug Foundation VIC $15,000 Somazone website for young people between the ages of 14 and 18 years, providing fast, free, and anonymous access to non-judgemental, expert health related information Diabetes Australia Tasmania TAS To run a 5 day pilot camp for adolescents with diabetes in January 2005
$5,000
Motor Neurone Disease Association of Queensland QLD $3,312 Motor Neurone Disease Community Program involving an extension of the MNDQ’s Equipment Loan Program and the development of a Volunteer Support Program
Total $366,742
20
Top: Art work by Fran Omeenyo, part of the Home Island, Home Country at Cairns Regional Gallery Middle: Brett Stiller in Strangers in Between by Tommy Murphy produced by Griffin Theatre Company as part of the Emerging Playwrights’ Residency Program Bottom left: Young Tasmanians performing sections of MicroScope as part of a state wide tour by TasDance
Art s
Our funding objectives in the arts program area are:
• to support major cultural institutions and organisations in Australia, and through them to encourage, in particular, talented young people
• to support the linking of education and the arts with particular reference to extending cultural opportunities to regional centres, and encouraging the development of arts programs at a local level Exclusions
The Foundation does not support performances, exhibitions or festivals unless there is a special education focus
21
Children’s art work framed and hung for the Home Island, Home Country exhibition at Cairns Regional Gallery
Sir Ian Potter was committed to the development of the visual and performing arts in Australia, and served as Chairman of the Boards of The Australian Ballet, The Australian Opera and The Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust. His personal commitment has been reflected in the Foundation’s long history of support for arts organisations across Australia. The most significant of these is the National Gallery of Victoria, to whom the Foundation has a commitment for their major redevelopment program. This was a commitment of $15 million over 6 years. Our focus in the arts remains on education, community engagement and extending cultural opportunities to regional areas of Australia. Another theme, the encouragement of talented young Australians, is reflected in our grants to The Ian Potter Cultural Trust.
22
The Ian Potter Cultural Trust is a separate legal entity which, unlike the Foundation, is able to make grants to individuals. The Trust aims to nurture excellence and diversity in cultural activities in Australia by making grants to outstandingly talented artists in the early stages of their careers. It is distinctive in global philanthropy and, in both scale and breadth, unique in Australia. For further information on the Trust’s activities, please refer to the separate Report for the Trust, available on request.
Cairns Regional Gallery Ltd, QLD $11,569 to the Home Island Home Country Mr Paul Brinkman, Public Programs Manager Tel: 07 4046 4800 info@cairnsregionalgallery.com.au www.cairnsregionalgallery.com.au Opened in 1995, the Cairns Regional Gallery has a unique Pacific-rim identity and promotes the visual art of Far North Queensland through an extensive exhibitions program and a public outreach program of floor talks, workshops, art classes and guided tours.
The Foundation’s grant supported the framing of over 50 artworks to museum standard. Each artwork is based on the theme of “home”, and expresses through children’s eyes the region’s cultural diversity and identity. Each artwork is accompanied by an informative label with a short story from the young artist. The exhibition was launched at the Cairns Regional Gallery in May 2005, and will tour Australia during 2006 and 2007.
Home Island - Home Country is a national touring exhibition of artworks created by children from 16 remote communities of Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands. Artworks were developed by students at the community schools during February and March 2005, with several hundred submitted to the Gallery. Approximately four artworks from each community were chosen for the exhibition.
The opening of Home Island, Home Country with young artists meeting Minister Desley Boyle who launched the exhibition
ARTS THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust, SA
ARTS
$20,000 to May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust Fellowships Mr Ian Wilson, Chairman Tel: 08 8332 5577 contact@maygibbs.org.au www.maygibbs.org.au
Griffin Theatre Company Ltd, NSW $15,000 to the Emerging Playwrights’ Residency Program David Berthold, Artistic Director Tel: 02 9332 1052 david@griffintheatre.com.au www.griffintheatre.com.au Griffin Theatre Company is a not for profit theatre company, established in 1978. It has a long history of fostering the new and emerging talents of actors, playwrights and directors. The Emerging Playwrights’ Residency program involved bringing five young playwrights under the age of 30 to Griffin for a one year period from August 2004 to July 2005 for a structured program of professional development including mentorships and workshops. Each playwright was expected to complete a preliminary draft of a new play by July 2005. The Residency program immersed playwrights in the practical activity of a theatre during the development phase of their work, and gave them experience in the reiterative negotiations and script changes associated with working with actors and production personnel. An additional outcome of the project was of course the creation of five new Australian plays. It was hoped some of these plays might be produced over the next three years.
This project builds on a previous program supported by the Foundation in 1999. The Script Readers’ Program supported the development of a number of script readers. The objectives were to develop stronger relationships between Griffin and learning institutions involved in teaching script dramaturgy, to provide the Australian arts industry with better qualified practitioners in script reading and to provide an ongoing service to playwrights from around Australia. After workshops, rewrites and rehearsals, Strangers In Between, by Tommy Murphy, and Nailed by Caleb Lewis were produced in this first year to glowing reviews. This was an unexpectedly quick production outcome. The works of the other three young playwrights participating in the program are in development. The enthusiasm of the five participants has been shared with other writers and Griffin audiences, and the program has entered a second year with new philanthropic and corporate support.
The May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust is a charitable organisation dedicated to the support of contemporary Australian children’s authors and illustrators. The Trust is in the process of raising funds to purchase studio apartments in the capital city of each state and territory in order to be able to provide a national program of residential fellowships and mentorships for the creators of books for children. The Trust’s programs provide Australian children’s authors and illustrators with a place and time to concentrate intensively on their creative work, as well as enabling them to foster a greater appreciation of their work through speaking and workshop engagements. As well as sponsoring Australian children’s authors and illustrators, the Trust’s fellowship programs benefit the communities in which they are held. Visiting fellows are able to contribute to the literacy and aesthetic development of children and the mentorships assist emerging authors and illustrators with their careers. The Trust was established in the name of May Gibbs (1877-1969) as her books were the first for Australian children created in their own natural and cultural environment. The Trust honours May Gibbs’ contribution to Australian children’s literature and supports today’s creators of books for children in her name, providing a context that links the work of contemporary children’s authors and illustrators with Australia’s cultural heritage. The Trust has undertaken the purchase of a studio apartment in Collins Street, Melbourne, and the Foundation’s grant is being put towards the cost of providing two Victorian fellowship programs, one in 2005 and one in 2006. The fellowships are providing creative time for children’s authors and illustrators and a program of workshop activities for selected students. The Foundation’s grant is assisting with the Trust’s desired outcomes, namely the development of high quality Australian literature for children, a wider readership and a deeper appreciation of Australian children’s literature in the community. The 2005 fellowship was accepted by illustrator and author, Kevin Burgemeestre, who conducted a series of exciting workshops on illustrating, writing and designing books at the Richmond Library for students from nearby primary schools.
Sam Dunn and Anthony Phelan in Strangers in Between by Tommy Murphy, produced by Griffin Theatre Company
23
Young Tasmanian dancers performing sections of MicroScope as part of a state wide tour by TasDance in 2005
Tasdance, TAS $5,000 to the 2005 Annual Educational Performance Project Ms Angela Driver, Administration Manager Tel: 03 6331 6644 info@tasdance.com.au www.tasdance.com.au Tasdance (originally the Tasmanian Dance Company) was founded in 1981, and is based in the northern regional centre of Launceston. Tasdance focuses on presenting high quality Australian choreography, and on developing audiences in Tasmania and regional Australia. Tasdance works to inspire young people in contemporary dance and has developed numerous innovative approaches to achieve a better understanding of the art form. The company has 6 full-time dancers, and has undertaken a number of national and international touring productions, including performances in Canberra, Geelong, New Zealand, Beijing, New York and most recently, Korea. The Annual Tasdance Educational Perfomance Project offers workshops for year 8 - 12 students who are studying dance within the school curriculum. The workshops aim to nurture young dancers and performers from around Tasmania, including those from rural and isolated areas. The 2005 workshops culminated in a performance work involving 16 students from around Tasmania, who were selected from the workshops. The work was entitled “MicroScope” and examined the dancers’ lives, exploring the idea that looking at the bigger picture often obscures the view of the finer detail. The 30 minute piece was performed in Launceston, Devonport and Hobart.
The Ian Potter Museum of Art, the University of Melbourne, VIC $17,500 to re-light the stained-glass window by Napier Waller, The Leckie Window (1935) Mr Henry Gaughan, Manager, Development and Public Programs Tel: 03 8344 7200 potter-info@unimelb.edu.au www.art-museum.unimelb.edu.au The Ian Potter Museum of Art (“the Potter”) is the University of Melbourne’s art museum. It houses and exhibits the University of Melbourne Art Collection and stages temporary exhibitions ranging from pre-classic to contemporary art. The Ian Potter Museum of Art has gone through a number of name changes and has been housed in different locations on the University of Melbourne Parkville campus. First established as the University Art Gallery in 1975, it was located in the centre of campus in the Old Physics Building. Additional accommodation was found on Swanston Street in the Physics Annex in 1988. These spaces housed both the Ian Potter Gallery and the Art Conservation Centre and together with the University Gallery were known as The University of Melbourne Museum of Art. In 1998 a purpose-built art museum, The Ian Potter Museum of Art, opened to the public and is now considered one of the leading university art museums in the country.
Napier Waller The Leckie Window 1935 stained glass, lead. The University of Melbourne Art Collection. Gift of John E. Leckie 1935. Located in the foyer of the Ian Potter Museum of Art, the University of Melbourne 24
The Leckie Window designed and created by Napier Waller in 1935 was installed in the University’s original Wilson Hall, a gift of John E. Leckie, Managing Director of R G Wilson & Co (Geelong). The window survived the fire that destroyed Wilson Hall in 1952. The Window largely intact (three of the top-most panels were destroyed) was recovered and removed to storage. Following extensive cleaning and restoration, the Window was installed in the new building in 1998 and dominates the entry foyer atrium of the Potter while uniting the three levels of display galleries. Lighting technology in 1998 was not up to illuminating the window satisfactorily. The Foundation’s grant in late 2004 funded the installation of the latest and best lighting system to illuminate The Leckie Window. The project was executed while the Museum was closed for major infra-structure work and completed in July in readiness for the reopening of the Potter in August 2005.
ARTS THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
National Library of Australia, ACT $35,000 to the Migrant documentary heritage collection, paid in May 2003 Ms Jan Fullerton, Director-General Tel: 02 6262 1111 jfullert@nla.gov.au www.nla.gov.au/multicultural The National Library of Australia is the country’s largest reference library. Its role is to ensure that documentary resources of national significance relating to Australia and the Australian people, as well as significant non-Australian library materials, are collected, preserved and made accessible either through the Library itself or through collaborative arrangements with other libraries and information providers. By offering a strong national focus in all that it does and cooperating with others who share its goals, the Library contributes to the continuing vitality of Australia’s culture and heritage. The National Library sought funding from the Foundation to target community groups of diverse cultural origin holding unpublished documentary heritage collections. The project assisted them to manage and preserve their papers, photographs and other unique records that document migrants’ experiences of settling in Australia and their subsequent contribution to Australian life. The project was in three phases; firstly a nation wide survey of collections held by culturally diverse communities was conducted, then the data gathered by the survey was incorporated into the Register of Australian Archives and Manuscripts (RAAM) and the Oral History Directory. Finally, training and educational workshops were provided to teach participants how to look after their collections.
ARTS
rack... he t down t The project produced information and resources for local heritage groups and published Preserving Australia’s Multicultural Documentary Heritage: A Starter Kit. The Foundation’s grant supported a two-day workshop in June 2004 for 45 participants on how to manage an archival collection. The National Library has continued to support State libraries in organising their own workshops based on the model established for this project. During 2004-2005 the ACT Library and Information Service, Northern Territory Library, State Library of Queensland, State Library of South Australia, State Library of Western Australia and State Library of Victoria all held workshops based on the national workshop model, for multicultural and linguistically diverse community organisations.
Top: Ms Nada Roude, Islamic Council of NSW, receives her Multicultural Documentary Heritage Workshop Certificate from Sir James Gobbo, AC, CVO, QC, Chairman of the National Library of Australia Council and Governor of The Ian Potter Foundation Bottom: The cover of Preserving Australia’s Multicultural Documentary Heritage: A Starter Kit
25
Arts Grants 2004-2005
National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) VIC $2,500,000 Towards the redevelopment of NGV International at St Kilda Road, and the design and construction of The Ian Potter Centre NGV: Australia at Federation Square in Melbourne The Ian Potter Cultural Trust VIC Individual grants for career development to talented emerging Australian artists from all cultural fields
$338,294
Orchestra Victoria VIC Regional Program, performing orchestral concerts and conducting educational workshops in regional Victoria
$50,000
May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust SA For the expansion of the May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust Fellowships for writers or illustrators
$20,000
The University of Melbourne VIC $17,500 Re-hanging and re-lighting of the stained-glass ‘Leckie’ window, by Napier Waller, in the atrium of the entrance foyer at The Ian Potter Museum of Art at the University of Melbourne Melba Memorial Conservatorium of Music VIC Purchase of four new pianos for the Conservatorium’s teaching studios
$16,875
Griffin Theatre Company Ltd NSW $15,000 Young Playwrights’ Residency program, for five young playwrights under the age of 30 to undertake a one year program of professional development The Song Room Inc. VIC To present a series of music workshops to primary school children in the Shepparton region of northern Victoria
$12,000
Cairns Regional Gallery Ltd QLD $11,569 Home Island Home Country, a national touring exhibition of artworks created by children from 20 remote communities of Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands Bowraville Arts Council Inc. NSW For ‘Stage Three’ of the restoration of the Bowraville Theatre in rural NSW
$10,000
Polyglot VIC A new schools touring work entitled ‘HeadHunter’, featuring puppetry and an original script and soundtrack
$10,000
Musica Viva Australia NSW Schools Touring Program to the Loddon Campaspe-Mallee region in Victoria involving a professional development course for teachers, and ensemble concerts at schools
$10,000
Australian Gliding Museum Inc. VIC $10,000 Historic Glider Refurbishment Project, to refurbish three aircraft for the new National Aviation Museum at the Point Cook RAAF base Arts Access Society Incorporated VIC $5,000 The Other Film Festival, a cultural event that tells the stories of people with a disability, promotes their art and discussion on relevant issues Dandenong Ranges Music Council Inc. VIC $5,000 For the performance of “Elements”, a musical work written in 1983, shortly after the Ash Wednesday bush fires, which is therefore of significance to the local Dandenong Ranges community TasDance TAS $5,000 2005 Annual Educational Perfomance Project, comprising workshops for year 8 - 12 students who are studying dance within the school curriculum
26
ARTS THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
ARTS
Platform Youth Theatre VIC The 2005 Echo Boomers community project to explore Generation Y
$5,000
Expressions - The Queensland Dance Theatre Limited QLD A dance-based educational program offering dance workshops in schools in regional Queensland
$5,000
Shopfront Theatre for Young People Co-op Ltd NSW $4,125 Off the Wall project, involving workshops in movement and puppetry for young people of diverse ethnic backgrounds in the St George area of Sydney Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology Inc., The QLD Towards the conservation of a collection of approximately 4,500 items of Medieval and Victorian Stained Glass
$3,500
Mitchell Community Health VIC $3,000 Dream Theatre, a performance group for people with disabilities between the ages of 15 to 30 years in the Broadford area of central Victoria Waverley Action for Youth Services (WAYS) NSW $2,500 Towards the Urban Arts Base project, which works to raise community awareness of mental health and to reduce associated stigma through the public exhibitions of young people’s artwork
Total $3,059,363
27
Top: Students being instructed by Paul Sinclair, the Chair of Waterkeepers Australia, in the analysis of river ecology Middle: James and Alice from James Cook University in the water, as part of the Dugong conservation management project Bottom: The model wetland at The McCormick Centre for the Environment at Renmark in South Australia
Environment & Conservat ion Our funding objectives in the environment & conservation program area are:
• to develop partnerships with communities, government and the private sector to help prevent irreversible damage to the environment and to encourage the maintenance of biodiversity
• to support programs and policies which are committed to the economic and ecologically sustainable development of land, and the preservation of species • to foster a broad public awareness of the environmental challenges facing urban and rural Australia
• to assist communities which are threatened with serious economic hardship due to the degradation of land and water resources, to develop policies to manage the social, economic and cultural changes needed for survival • to assist projects designed to preserve the built environment which has cultural significance
28
The Australian Landscape Trust (ALT) is currently the Foundation’s major initiative in the area of the environment and conservation. The ALT is characterized by the successful working partnerships it has established between Federal, State and Local Government, the corporate and private sectors, and philanthropic trusts and foundations, both in Australia and overseas. The ALT works in land management to demonstrate ecologically and financially sustainable development. The Trust is combating landscape degradation and maintaining biodiversity in two regions: the mallee of South Australia, and Victoria’s Gippsland lakes. In addition to our commitment to the ALT, the Foundation has supported a small number of organisations from across Australia which are working closely with their communities towards biodiversity and preservation of ecosystems. Grants have been made to undertake projects involving environmental education and volunteerism.
The Strathfieldsaye homestead in East Gippsland, the base for the Australian Landscape Trust’s programs in the region
Australian Landscape Trust (ALT), VIC $250,000 to the work of the Australian Landscape Trust in South Australia and Victoria (part of a commitment of $1,000,000 over 4 years) Miss Patricia Feilman, AM, Trustee Tel: 03 9639 7100 admin@austlandscapetrust.org.au www.austlandscapetrust.org.au The Australian Landscape Trust (ALT) was established by The Ian Potter Foundation in 1996. The Trust achieves conservation through building the capacity of rural communities to address the legacy of unsustainable land use since European settlement. The Trust supports local environmental leadership by directing its resources to the community’s priorities for achieving social, economic and environmental sustainability. The Trust operates Strathfieldsaye Estate in the Red Gum Plains of East Gippsland, a base for community education and agricultural research. Strathfieldsaye hosted local schools in the Ecowatch program and activities of many community groups, including a new Landcare chapter. Projects from two community development courses are ongoing. Three graduate students conduct research within the framework of the program. A farm vegetation survey identified significant remnant biodiversity that will be managed for conservation. Currently cattle are agisted but a monitoring farm is being
established to document impacts of production on natural resources. Results of an independent, data based review will be evaluated at an annual public meeting. Monitoring natural resources used in production creates a forum for evaluating sustainability of farming practices. Heritage Victoria provided funding for volunteers to restore several buildings and portions of the garden. Farmers are researching proximate causes of dieback and have produced two papers. Other research projects are also ongoing. At Renmark in South Australia, The McCormick Centre for the Environment is providing a focus for people with environmental objectives to gather, share and learn from each other. Research and monitoring continues at Calperum and Taylorville Stations in South Australia, close to Renmark. The resurgence of small vertebrates, despite years of drought, documents successful control of goats and foxes through a volunteer run program, that delivers milestones of the management contract with the Australian Government. This arrangement for stewardship of public land may be unique. Innovation in revegetation is aided by products from the floriculture site that provides plants for sale as well. A most important event is the inception of the Trust’s largest undertaking – a project to understand sources of hypersaline groundwater invading the Ramsar listed floodplain from the north. Environmental flows and other river-based management cannot ameliorate this influx of salinity at Calerum Station, a matter of concern to the region.
29
ENVIRONMENT & CONSERVATION
ENVIRONMENT & CONSERVATION THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
Newlands Primary School students showed Penders Grove students a poster illustrating plans for their school grounds and a homemade concrete rock using Gould League’s ‘recipe’ for rock-making to landscape their school garden (http://www.gould.edu.au/). Later, returning to Newlands Primary, students stopped for their first ever visit to Merri Creek.
Birds Australia, VIC $30,000 to the Volume 7 of the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds Dr Graeme Hamilton, Chief Executive Officer Tel: 03 9882 2622 mail@birdsaustralia.com.au www.birdsaustralia.com.au Birds Australia began as the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (RAOU) in 1901 and exists for the conservation, study and enjoyment of Australia’s native birds and their habitats. The Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds (HANZAB) is an encyclopaedia of seven volumes published worldwide by Oxford University Press that brings together and illustrates all that is known about the birds of the Australasian and Antarctic regions. It is the largest project ever undertaken by Birds Australia, and is being carried out by a team of full and part-time writers, editors and artists. Volumes 1-6 have already been published, and include 788 accounts for the 950 species recorded in the region. Volume 7, which covers the remaining 162 species of passerines (songbirds) is the final volume in the series. The Ian Potter Foundation has contributed a total of $750,000 to HANZAB since supporting the first Volume in 1987. The Foundation’s final grant has supported Birds Australia staff to complete the preparation and editing of the manuscript and other material.
30
All of the completed volumes have been both a commercial success and also widely acclaimed for their science, accuracy, thoroughness and scholarship. The project has generated additional research and significant community involvement as ornithologists, both professional and amateur, undertake special studies that have been used to supplement knowledge of the birds in each volume. HANZAB is now an essential reference for any tertiary-level student in the traditional academic fields of Biology and Zoology as it summarizes current knowledge of all the region’s birds. The comprehensive list of references included for each bird species provides a further invaluable resource for students. HANZAB also serves the needs of the growing number of students in more practical, applied science subjects such as Land Management, Environmental Studies and Natural Resources Management.
Merri Creek Management Committee, VIC $5,000 to the “Common Grounds” networking schools with indigenous gardens across Melbourne’s northern waterways Ms Luisa Macmillan, Manager Tel: 03 9380 8199 luisa@mcmc.org.au www.mcmc.org.au Merri Creek Management Committee (MCMC) established its Learning Grounds program in 2000 and has developed relationships with approximately 35 schools (primary and secondary, public and private) throughout Melbourne’s northern waterways. The program assists schools to develop on-site indigenous gardens, providing collaborative learning opportunities for students. The Common Grounds program has grown from the Learning Grounds program, and is connecting these 35 schools to each other to learn from others’ experiences. The Common Grounds project was initially delayed due to limited project officer’s availability, but has been completed by September 2005. Links have been established with the CERES Sustainable Schools Program, the Darebin Schools Network, the Victorian Schools Innovation and Excellence Program, and the UK-based Learning through Landscapes program. The Ian Potter Foundation was one of a number of supporters of the Common Grounds program, others including The Myer Foundation and local councils. The Foundation’s grant has funded the development and trial of a generic identification list or herbarium of plants and weeds, compiled in conjunction with the Victorian Indigenous Nurseries Cooperative. The grant also supported Merri Creek Management Committee to prepare downloadable Common Grounds materials for the website.
Trust for Nature (Victoria), VIC $20,000 to the Flora and Fauna Survey Program Ms Zoe Davies, Communications and Marketing Manager Tel: 03 9670 9933 zoed@tfn.org.au www.tfn.org.au The Trust For Nature (previously known as the Victorian Conservation Trust) has been working since 1972 to protect bushland on private property in Victoria. The Trust uses conservation covenants, a legally binding agreement between the landholder and Trust for Nature that permanently protects the natural features of a site from land clearing, subdivision or adverse development. Trust for Nature (TFN) also directly purchases land of high-conservation value and either retains and manages the property, or transfers it to the Crown to extend the National Parks System. Over 33 years Trust For Nature has achieved the purchase of 110 properties, with 53 properties retained to be managed for conservation in perpetuity, and 39 properties resold with covenants attached. A further 600 privately-owned properties have been protected with voluntary conservation covenants making a remarkable total of 66,000 hectares of land protected across Victoria. Over 95 percent of privately-owned land, however, is already cleared across the state, and the Trust’s work remains urgent.
Private bush landholders often have a wealth of anecdotal knowledge that is invaluable when properly recorded and shared with conservation organizations. TFN recognised this potential over a decade ago and created a Flora and Fauna Survey Program to put down on permanent record, what many landholders see everyday but never document. The Flora and Fauna Survey Program (FFSP) comprises weekend visits by volunteers to TFN-owned properties or those with registered conservation covenants, to sample and record the diversity of plants and wildlife. The survey teams comprise up to 10 volunteers and two team leaders. The information is collected using scientifically sound methods of sampling and recording and once collated, allows Trust for Nature to advise landholders on how to implement best land management practice. The program is particularly useful in identifying rare or endangered plants and animals and ultimately helps ensure their continued long-term survival. The FFSP is extremely popular with covenantors, adding greatly to their knowledge of what exists on their properties and giving them a keener sense of the role they play in protecting biodiversity through their voluntary conservation covenants. However, due to the reliance on volunteer team leaders and their time commitments, the Flora and Fauna Survey Team was able to undertake
only 10 surveys per year. As the Trust owns over 50 properties and there are more than 600 registered covenants, this meant a two year waiting list for some landholders. The Foundation’s grant supported the costs of 20 two-day surveys at $500 per day, enabling the Trust to double the number of surveys conducted in 2005 and to reduce the landholder waiting time by half. Surveys undertaken to date have covered diverse vegetation types and a total of 375 indigenous plants were identified, with 5 of these being rare or vulnerable. Over 100 bird species were identified ranging from small bush birds like the Superb Fairy Wren, Red-rumped Parrots and many of the Raptors such as the Australian Hobby and the Wedgetailed Eagle. Several species of fauna were identified including Echidna, Grey Kangaroo, Brushtail Possum, Ringtail Possums and an unidentified species of Glider. Amphibians and reptiles included several species of frog, Long Necked Tortoise, Brown Snake, Stumpytailed Lizards and Tree Goannas. The Flora and Fauna Survey Group continues to provide an extremely valuable service to landholders. It is also provides an opportunity for students and interested members of the public to work with experienced botanists and field naturalists, building on their skills and providing valuable work experience.
A volunteer participating in the Trust for Nature’s Flora and Fauna Survey Program 31
ENVIRONMENT & CONSERVATION
ENVIRONMENT & CONSERVATION THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
Peter Carroll, Avon Riverkeeper is proud of water quality in the upper reaches of the Avon River, just east of Sale in Victoria’s Gippsland region
Waterkeepers Australia Limited, VIC $20,000 to this project for communities protecting our waterways Mr Greg Hunt, National Manager Tel: 03 9347 3810 greghunt@waterkeepers.org.au www.waterkeepers.org.au Waterkeepers Australia is a relatively new environmental organization which began work in June 2003, and was launched nationally in November 2004. Its objective is to provide education, encouragement and support to local communities who are actively involved in safeguarding and restoring Australia’s waterways.
The Waterkeepers model is based on the established and successful US Waterkeeper Alliance of 130 programs across the USA, Canada, South America and Europe. In a hub-and-spoke model, a centralised consultancy service provides legal, financial and governance advice to local organisations in the promotion of sustainability and scientifically-based processes for waterway protection. Local Waterkeeper groups monitor and seek to improve water quality, reduce salinity, improve environmental flows and work to achieve better water use.
has now supported the Lang Lang, Avon, Derwent and Yarra Riverkeepers, the Mimosa Rocks Coastkeeper and the Snowy Estuarykeeper in caring for their waterways. Waterkeepers has formed partnerships with the Australian Conservation Foundation, Environment Victoria and the Environment Defenders Office. Another current project, Ecotone, aims to create a network of scientists and other experts willing to provide knowledge and share their expertise with community groups in protecting their local waterways.
Five Waterkeepers organisations were established in 2004, ten in 2005 up to October and a further seven are expected to be admitted to membership by the end of 2005. Waterkeepers Australia
The Ian Potter Foundation’s grant has supported salaries, equipment and member support services.
rack... he t down t James Cook University of North Queensland, QLD $20,000 towards Improving Conservation Management of Dugongs using Innovative Tracking Technologies The face of a dugong in close up, part of the James Cook University study
Dr Ivan Lawler, Senior Lecturer Tel: 07 4781 5823 Ivan.Lawler@jcu.edu.au www.jcu.edu.au James Cook University ( JCU) focuses on tropical research, and was established in Townsville in 1970. JCU is multicampus with the main sites in Townsville and Cairns. Smaller sites are located in Mount Isa, Mackay and Thursday Island. The project was designed to increase understanding of the dugong-seagrass ecosystem in Hervey Bay and how dugongs interact with their food resource. Dugongs graze on sea grass, generally in shallow waters, with their belly on the sea floor as they forage for the tastiest shoots. The dugong is now officially listed as vulnerable to extinction. Australia has
32
more dugongs than any other country, and Hervey Bay is the most important dugong area on the east coast of Queensland south of Cape York, giving researchers at James Cook University an excellent chance to learn more about this declining species. The project was undertaken in association with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, and aimed to quantify local-scale movements and foraging activities of dugongs using cutting edge Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices, which allow accurate fixes within a few metres to be made every hour of the day. Tracking dugongs by satellite means that they must be caught to have a floating transmitter attached to the animal on a long tether. This allowed more detailed insights into dugong ecology than have ever been possible before. The Foundation’s grant provided funding for field costs, chemical analysis, and satellite access costs.
Environment Grants 2004-2005
Australian Landscape Trust (ALT) VIC $250,000 Ongoing commitment to the work of the Trust in Gippsland in south-eastern Victoria; and near Renmark in the far north-east of South Australia Jondaryan Shire Council QLD $50,000 The Hugh Tindall Shearing Memorabilia Collection, at the Jondaryan Woolshed Historic Museum and Park, an outdoor museum dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of Australia’s rural pioneers, with a focus on the wool industry Birds Australia VIC Volume 7 of the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds, the final volume in the series
$30,000
Trust for Nature (Victoria) VIC $20,000 Flora and Fauna Survey Program of privately owned land that has been protected by a conservation covenant with Trust for Nature, with work undertaken by volunteers Waterkeepers Australia Limited VIC $20,000 Towards salaries, equipment, communications, membership liaison and support for Waterkeepers Australia, a national network of people offering care and protection for their local waterways Environment Defenders Office Ltd (VIC) VIC $5,000 4th edition of the Introduction to Environment and Planning Law Guide, a low cost, easily accessible environmental publication for individuals and community groups The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ACT Inc. ACT Equipment purchase to enhance training of volunteer carers
$5,000
Merri Creek Management Committee VIC ‘Common Grounds’ - networking schools with indigenous gardens across Melbourne’s northern waterways
$5,000
Total $385,000
33
ENVIRONMENT & CONSERVATION
ENVIRONMENT & CONSERVATION THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
Medical
Rersearch
Our funding objectives in the medical research program area are:
• to support major initiatives by leading Australian research institutes, universities and teaching hospitals in innovative biomedical research, the anticipated benefits of which are likely to advance the institution as a whole Exclusions:
The Foundation will not normally support requests for funds for:
• projects suitable for submission to the National Health and Medical Research Council or the Australian Research Council
• salaries for researchers or research assistants and for equipment which should be the subject of submissions to the NH&MRC or ARC • purposes which are core to the operations of the organisation and should more appropriately be funded from institutional operating funds
• research projects for which there would be a reasonable prospect of attracting commercial funding • research scholarships or projects which would be awarded by the grantseeker to third parties
34
MEDICAL RESEARCH THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
MEDICAL RESEARCH
Medical research has historically been one of the Foundation’s strongest program areas, and Sir Ian Potter’s support of the Howard Florey Institute pre-dates the establishment of the Foundation. Together with Kenneth Myer, Sir Ian made a major contribution to philanthropic support for medical research in Victoria. Such support has been of great importance in the ongoing success of the sector. Institutes which have received significant, multi-year grants from the Foundation for buildings, equipment and fellowships include the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, the Howard Florey Institute, the Anti-Cancer Council, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, and the Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research, as well as universities, research institutes and hospitals across Australia. As some areas of medical research are attracting increasing commercial interest, philanthropic foundations are re-thinking their role in this area. The emphasis in the Foundation’s future grant-making is likely to be in areas in which there is no immediate expectation of commercial interest.
Austin Health, VIC $100,000 to the Austin Health Endocrine Centre of Excellence Professor George Jerums, Director, Endocrine Centre Tel: 03 9496 5000 www.austin.org.au Endocrinology is the study of the glands and hormones of the body and their related disorders. The Endocrine Centre of Excellence (ECE) comprises a clinical area for outpatient treatment, an endocrine laboratory, a Bone Mineral Density unit and a clinical trials unit. The Director of the ECE is Professor George Jerums and the mission of the centre is to provide the highest level of evidence based treatment of patients, medical research and student teaching in endocrinology. The opening on 2nd August 2005 marked the establishment of the most comprehensive adult endocrine centre in Australia. Working in close collaboration with the Department of Medicine at the University of Melbourne, The Endocrine Centre of Excellence will address the emerging epidemic of diseases of ageing, including obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, androgen disorders and thyroid disease, bringing together internationally recognised expertise. The Foundation’s grant has supported the establishment of offices, library, conference rooms and laboratory space required for the new Unit.
Grants in the medical research area are traditionally the largest made by the Foundation, and typically support the establishment of a major and innovative new research initiative within an institution with a proven record of excellence in their field.
35
Centre For Eye Research Australia Limited (CERA), VIC $100,000 to the The Retinal Vascular Imaging Centre (RetVIC) Associate Professor Tien Wong, Director, RetVIC Tel: 03 9929 8429 twong@unimelb.edu.au http://iris.medoph.unimelb.edu.au/ new/rvu/rvuhome.html Established 1996 as a Centre of Excellence in eye research, CERA is located at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in East Melbourne. It is the only Australian World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for the Prevention of Blindness; and is a joint undertaking between The University of Melbourne’s Department of Ophthalmology, the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists, the Ansell Ophthalmology Foundation, Christian Blind Mission International, the Lions Clubs of Victoria, and the Vision Australia Foundation. The Retinal Vascular Imaging Centre (RetVIC) is a new facility for diagnostic analysis of retinal images in predicting vascular disease (eg, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, hypertension); the changes in retinal blood vessels reflecting similar damage elsewhere in the body. The main objective of the Centre is to determine the link between changes in the tiny blood vessels in the retina, and the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, dementia, kidney and other vascular conditions. RetVIC aims to expand on this area of research and to translate it to clinical use. The Centre will conduct community screening studies and clinical trials, and assess the cost-benefit and feasibility of using retinal vessel imaging for risk prediction. The RetVIC initiative is housed within the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (RVEEH), and was successful in gaining National Institute of Health (USA) funding, and a Victorian State government Science and Technology Infrastructure grant in 2005. RetVIC will operate diagnostic services on a scaled fee-for-service basis. Associate Professor Tien Wong, Director of RetVIC has an outstanding track record, with excellent publications in top-rank journals, and considerable success in attracting competitive research funding. The project commenced on 1st July, 2005 and the Foundation’s grant is supporting establishment costs.
36
This image shows computer-image analysis of retinal photograph. Changes in the tiny retinal blood vessels in the eye have been linked with heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other conditions. Computer imaging techniques now allow precise quantification of the caliber of these retinal blood vessels. Narrowed arteries, for example, has been shown to predict future hypertension risk up to 10 years earlier
University of Tasmania, TAS, Menzies Research Institute $10,000 to the Risk Factors for the Development and Control of Epilepsy Dr Wendyl d’Souza, Director - Epilepsy Register Tel: 03 6226 7700 Wendyl@iprimus.com.au www.menzies.utas.edu.au Established in 1988 as the Menzies Centre for Population Health Research, the Menzies Research Institute is an Institute of the University of Tasmania. As of May 2005 the Institute has a new Director, Professor Simon Foote, who had previously worked at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne. The Institute is going through a significant development phase, having received a grant of $7.5 million towards a new building from the Atlantic Philanthropies in 2003. The Institute’s research focuses on exploring the complex links between the environmental and genetic causes of disease. In 2002, the Menzies Research Institute in collaboration with St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne established a community-based accessible database for epidemiological research into environmental, lifestyle and genetic aetiology of epilepsy. Epidemiological registers of this type are vital, and the Institute’s research is built on Tasmania’s community and its distinctive characteristics, namely its stable population and extensive genealogical records; the small island geography; and a community that participates freely as study participants, volunteers or supporters. No such community-based, prospective register of epilepsy has been established anywhere in the world and therefore findings from this study will have major international as well as Australian significance.
Of the 1,277 people enrolled on this Tasmanian Epilepsy Register, consent for participation in the secondary study phase involving interviews [and probable future collection of blood for genetic analysis) had yet to be obtained for 350. The Foundation’s grant provided support to finalise the first stage of the study, by obtaining formal consent from the remaining people. The grant covered the costs of recruitment associated postage and database development. A research officer has obtained consent from a further 350 participants for the Epilepsy Register (40 people have withdrawn and 33 deceased). The next stage is a 30-45 minute phone interview to assess epilepsy type, risk factor and management, to expand the information available to researchers through the register.
MEDICAL RESEARCH THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC $1,000,000 to the establishment of the Centre of Cancer Genomics and Predictive Medicine, paid in 2001 and 2002. Professor David Bowtell, Director Research Tel: 03 9656 1356 David.Bowtell@petermac.org info@petermac.org www.petermac.org Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre provides high quality treatment and support to cancer patients and their families, and influences cancer care in the community through multi-disciplinary partnerships, research and education. The Research Division of Peter Mac employs nearly 300 staff, making it Australia’s largest group dedicated to cancer research. Research is undertaken within the broad framework of four programs, namely Cellular & Molecular
Biology, Stem Cell, Cancer Immunology, Cancer Genomics and Genetics. This structure enables researchers at Peter Mac to perform sophisticated clinical and translational research. The brightest outlook for cancer care lies in matching treatment to the underlying genetic defects in each person’s tumour. Peter Mac is able to perform real-time genetic analysis of human cancers, and use this technology to rapidly match patients with the best available anticancer drugs. At the heart of the Centre for Cancer Genomics & Predictive Medicine is an array of interconnecting technologies for profiling cancer. These include DNA chips for rapidly analysing the activity of thousands of genes simultaneously, and techniques for identifying gene mutations. DNA chips provide a way to very quickly overview the activity of all the genes in a cancer sample – thousands of times faster than was possible just
Medical Research Grants
MEDICAL RESEARCH
rack... he t down t
a few years ago. DNA chips are like biological computers, where the software code (genes) is arrayed on the surface of the chip and the activity of the genes can be read using fluorescent dyes. The new Centre incorporates research functions including a Translational Research Laboratory, a Protein Marker Facility, a platform technology group supplying microarray (DNA) technology services; together with a Tissue Bank, Clinical Pharmacology Group and Bioinformatics Facility. Four research groups were also relocated to the Centre on its establishment: DNA repair, Victorian Breast Cancer Consortium, Gastric Cancer and Australian Ovarian Cancer Study. The Centre was completed with a formal hand-over on the 18th November, 2002 and then formally opened on the 4th February, 2003. The Foundation’s grant supported the building and development of the Centre and its related activities.
2004-2005
Austin Health VIC $100,000 Austin Health Endocrine Centre of Excellence including a clinical area for outpatient treatment, an endocrine laboratory, Bone Mineral Density and clinical trails units Centre For Eye Research Australia Limited (CERA) VIC $100,000 The Retinal Vascular Imaging Centre (RetVIC), a new facility for diagnostic analysis of retinal images to predict vascular disease (eg heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension) Murdoch Childrens Research Institute VIC $82,000 Healthy Skin Program to control skin infections leading to improvements in child health and longer term chronic disease prevention, within multiple Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine VIC To facilitate the discovery of new drugs to treat disorders of the brain through the establishment of the Howard Florey Neuropeptide Laboratory
$80,000
Justice Health NSW Head injury and offending behaviour research, studying the prevalence of head injuries in prisoners leaving the criminal justice system, to define the links between head injury, mental illness and recidivism, and to develop health interventions
$50,000
University of Tasmania, The Menzies Centre TAS Research into risk factors for the development and control of epilepsy, based on the Tasmanian Epilepsy Register
$10,000
Total $422,000
37
A balance of science and creativity. Pictured are students of John Paul College, Kalgoolie, with peer tutor Leah Barnes, as they build a weightbearing bridge with 30 straws, 25 tooth picks and a metre of sticky tape
View of Ian Potter House, the Australian Academy of Science, Canberra
Vicky Hartill helps a student identify some of the macro-invertebrates collected from Bibra Lake, as part of assessing the health of the local wetland
Science
Our funding objectives in the science program area are:
• to support high quality scientific research of particular value to the development and enhancement of the economic and ecological sustainability of Australian enterprises • to support high quality scientific research to preserve Australian flora and fauna
Exclusions:
The Foundation will not normally support requests for funds for:
• projects suitable for submission to the Australian Research Council
• salaries for researchers or research assistants and for equipment which should be the subject of submissions to the ARC
• purposes which are core to the operations of the organisation and should more appropriately be funded from institutional operating funds
• research projects for which there would be a reasonable prospect of attracting commercial funding 38
The Foundation’s science program area shares strong links with our environment and education programs. Research that adds to our understanding of Australia’s biodiversity is a high priority. The links between our science and education program areas have been strengthened by our ongoing interest in the Australia-wide dissemination of the STAR peer tutoring program, which originated at Murdoch University in Western Australia. While Science continues to be one of the Foundation’s smaller program areas, the Governors have reaffirmed their interest in innovative and sustainable programs in the sciences, and a large commitment to the Lizard Island Reef Research Station in Far North Queensland has recently been made.
Murdoch University, WA $40,000 to support half of Mr Russell Elsegood’s salary for a further two years (2005-2006) to enable him to continue to develop and disseminate the STAR program throughout Australian universities and schools (part of a commitment of $80,000 over 2 years) Mr Russell Elsegood, Director, STAR Peer Tutoring Program Tel: 08 9360 6650 R.Elsegood@murdoch.edu.au http://about.murdoch.edu.au/star The STAR Peer Tutoring Program was established in 1994 in Perth based on a peer-mentoring program pioneered at London’s Imperial College. The Science/ Technology Awareness Raising (STAR) program provides cross-age, crossinstitutional peer tutoring in Australia. Other universities have replicated or adapted the well-established STAR programs that include: • STAR (the original) which pioneered peer tutoring and mentoring for metropolitan, regional and remote students through in-school support and the use of desk-top videoconferencing and email; • STARtrek, a travelling science show taken by university students to rural and remote WA high schools during university holidays; • STARlink, a “university for a day” experience in which high school students shadow a university student for a day to expose them to university life; and • STARquiz, a science competition for Perth metropolitan secondary students The university-to-school model has to date been adopted or adapted by RMIT University, Monash University, the University of Melbourne and La Trobe University in Victoria, the University of South Australia and Flinders University in South Australia, the University of Tasmania, the University of Queensland, Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory and the four public universities in Western Australia. Two universities in NSW have expressed strong interest in the model and, with seed funding, will launch projects in 2006.
SCIENCE
Peer tutor Leah Barnes with students of Thornlie Senior High School as they take a closer look at some of the macroinvertebrates collected from Bibra Lake, as part of assessing the health of the wetland, STAR Peer Tutoring Program
Highlights of 2005 have been the new peer tutoring programs established under the name NorthSTAR at Charles Darwin University in Darwin and at the Ipswich campus of the University of Queensland. As well, two related projects were launched in partnerships with the University of Adelaide and the University of Queensland, funded by grants from the Federal Government’s schools initiative; and the La Trobe/Melbourne University In2science project, based on STAR, expanded into regional Victoria. In addition to establishing STAR programs across Australia, STAR has also helped to launch programmes in New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, East Timor and Hong Kong. STAR has succeeded in securing grants and sponsorship from many sources, including Woodside Energy as sponsor of the STARtrek Science show and the Myer and Sangora Education Foundations, which are supporting STAR’s commitment in asian language peer tutoring over three years. The Rio Tinto WA Future Fund continued to sponsor the successful “Today’s Science For Your Tomorrow” series. The Social Ventures Australia-AMP Youth Boost project has funded a twoyear longitudinal study of the benefits to both volunteer peer tutors and school students, and STAR has commissioned the Centre for the Study of Higher Education at Melbourne University to undertake the evaluation. The longitudinal study will be completed at the end of 2006. The STAR Program addresses the twin goals of embedding a commitment to volunteerism in young people, and raising their awareness of science and science education. Mr Russell Elsegood at Murdoch University has been supported by the Foundation for the past 4 years to facilitate the expansion of the STAR program across Australia. The Foundation’s current support is enabling him to plan the program’s development through to the end of 2006.
39
TasSTAR training session of teachers and peer tutors
University of Tasmania, TAS $15,000 to the expansion of the TasSTAR Peer Tutor Program in 2005 Dr David Russell, Project Manager TasSTAR Tel: 03 6430 4935 david.russell@utas.edu.au www.utas.edu.au/nwc/tasstar The TasSTAR peer tutoring program continued to operate in all three University of Tasmania campuses in 2005 - Cradle Coast (at Burnie), Launceston and Hobart - with 14 university students assisting in science classes at five secondary colleges. The peer tutors are students from the Schools of Agricultural Science, Aquaculture, Science, Medicine and Computing. Following the success of TasSTAR in 2004, the project attracted financial support from the Dean of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, from a local bank Bass & Equitable and from the participating University schools. The 2005 expanded program has enabled an increased number of colleges and peer tutors to be involved, and also increased the number of study areas represented by peer tutors. TasSTAR adopted a range of approaches to recruit peer tutors including email broadcasts, notice board displays, visiting classes, making formal presentations, and oncampus information sessions. Tutor training sessions were then conducted. A web page has also been developed to provide an outlet for general program information and to further promote TasSTAR.
40
A presentation to the Tasmanian Science and Technology Council has led to active support for 2006. The TasSTAR program at Newstead College in Launceston was awarded the Department of Education’s Award “Learning Together Awards for Educational Excellence”. The Foundation’s grant has supported the University of Tasmania to increase the number of colleges, university students, and University Schools involved in the TasSTAR program, with the aim of achieving sustainability through corporate sponsorship in 2006 and beyond.
TasSTAR peer tutor Penny working with Hobart College environmental science students on an excursion to Blackman’s Bay, south of Hobart
SCIENCE THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
SCIENCE
rack... he t down t View of Ian Potter House, the Australian Academy of Science, Canberra
Australian Academy of Science, ACT $250,000 towards Beauchamp House, paid in 1982, 1983, and 1984 Professor Sue Serjeantson, Executive Secretary, Tel: 02 6247 5777 es@science.org.au http://www.science.org.au/aashome.htm The Australian Academy of Science, founded in 1954 and with a current fellowship of 380 scientists, promotes science through four major program areas: education and public awareness, science policy, international relations and recognition of outstanding contributions to the field. In April 1978, Ian Potter was elected a Fellow of the Academy by special election, a distinction reserved for persons ‘who have rendered conspicuous service to the cause of science or whose election would be of signal benefit to the Academy and to the advancement of science’. Sir Ian was one of only ten
people to have been so recognised up to that time. Supported by grants totalling $250,000 from the Foundation during the early 1980s, Beauchamp House was purchased, renovated, and renamed Ian Potter House in recognition of the grants. The Academy’s administration is accommodated in Ian Potter House, and the building is registered as part of the National Estate. The Academy produces an on-line educational website called (Nova: Science in the news) for schools, works on the history of science in Australia, reference books and a variety of reports and conference proceedings. It also produces a Newsletter three times a year and an Annual Report. The Academy also shares editorial responsibility with the CSIRO for the twelve Australian Journals of Scientific Research. The Academy’s journal, Historical Records of Australian Science, is published twice each year. Its focus is the history of science and its contents include high-quality articles and reviews,
biographical memoirs of deceased Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science commissioned by the Council of the Academy (including one on Sir Ian Potter), and an annual bibliography of the history of Australian science. The Academy sponsors awards for a teacher from each Australian State and Territory to attend its annual Science at the Shine Dome event in Canberra. The awards are open to primary and secondary teachers. The Academy’s innovative primary school science program, Primary Investigations, is widely used in Australian schools. The Academy, in partnership with the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training, is currently involved in an innovative primary school project Primary Connections: linking science with literacy. The positive findings of the Research Report of the Stage 2 trial have led to the approval of further funding for Stage 3.
Science Grants 2004-2005
Murdoch University WA $40,000 To support half of program Director Mr Russell Elsegood’s salary for a further two years (2005-2006) to enable him to continue to develop and disseminate the STAR (Science and Technology Awareness Raising) program throughout Australian universities and schools University of Tasmania TAS $15,000 Expansion of the TasSTAR Peer Tutor Program in 2005, to increase the number of colleges, university students, and University Schools involved in the TasSTAR program
Total $55,000
41
Top: Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne staff member with students at The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden Left: Student at Yirara College Alice Springs working on his entry for the Governor-General’s Prize Programme, run by the Constitution Education Fund Bottom: Students at the Sydney launch of the GovernorGeneral’s Prize Programme of the Constitution Education Fund
Educat ion Our funding objectives in the education program area are:
• to support educational policy research of outstanding quality • to support educational programs of benefit to the general community
Exclusions: The Foundation does not support kindergartens, pre-school, primary or secondary schools, special education schools or school building funds.
42
EDUCATION THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
EDUCATION
The Foundation’s grants in the area of education have strong links to our other areas of interest, notably science, the environment, arts, and social welfare. The Foundation’s travel grants program also has a strong educational element, as the large majority of grants are made to universities in support of travel by early career researchers and academics. Our education grants are limited by the fact that Government primary and secondary schools do not have deductible gift recipient (DGR) status for their educational programs. Current priorities include early childhood education, and assisting organizations to develop education programs for visiting students.
The Australian Children’s Music Foundation, NSW $35,000 to the Music for Disadvantaged Youth Program Mr Don Spencer, Founder & Director Tel: 02 9929 0008 contact@acmf.com.au www.acmf.com.au The Australian Children’s Music Foundation (ACMF) is dedicated to improving the mental and emotional health of children through music. The ACMF believes that every child in Australia should have the opportunity to participate in music. Over recent years, research has proven that the integration of music in a child’s education reaps intellectual, cultural and social benefits; however music is no longer compulsory within state schools. The mission of the ACMF is to use the power of music to inspire Australian children, to enrich their lives, and to achieve their full potential by encouraging them to participate in music. The ACMF provides many programs including a national songwriting competition, a music for disadvantaged youth program, the La Perouse Orchestra and Choir, instrument giving programs in Cape York and for youth at risk, and an interactive website.
The Foundation’s grant has supported the Music for Disadvantaged Youth program. This program introduces music to young people in detention centres and youth centres. The ACMF provides tuition and instruments for use in lessons conducted on a permanent weekly basis. Where a sustained commitment to learning is shown by the participants, the ACMF provides instruments on release from detention. Many young people in detention have been denied opportunities including education, and have been inspired only by negative influences. Music can be a pro-social alternative to a cycle of offending and abuse, by reaching children who have become ‘disengaged’, improving their motivation, self-discipline, and learning skills. The ACMF believes that it is important to show faith in these children by entrusting them with an instrument and encouraging them to continue to play once released. The ACMF now has five centres running in NSW and one centre in both QLD and the ACT providing classes each week. To date the program has received funding from the Caledonia Foundation, the Sony Foundation, the Department of Education, Science & Training and The Ian Potter Foundation.
Tutor Allan teaching guitar in April 2005, as part of the Music for Disadvantaged Youth Program 43
Associate Professor Ibtisam Abu-Duhou, Ian Potter Foundation Principal Research Fellow in Education Economics at the School of Social and Policy Research, Institute of Advanced Studies at Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory
Charles Darwin University, NT $145,000 to the The Ian Potter Principal Research Fellow in Education Economics (part of a commitment of $435,000 over three years) A/Professor Tess Lea, Director, School of Social and Policy Research Tel: (08) 8946 6045 tess.lea@cdu.edu.au www.cdu.edu.au Associate Professor Ibtisam AbuDuhou, the Ian Potter Foundation Principal Research Fellow in Education Economics Tel: (08) 8946 6749 ibtisam.abu-duhou@cdu.edu.au Charles Darwin University is Australia’s youngest and most diverse university. It was formed in November 2003, in a merger between the Northern Territory University, the Alice Springs-based Centralian College and the Menzies School of Health Research. Charles Darwin University has four campuses in Casuarina, Palmerston, Alice Springs, and Katherine. The Foundation made a grant of $435,000 in November, 2003 to the School of Social and Policy Research within the Institute of Advanced Studies. The grant is supporting The Ian Potter Principal Research Fellow in Education Economics. This inaugural Fellowship has been established to pursue leadingedge research focused on critical evaluation and cost-benefit assessment of education interventions in northern Australia, with a strong emphasis on issues of allocation in Indigenous education, allocation priorities and education service efficiency. It was agreed to offer the inaugural Fellowship appointment to Dr Ibtisam Abu-Duhou who was previously a Senior Lecturer in the Economics of Education, Faculty of Education, at the University of Melbourne; with extensive international experience working with major international agencies on developmental projects. 44
Dr Abu-Duhou’s academic qualifications include: Doctor of Philosophy and Masters of Education from the University of Pittsburgh, USA; and a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of New South Wales, Australia. The focus of her PhD research was on the development of a Cost-Effectiveness Model for Higher Education Institutions with Application to Palestinian universities. On commencing at Charles Darwin University, Dr Abu-Duhou’s initial focus was to construct the strategic research agenda for The National Accelerated Literacy Project Extension Program (NALP). She also provided professional research expertise to the Northern Territory’s Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET-NT) to design leadership, policy evaluation and policy development projects. The projects are designed to address DEET’s corporate priorities, particularly “improved educational outcomes for all students” and “improved educational outcomes for indigenous students”. Dr Abu-Duhou has identified several PhD and Masters students to work on relevant educational research and is contributing to the overall development of the Northern Territory by joining Charles Darwin University senior management groups and government advisory bodies.
EDUCATION THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
EDUCATION
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, VIC $142,700 to the Construction of Activity Shelter and Expansion of RBG Education Services, as part of The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden A volunteer making music with young students at The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
Constitution Education Fund Australia, NSW $50,000 to the Governor-General’s Prize Programme Mrs Kerry Jones, Executive Director Tel: 02 9251 8511 info@cefa.org.au http://www.cefa.org.au/ Established in 1995, the Constitution Education Fund Australia (CEFA) aims to educate all Australians on the Australian Constitution, our system of government and democratic heritage. A Foundation Council, established in 2003, reflects the broad spectrum of support achieved to date from academic, legal and business leaders. The first major education initiative, styled the Governor-General’s Prize Programme, was successfully launched in autumn 2004. In addition, a First Voter project, planned to trial in regional Queensland, promotes enhanced participation by youth during the critical first decade of their adult voting life. Two consecutive national essay competitions (2004 and 2005) have attracted entries from hundreds of undergraduates from university campuses across all States and Territories. The judging panels, involving both High Court Justices and leading academics, have awarded a range of prestigious cash scholarships to students attending Universities in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Newcastle. In 2005, CEFA commenced as a core sponsor of the Sir Harry Gibbs Moot, Australia’s premier constitutional law competition held annually at the University of Queensland.
The Foundation’s grant supported the launch of an exciting pilot project involving over 350 primary-age students. Aimed at identifying and enhancing best practice in civics education, the schools chosen reflected the geographic, demographic and religious diversity of contemporary Australia. Commonwealth and State policy leaders have praised this project for its innovative approach and design. Following a comprehensive seven week in-class commitment, the very first “Democracy in Schools” day was held on 6 December 2005. Selected students from all States and Territories conducted a “grand final” public speaking and group event at Old Parliament House, Canberra. This stimulating day culminated in an updating of the Governor-General, His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery, AC, of the students’ findings at a reception at Yarralumla. It is envisaged that thousands of students, over the next few years, will enjoy the opportunity to enter various regional, state and national competitions endorsed by CEFA. The type, design and scope of each competition will vary dependent upon the participants’ age and skill. Public speaking, role plays, web page design, essay writing and drama production modules are all expected to capture the imagination of young Australians as they gain a better understanding of the Australia they will lead in the decades ahead.
The student footy team at Yirara College Alice Springs, participants in the Governor-General’s Prize Programme, run by the Constitution Education Fund
Mr Richard Barley Divisional Director RBG Melbourne Tel: 03 9252 2330 Richard.barley@rbg.vic.gov.au www.rbg.vic.gov.au The Foundation made a significant three-year grant in 2000 in support of The Ian Potter Children’s Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. The Garden was opened in late 2004 by Minister Thwaites, Lady Potter, Life Governor of the Foundation and Mr David Adam, Chairman Royal Botanic Gardens Board. Following this, a further grant of $142,700 was awarded to four projects to underpin education services within RBG Melbourne. This further grant has supported the construction of an Activity Shelter and the expansion of RBG Melbourne’s Education Services programs, provision of bag and lunch areas for visiting school children and a bus service once a week for three years to transport children from less advantaged circumstance to and from RBG Melbourne free of charge. Construction of the Activity Shelter commenced in July 2005 and was completed in October 2005. Works in the area surrounding the building including drainage, rock placement and new planting have also been completed. Two literaturebased programs have been developed for primary schools and pre-schools in The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden and will be enhanced through the provision of the Activity Shelter facilities. Free bus transport to the RBG for schools in less advantaged areas is now operating on a one bus per school per week basis. Various schools are now taking up this offer. Construction of the school bag and lunch storage facilities is expected in early 2006. The Royal Botanic Gardens has a lively visitor program across both its botanic garden sites including education programs for approximately 30,000 pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary and TAFE students and teachers. This includes school holiday programs for 4-12 year old children. The development and construction of the Children’s Garden has enabled a greatly enhanced educational experience to be delivered both in formal classes and for the many children included in the approximately 2 million visitors who visit RBG Melbourne annually.
45
Lulu, aged 5, is legally blind because of albinism. The condition means she has no pigment in her skin or hair, and she’s extremely sensitive to glare. The book she’s holding was recommended by a Vision Australia early childhood educator because it has scratchy and furry textured pictures Lulu can feel, and braille along with the printing so Lulu can follow while her parents read the story out loud. The bright colours also help to stimulate Lulu’s remaining sight
Vision Australia, VIC $6,000 to the Dots for Tots Kits for Preschools Mr David Goldstein, Funding Development, Trusts and Foundations Tel: 02 9334 3333 david.goldstein@rbs.org.au http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/ Vision Australia was formed through the merger of the Royal Blind Society, Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind and Vision Australia Foundation in 2004. Vision Australia empowers people who are blind and vision impaired, giving them the same opportunities in work, education and recreation available to sighted people through a wide range of services. Services include the provision of information in alternate format through our library and electronic newspapers, assistance with daily living and employment and early intervention services for children. The grant of $6,000 from The Ian Potter Foundation enabled Vision Australia to produce 50 Dots for Tots book kits for preschools. Each kit contains a Braille storybook, an audio CD of the same story and tactile objects (eg. miniature fold-up toys). Previously Vision Australia had a collection of 300 kits with each kit having a different story. The kits are available through Freepost. The preschools program grew from a similar program that had been in operation for about two years. The program provided braille children’s books for individual families with a child who is blind. As word spread on the program, preschools with preschoolers who are blind began requesting the kits on loan.
46
The Dots for Tots program encourages emergent literacy skills in the child who is blind and who will be a braille user. The program is based on the premise that educating parents on how to encourage their child’s emergent literacy skills, how to provide literacy-rich experiences and how to create a braille rich environment in the home will correlate with better outcomes in literacy for the child. The program also demystifies braille for parents by introducing them to braille code and the equipment used to produce braille. Parents learn the prerequisite skills their child will need to become an efficient braille user. Dots for Tots also provides an opportunity for parents to meet other families and adult braille users.
EDUCATION THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
EDUCATION
rack... he t down t Melbourne Business School on University Square, with the Melbourne Central Business District in the background
The University of Melbourne, VIC, Melbourne Business School $1,000,000 paid from 1989 to 1993 inclusive towards the development of the Melbourne Business School Ms Jan Cochrane-Harry, Development Tel: 03 9349 8282 j.cochrane-harry@mbs.edu http://www.mbs.edu/home.cfm In the late 1980s a small group of Australian companies and philanthropic foundations jointly provided over $10 million to join with the University of Melbourne to double the size of the Graduate School of Management (now known as the Melbourne Business School). It was a period of significant expansion in the history of the School, now the largest post graduate management and executive education school in the Asia-Pacific region. The Ian Potter Foundation provided a $1 million gift over a five year period from 1989 to 1993 to support the Melbourne Business School’s new wing. In the Foundation’s records, the Report by Sir Ian Potter for the year ending 30 June 1989 states “This is the largest commitment ever made by the Foundation.” Through the development program in the early 1990s, the School increased the number of academic staff, MBA students and established several new Chairs. The new wing provided high quality facilities including a specialised library, nine theatres, 25 small group study rooms, computer centre, dining and lounge rooms and eighty study bedrooms. The gift was recognized through the establishment in 1993 of the Ian Potter Chair of International Finance. Professor Ian Harper was appointed to the Chair and held the position of Director, Ian Potter Centre for International Finance until 1998. During that period many important developments occurred through the initiatives and auspices of the Centre.
Through the 1990s the international reputation of the Centre grew and attracted highly-qualified people from academic institutions and industry to visit the School. Professor Harper and his colleagues taught MBA and Postgraduate Diploma subjects on International Business Environment, Economics and Public Policy, Money, Banking & Financial Institutions, presented a broad range of public programs and conferences, and supervised many finance related research projects.
The extensive contribution which Sir Ian Potter made to the financial development of Australia and his pioneering role as one of Australia’s foremost international post-war financiers continues to be recognized through the research, teaching and service of the faculty of Melbourne Business School and the University of Melbourne. The economic contribution of the thousands of financial studies alumni, together with the facilities within which the students learn, is an outstanding example of the enormous impact of this gift.
From 2000 to 2005 Professor Bruce Grundy, an eminent international scholar, held the Chair, which was renamed the Ian Potter Chair of Corporate Finance to reflect his particular expertise. Between 2000 and 2005, Professor Grundy taught, undertook research and led an evaluation of the finance course offerings at MBS, to meet the changing demands of the market and the students. These changes accelerated the study of finance and made more room for finance electives (such as Options and Futures, Real Options and Resource Projects, and Corporate Governance), allowing students to specialise more deeply in the discipline.
47
Education Grants 2004-2005
Charles Darwin University, School of Social and Policy Research NT $145,000 To support The Ian Potter Principal Research Fellow in Education Economics, Dr Ibtisam Abu-Duhou, who is researching critical evaluation and cost-benefit assessment of indigenous education interventions The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne VIC $142,700 For the construction of an Activity Shelter as part of The Ian Potter Children’s Garden, and the expansion of the Education Services program at the Gardens (grant made in the name of Alec Prentice Sewell) Constitution Education Fund Australia NSW $50,000 Governor-General’s Prize Programme, in which prizes are awarded to young Australians based on constitutional and civics knowledge The Australian Children’s Music Foundation NSW $35,000 ACMF Music Program for Disadvantaged Youth, a music education program for adolescents in detention centres and youth centres in QLD, NSW and the ACT TRY Youth Community Services Inc VIC $10,000 South Yarra Kindergarten Outreach Project, which provides pre-school and kindergarten programs for children living in and around a large inner-Melbourne public housing estate (part of this grant made in the name of Alec Prentice Sewell) Collins Street Baptist Benevolent Society Inc (aka Urban Seed) VIC $9,800 City Life programs for students from underprivileged Melbourne metropolitan schools, to deepen students’ understanding of the issues such as addiction, safety, inclusion and exclusion, homelessness and gambling St. Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc. VIC $9,000 Tertiary Educational Sponsorship (TES) program, which provides $3,000 each to selected regional Gippsland students towards their first year of tertiary study Vision Australia (previously) RBS.RVIB.VAF Limited VIC $6,000 To produce 50 Dots for Tots Kits for preschools and kindergartens with blind attendees, with each Kit containing a Braille storybook, a CD giving sound on the same story and tactile objects (grant made in the name of Alec Prentice Sewell) Traveller’s Aid Society of Victoria VIC $5,600 Travel to School program during 2005, providing 15 yearly and 10 half-yearly travel passes for students from socio-economically challenged families to attend school (grant made in the name of Alec Prentice Sewell) Australian-Polish Community Services Inc. VIC $3,300 For the printing of ‘Lest We Forget’, a collection of ten oral histories of elderly Polish people living in Victoria documenting experiences prior to and during World War II
Total $416,400
48
Travel & Conferences Our funding objectives in the Travel and Conferences program area are: • to assist early career staff members with at least three years tenure to attend overseas conferences, to pursue their research, to have the opportunity to gain further experience and to meet their peers in the international scene • to support conferences of international status to be held within Australia. Grants are generally only made to assist with the travel costs of an international key-note speaker at the conference Please note that the Foundation requires that the traveller’s organisation commit their own funding before requesting a matching grant. Exclusions: The Foundation does not provide grants for: • domestic travel
• travel grants for Undergraduate, Masters, or Doctoral students or
• retrospective grants for travel already undertaken in part or in whole
49
The Ian Potter Foundation’s travel grants program has been a consistent feature of our educational grantmaking since the Foundation’s inception in 1964. Early career researchers and academics are assisted to attend conferences and work with colleagues overseas, principally in North America and Europe. The grants made are small, generally of between $1,000 and $3,000. The Foundation requires that the traveller’s organisation commit their own funding before requesting a matching grant. Most travellers are academic staff from universities or research institutes, however grants may be made to any eligible organisation for travel by a staff member. Although it represents only a small percentage of the Foundation’s grant-making, the travel grants program has been highly effective in promoting the value of Australian research and overcoming the disadvantage of our geographical isolation. The long-term benefits of receiving a modest amount of financial support at a critical point in career development can be significant, and the cumulative effect of these many small grants over a period of 40 years is difficult to over-estimate. In partnership with the travel grants program, conference grants support the hosting organisation to bring an international keynote speaker of renown to attend a conference in Australia. Conference grants are generally for amounts between $5,000 and $10,000. 50
Australian National University, ACT, Physical Sciences and Engineering $6,000 conference grant Dr John Howard, Senior Fellow, Plasma Research Laboratory Tel: 02 6125 3751 john.howard@anu.edu.au http://wwwrsphysse.anu.edu.au/ ~jnh112/AIIM/Contact.htm Sir Anthony Leggett, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Professor and Center for Advanced Study Professor of Physics, has been a faculty member at the University of Illinois since 1983. He is widely recognized as a world leader in the theory of low-temperature physics, and his pioneering work on superfluidity was recognized by the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physics. The Foundation made a grant of $6,000 to the Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering for Professor Leggett to present a plenary talk at the Australian Institute of Physics Congress 2005, held in Canberra from 31st January to 4th February, 2005. Professor Tony Leggett’s visit to Australia for the Australian Institute of Physics Congress coincided with the beginning on the United Nations 2005 World Year of Physics, and a major aim of the meeting was to highlight the important contribution that physics has made to the Australian society. Professor Leggett presented the Opening Congress Plenary talk “Cold Dilute Alkali Gases - Bose Condensation Meets Cooper Pairing”. This was exceptionally well attended and well received by delegates. During his stay in Canberra, Professor Leggett also visited the Research School of Physical Sciences and the Department of Physics at ANU.
Children’s Cancer Institute Australia, NSW $6,000 conference grant Professor Michelle Haber, Executive Director Tel: 02 9382 1829 mhaber@ccia.unsw.edu.au www.ccia.org.au The Foundation’s grant enabled the Children’s Cancer Institute Australia to bring a plenary speaker, Dr Judah Folkman of the Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital, Boston to the 2nd Australian Health and Medical Research Congress, held in Sydney from November 21st to 26th, 2004. Dr Folkman is a Professor of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School and is currently Director of the Vascular Biology Program at the Children’s Hospital Boston. Dr Folkman’s research is based on the hypothesis that all tumour growth is angiogenesisdependent. His research founded the field of angiogenesis research and opened an area of investigation now pursued by scientists in many fields worldwide. The five day Congress was an outstanding success and Dr Folkman’s presentations were a major highlight during the week. Dr Folkman gave the plenary lecture on Tuesday 23 November, 2004 at the Australian Health and Medical Research Council. The auditorium, which seats 1,000 was filled to capacity and his insights were invaluable to Children’s Cancer Institute Australia scientists.
TRAVEL and CONFERENCES THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
TRAVEL & CONFERENCES
RMIT University, VIC $20,000 conference grant Professor Chris Whitaker, Chancellery Tel: 03 9925 7648 research@rmit.edu.au http://www.deakinlectures.com/ transcripts/2005.php The Alfred Deakin Innovation Lectures were staged for the first time as a centrepiece of Victoria’s celebrations of the Centenary of Federation in 2001. The Lectures exist to discuss and promote the contributions of society’s most creative, innovative individuals. They are dedicated to promoting a thoughtful public debate and encouraging a sense of curiosity in a world of constant and rapid change. The 2005 lecture program held from April 29th to May 12th 2005, featured more than 25 lectures in Melbourne and regional Victoria. Over 50 leading thinkers from around the world, addressed a range of subjects, including finance, social values, the workplace, culture, media, the environment, health, peace and faith. The lectures were free and open to the general public. Most of the lectures were broadcast on ABC Radio National, and selected transcripts also appeared in major daily newspapers and online. The Foundation’s grant enabled RMIT University to bring Dame Bridget Ogilvie, former Director of The Wellcome Foundation in the United Kingdom, to speak on “Critical Mass: Encouraging Institutional Innovation”, on May 9th, 2005. A transcript of her speech is available at the link above.
Flinders University of South Australia, Faculty of Science and Engineering
Kilmany UnitingCare, VIC
$2,500 travel grant
Mr Andrew Day, Strategy Coordinator & Project Manager Tel: 03 5152 9600 andrew.day@kilmany.org.au www.beststart.vic.gov.au
Dr Don Driscoll, Lecturer in Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences Tel: 08 8201 2165 Don.Driscoll@flinders.edu.au office.research@flinders.edu.au http://www.scieng.flinders.edu.au/ biology/people/driscoll_d/ Dr Driscoll received a grant of $2,500 to attend the 19th Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB), held at the University of Brasilia in Brazil, from July 15th to July 19th, 2005 and later to visit the Los Amigos Research Center, in Madre de Dios, Peru. The SCB 2005 Annual Meeting considered the theme of “Conservation Biology: Capacity Building & Practice in a Globalized World”. Field trips to key conservation sites in and near Brasília were a key part of the conference. With colleague Dr Peter McQuillan from the University of Tasmania, Dr Drisoll presented a paper entitled “How many species form metapopulations in fragmented landscapes? Beetles from natural eucalypt fragments in a sedgeland matrix, Tasmania”. Dr Driscoll’s travel to Peru and Brazil enabled him to meet and exchange information with international colleagues on a range of conservation issues. From his attendance at several symposia and conference sessions, Dr Driscoll observed that many large international conservation organisations are driving the expansion of post-graduate training in many developing countries. Dr Driscoll will investigate further how post-graduate courses currently taught at Flinders University might contribute to the global conservation effort.
$3,000 travel grant
Kilmany UnitingCare provides a range of community services across Gippsland in the east of Victoria. Programs offered by Kilmany include foster care, family counselling, parent/adolescent mediation, family day care, alternative respite for children and young parents support groups. Mr Day received a grant of $3,000 from the Foundation to visit the United Kingdom, to interact with local and national ‘Sure Start’ Program Managers to discuss this program in the UK and to see it in action. Sure Start is a UK government program which brings together early education, childcare, health and family support. The Sure Start program has been a model for the Victorian State Government “Best Start’” initiative and the Australian Government “Communities for Children” initiative facilitated by Kilmany UnitingCare in the east of Gippsland. Mr Day attended a comprehensive number of meetings and seminars in the UK, bringing back many benefits from his travel to Kilmany UnitingCare’s early childhood programs.
51
Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research, VIC
The University of Melbourne, VIC, The Potter Museum of Art
$2,111 travel grant
$2,300 travel grant
Dr Jiong Zhou, Senior Research Officer Tel: 03 9594 4372 jiong.zhou@princehenrys.org www.princehenrys.org
Mr Jordi Casasayas, Conservation Technician Tel: 03 9348 5746 conserv@art-museum.unimelb.edu.au http://www.culturalconservation. unimelb.edu.au/
Based at the Monash Medical Centre, the research focus of Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research is on endocrinology (the study of hormones) in health and disease. Key research areas include breast cancer, ovarian cancer, male and female fertility, sex determination, diabetes, heart disease and the development of new contraceptives. The Director of the Institute is Professor Evan Simpson.
52
Mr Jordi Casasayas is a Conservation Technician specialising in frames and the re-housing of paintings and works on paper. He also has considerable experience working with both timber and stone. His career has been varied, involving early childhood teaching, furniture-making, and set-building.
Dr Jiong Zhou’s research focuses on the impact of obesity, particularly on breast cancer. Dr Zhou received a grant to take part in the 87th Annual Meeting of The Endocrine Society, ENDO 2005, held in San Diego USA, from June 4th to June 7th 2005.
The foundation made a grant for Mr Casasayas to present a paper at the “Mounting and Housing of Art on Paper for Storage and Display: History, Science and Present Day Practice” Conference, held at the British Museum in London, from May 19th to May 20th 2005.
Dr Zhou’s made a poster presentation “LRH-1 in fatty acid metabolism” at the ENDO 2005 conference. Dr Zhou’s paper attracted considerable attention from fellow researchers from both university institutions and drug companies. Dr Zhou’s attendance at the conference also helped maintain the position of Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research in the worldwide medical endocrinology research community.
The conference included presentations about the significance of mounting in the historical study of prints and drawings, the preventive care of paper artefacts and the management of paper collections. A range of problems and solutions for dealing with art works were addressed through various case studies presented in both talks and posters. Mr Casasayas’ paper was entitled ‘Housing and Storage Solutions for Four Books of Hours Bi-Folios’. His oneweek visit to London also incorporated meetings at the Conservation Laboratories of Tate Modern and Tate Britain, and informal visits to Victoria and Albert Hall and The British Library.
TRAVEL and CONFERENCES THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
TRAVEL & CONFERENCES
Travel Grants 2004-2005
Eastern Health, Social Work Services VIC Monash University, Education VIC
Mr Hugh Lindsay To undertake an Exchange Scholar Foundation at the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston, from May to July 2005
$6,000
Ms Marie Hammer To undertake a study tour and to attend the NAEYC Conference to investigate social and emotional development in early childhood: the impact of trauma, in California from October to November 2004
$4,000
Flinders University of South Australia, Southern Adelaide Palliative Services SA
Ms Tania Shelby-James To attend the 17th World Organisation of Family Doctors meeting in Florida, USA during October 2004
$3,169
Diabetes Australia Tasmania TAS
Dr Shehnaaz Manji To attend the 5th Molecular Biology of Hearing and Deafness Research Conference in Maryland, USA, from September to October 2004
$3,000
Kilmany UnitingCare VIC
Mr Andrew Day To visit the United Kingdom to interact with local and national ‘Sure Start’ Program Managers to the discuss the roll out of this program in the UK and to see it in action, during May and June 2005
$3,000
University of Sydney, Medicine NSW
Dr Navaz Hiramanek To present a paper at 17th World Organisation of Family Doctors meeting, in Florida, USA, during October 2004
$2,500
Brain Research Institute Pty Ltd VIC
Dr Leasha Lillywhite To attend the Human Brain Mapping Conference in Toronto, Canada during June 2005
$2,500
Flinders University of South Australia, Biological Sciences SA
Dr Don Driscoll To attend the 19th Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology in Brasilia during July 2005, and to visit the Los Amigos Research Center, Madre de Dios, Peru
$2,500
Asthma and Allergy Research Institute Incorporated WA
Ms Jing Shi To present an abstract at the 14th Annual Congress of The European Respiratory Society, in Glasgow, Scotland during September 2004
$2,500
The University of Melbourne, The Ian Potter Museum of Art VIC
Mr Jordi Casasayas To present a paper at the Mounting and Housing of Art on Paper for Storage and Display Conference, British Museum, London during May 2005, and to visit the Conservation Laboratories of Tate Modern and Tate Britain, the Victoria and Albert Hall and The British Library
$2,300
The University of Melbourne, Architecture, Building and Planning VIC
Dr Richard Reed To present at The European Real Estate (ERES) conference, Dublin, June 2005
$2,250
The University of Melbourne, Architecture, Microbiology and Immunology VIC
Dr Nadine Crowe To attend the ThymUs conference in Puerto Rico in November 2004
$2,250
53
Travel Grants 2004-2005 cont’d
54
Australian Drug Foundation, Centre for Drug Studies VIC
Dr Cameron Duff To present at the 16th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm, Belfast, Northern Ireland, during March 2005, and to visit Manchester University, Imperial College and the Beckley Foundation in Oxford, UK
$2,250
Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research VIC University of Western Australia, Plant Biology WA The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre VIC
Dr Jiong Zhou To take part in the ENDO 2005 Conference in San Diego USA, during June 2005
$2,111
Dr Matthew Denton To attend the Rhizopshere Conference, Munich, during September 2004
$2,000
Dr Stephen Wood To present at the International Early Psychosis Association meeting in Vancouver, September to October 2004
$2,000
University of Queensland, Health & Rehabilitation Sciences QLD
Dr David Copland To attend the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Aphasia in Chicago, October 2004
$2,000
Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation NSW
Dr Belinda Goodenough To present at the 37th Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP), to be held in Vancouver, Canada, during September 2005
$2,000
University of New South Wales, Materials Science and Engineering NSW
Dr Zonhan Xie To present a paper at the Annual Meeting and Exhibition of The Minerals and Materials Society (TMS), San Francisco, February 2005
$2,000
University of Newcastle, Medical Practice and Population Health NSW
Dr Vanessa Murphy To present at the American Thoracic Society (ASC) conference in San Diego, California, USA in May 2005
$2,000
Deakin University, Science & Technology VIC
Dr Sharon La Fontaine To present findings at the 4th International Meeting on Copper Homeostasis and its Disorders: Molecular and Cellular Aspects in Italy, October 2004
$2,000
The University of Melbourne, Architecture, Building and Planning VIC
Dr Hannah Lewi To attend the VIII International DOCOMOMO conference to be held in New York, September to October, 2004
$1,943
The University of Melbourne, The Ian Potter Museum of Art VIC
Ms Vanessa Kowalski To attend the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC)’s 20th International Congress, in Bilbao, Spain, during September 2004
$1,850
La Trobe University, Health Sciences VIC
Dr Susan Block To be keynote speaker at the 7th Oxford Dysfluency Conference at St Catherines College, Oxford, June to July 2005
$1,650
University of Western Australia, Medicine & Pharmacology, Royal Perth Hospital WA
Dr Suzanna Temple To attend the Clinical Immunogenetics Conference in Budapest, October 2004
$950
Total $60,723
TRAVEL and CONFERENCES THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT
TRAVEL & CONFERENCES
Conference Grants 2004-2005
Contents Personnel Governors Report from the Chairman Report from the Chief Executive Officer Funding Principles Program Areas Social Welfare Health Arts Environment and Conservation Medical Research Science Education Travel and Conferences Contact Details
2 3 4 5 6 8 16 21 28 34 38 42 49 Back cover
Professor Chris Whitaker To bring Dame Bridget Ogilvie, former Director of The Wellcome Trust (UK), to speak on Critical Mass: Encouraging Institutional Innovation, as part of the Alfred Deakin Innovation Lectures, held in Melbourne during April and May 2005
CSIRO Molecular Science VIC
Dr Patrick Harley To bring two keynote speakers, Professor Nissam Garti and Professor Hans Jurgen Butt, to the Australian Colloid and Interface Symposium (ACIS 2005) held in Sydney during February 2005, and for them both to attend seminars and meetings at various Australian research institutions
$6,000
Australian National University (ANU), Research School of Physical Science & Engineering ACT
Dr John Howard To bring Professor Tony Leggett, 2003 Nobel Laureate in Physics, to present a plenary talk at the Australian Institute of Physics Congress, Canberra, during January and February 2005
$6,000
Children’s Cancer Institute Australia NSW
Professor Michelle Haber To bring a plenary speaker, Dr Judah Folkman of the Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital, Boston to the 2nd Australian Health and Medical Research Congress, in Sydney during November 2004
$6,000
Prahran Mechanics’ Institute and Circulating Library VIC
Ms Christine Worthington To bring Dr Keith Manley, Fellow of the Insitute of Historical Research, University of London and Dr David McKitterick, Librarian, Trinity College, Cambridge to Australia for the ‘First International Conference of Athenaeums, Literary Institutes, Lyceums, Mechanics’ Institutes’ held in Melbourne during September 2004
$4,600
Home-Start National Inc NSW
Ms Marilyn Barnes To bring Margaret Harrison OBE, the founder of the now international Home-Start Program, from the UK to the 4th Annual Home-Start National Volunteer Conference in Gosford, NSW during November 2004
$3,700
Personnel Chief Executive Officer Associate Professor Kerry Bennett (to July 2005) John Kellaway (Acting CEO to December 2005) Janet Hirst (from December 2005) Grant Management Scott Anderson Carol Mackieson Maria Roberts
$20,000
RMIT University, Chancellery VIC
Total $46,300
Finance John Kellaway (part-time) Therese Reidy Communications Alexandra Williamson (part-time) Information and Knowledge Management Leonie Mugavin Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer Kay Roworth 55
Foundat i on Report
Trustee
The Ian Potter Foundation Limited
ACN ABN
004 603 972 42 004 603 972
Address Telephone Facsimile email web
Level 3, 111 Collins Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 03 9650 3188 03 9650 7986 admin@ianpotter.org.au www.ianpotter.org.au
THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION REPORT 2004/2005