Annual Grants Report 2007-08 by The Ian Potter Foundation

THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007/2008

From the late 1930s, ‘seahorse’ was the cable address for Ian Potter and Company, the stockbroking ﬁrm founded by Sir Ian Potter. The Ian Potter Foundation adopted the seahorse symbol as its logo in 1996.

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.

Contents 01

Funding Principles

Report from the Chairman Board of Governors and Staff

Front Cover Soft corals and anthias – Lizard Island Opposite Page The Australian Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne. Photograph Janusz Molinski. Reproduced courtesy of Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne

Report from the Chief Executive Ofﬁcer

Arts

Community Wellbeing

The Alec Prentice Sewell Gift

Education

Environment & Conservation

Health

Medical Research

Science

Travel and Conference

Funding Principles

There are some common principles that underlie the Foundation’s grantmaking. When assessing applications, we look for:

A commitment to excellence.

Potential for leverage.

Long-term thinking.

Partnerships.

Sustainability.

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 happy to be one of a number of supporters of a program.

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?

We encourage applications from organisations that are working with others in their ﬁeld, and indeed in other ﬁelds.

In making grants attention is given to the sustainability of the project at the conclusion of the period covered by the grant.

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’ strategy. We seek to fund programs and projects that take a new approach to problems and 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.

Governors The Ian Potter Foundation is governed by a Board of Governors. The Chairman is Mr Charles B Goode, AC. Governors also serve terms on the Finance and Audit Committees.

Chairman’s report

Life Governor Lady Potter, AC Governors Mr Charles B Goode, AC (Chairman) Professor Geoffrey N Blainey, AC Mr Leon Davis, 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, AO, QC Mr Frank L Nelson Dr P John Rose, AO Professor Graeme B Ryan, AC

Staff Chief Executive Ofﬁcer Mrs Janet Hirst Finance Mr John Kellaway Ms Therese Reidy Grant Management Ms Mary Benson Ms Caitriona Fay Ms Helen Murray Ms Maria Roberts Administration Manager Ms Gail Lewry Assistant to the Chief Executive Ofﬁcer Ms Kay Roworth Mrs Josephine Berthelemy

It is often said that it is easy to give away money, but it is not so easy to ensure that it is given away wisely, so that it can make a difference to our society and with maximum impact. When the Governors of the Foundation are making decisions on which submissions to fund, we look for a commitment to excellence – organisations, programs and individuals who are outstanding in their field, in a national and international context; a focus on prevention - in seeking to maximize the value of our grants, we try to address the causes of problems, rather than treat the symptoms; a potential for leverage – our grants have greater impact when combined with support from other sources; and long-term thinking - we support programs that will continue to have an impact well beyond the period of our support. This year’s Distribution Report highlights a number of grants that have been made over the past year which we believe will make a positive impact on our community. We made 259 grants during the year in the areas of the Arts, Community Wellbeing, Education, Environment & Conservation, Health, Medical Research, Science, Travel and Conference, and distributed $12,663,776. The year has also brought us sadness with the death of Patricia Feilman AM on 28 May 2008. Patricia Feilman was the Executive Secretary of The Ian Potter Foundation from 1964, the year the Foundation was established, until her retirement in December 2000. In his biography of Sir Ian Potter, Dr Peter Yule wrote “Pat Feilman stepped naturally into the role of the Foundation’s secretary. From the outset she brought to the Foundation an understanding of the philosophy of philanthropy, a concern for the disadvantaged, an interest in nature and the environment, and an appreciation of the arts, together with solid financial and organisational skills”. Of all the areas of the Foundation’s work, Pat Feilman’s most outstanding contribution was to the environment. In the 1980’s, she initiated a far-sighted three year programme, the Potter Farmland Project, in Western Victoria, which demonstrated that both ecologically and economically sustainable farming was feasible, and this plan was the forerunner to the Federal Government’s Landcare Program. The Potter Farmland Project was aimed at changing farmers’ attitudes to the land. Pat Feilman truly believed that it is better to give than to receive and her life was a testimony to that. The Governors of the Foundation express their appreciation for Patricia Feilman’s life and the privilege of knowing her, and wish to recognise the extraordinary contribution she made to the Foundation, our community and philanthropy. In 1972, in the first formal report on the operation of the Foundation, Pat wrote ‘the very nature of foundation philosophy requires that trustees be ever ready to consider new concepts and to devise new ways of assisting with the many problems confronting society at all levels’. This is a statement we believe in and seek to carry out. I would like to thank my fellow Governors, who give so generously of their time to the Foundation to ensure that Sir Ian Potter’s vision is continued, and I thank Janet Hirst, our Chief Executive Officer, and the staff for their excellent contribution throughout the year.

Above Staff Photo. Standing, L to R: Josephine Berthelemy, Charles Goode (Chairman), Janet Hirst, John Kellaway, Caitriona Fay, Helen Murray. Seated, L to R: Gail Lewry, Therese Reidy, Maria Roberts. Absent: Kay Roworth

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

Charles Goode, AC Chairman

Chief Executive Ofﬁcer’s Report Stimulating debate

Looking to the future

The environment has always been a key focus of the Foundation and we are proud of our strong track record in supporting many major environmental projects, particularly the Potter Farmland Project and, more recently, the Lizard Island Research Station on the Great Barrier Reef.

The Foundation continues to support projects of excellence, back innovative approaches to problems and seek out worthwhile initiatives. One of our large grants this year was to the University of Melbourne for the Indigenous Eye Health Program, led by Professor Hugh Taylor, AC. With the support of $1 million from the Foundation, the program aims to eradicate trachoma in Australian Indigenous communities over the next ﬁve years.

Two issues that are of particular concern are sustainable water use and the impact of transport emissions on greenhouse gases. To stimulate new thinking, debate and awareness of these vital issues, the Governors have agreed to support a new initiative to generate and distribute information for the Australian community on one or both of these critical environmental issues. The initiative will provide a scholarship to a well-respected journalist to write for a community audience on one or both of these two topics, aiming to highlight new ways of doing things, challenge current accepted thinking and stimulate community debate about the topic. Spreading the word The Foundation’s ‘Innovate, Evaluate, Disseminate’ Strategy is structured to provide grants for innovative projects; review or enable project evaluation; and then work to ensure that the successful elements of a project are spread as widely as possible. During the year, a review of the Strategy was undertaken by Catherine Brown of Catherine Brown & Associates. The review considered the level to which the approach is being implemented by the Foundation and made recommendations which will be implemented over the coming year to strengthen the application and success of the Strategy. New possibilities In November 2007, The Ian Potter Foundation, The R E Ross Trust, The Myer Foundation and the Sidney Myer Fund co-hosted The International Philanthropy Collaboration. Leaders of philanthropic entities from the United Kingdom, Canada, Europe and New Zealand attended the Collaboration. The Collaboration was a dynamic conversation about the role of philanthropy in our society. Its aim was to exchange ideas and experiences between executive officers and trustees. Topics included governance and management, influencing public policy, public education, managing partnerships and collaborations, knowledge management and evaluation. The Collaboration included case studies, papers and presentations by leaders of not-for-profit organisations and a panel event with members of Philanthropy Australia.

In October 2007, the ABC ran a story on the National Trachoma and Eye Health Program, started by Professor Fred Hollows thirty years ago. It reported that trachoma is still endemic among Aboriginal communities and that Australia remains the only developed country in the world where trachoma is still a major public health problem. Unlike many illnesses, trachoma is preventable and curable. Following this report, the Foundation approached Professor Taylor to learn more about the Eye Health Program and is now committed to assist in the quest to eradicate trachoma in Indigenous communities. Enabling leadership Major grants were made during the year including an additional $5 million to the Howard Florey Institute for the establishment of the Florey Neuroscience Institutes; $1 million to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research for new cancer research facilities and $270,710 to the Children’s Protection Society for the Doula project, which aims to assist vulnerable women during pregnancy and in the early years of their children’s lives. Since the Foundation was established in 1964, 7,747 grants have been awarded to the value of $119 million. While there is great diversity in the organisations that receive grants from the Foundation, there is always a common thread – that of outstanding leadership of the organisation. Echoing Charles Goode’s comments, I would also like to pay a special tribute to the invaluable contribution made by the Foundation’s Executive Secretary of 36 years, Patricia Feilman, whose death on 28 May, 2008 saddened us all at the Foundation. I would like to thank the Chairman, Charles Goode and the Board of Governors, for so willingly sharing their knowledge and expertise, and our staff for the outstanding contribution they have made over the past year. Janet Hirst Chief Executive Ofﬁcer

The Collaboration report, Conversations about Possibilities: Themes and Reﬂections from the International Philanthropy Collaboration, is available on our website www.ianpotter.org.au.

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

Supporting programs and organisations that enable individuals to participate in and engage with the arts has been an important objective of the Foundation over the past forty-four years. Sir Ian Potter was personally involved with many arts organisations, and strongly supported creative organisations and individuals who added value to Australian culture. The Foundation’s support in the arts area over the past year has been equally divided between supporting programs with an educational focus and supporting major cultural institutions. Our grants have also been inﬂuenced by the Foundation’s Community Wellbeing objectives, in particular enabling disadvantaged youth to have access to arts programs. This year saw the Foundation supporting small to medium arts organisations running programs in regional and remote areas, with a focus on providing cultural opportunities for young people and local communities. Emerging artists are supported through The Ian Potter Cultural Trust; however, the Foundation also supports local programs that provide training and master class opportunities within Australia.

Funding Objectives • To support cultural institutions and organisations in Australia, which are distinctive in performance, imagination and innovation, and through them to encourage, in particular, young people of talent and individuality • To support the linking of education and the arts • To extend cultural opportunities to regional centres, and encourage the development of arts programs at a local level

Exclusions The Foundation does not support performances, exhibitions or festivals unless there is a special educational focus.

Left One for Sorrow Two for Joy Five for Silver. Dancers Laura Levitus, Floeur Alder and Carlie Angel. Photograph Rob Burnett

Arts The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

PLAYWRITING AUSTRALIA NEW SOUTH WALES $26,674 for the National Script Workshop – Graduate Program 2008 Mr Christopher Mead, Director www.pwa.org.au

A script for success “I have made valuable contacts with emerging playwrights, dramaturges and directors, as well as with established artists who are thrilled to support emerging artists. These are people I had admired for many years, watching them or their work on stages all over Australia. To have now worked directly with them and to have their support is truly inspiring and an opportunity I never thought I would have.” Joanna Erskine

The annual National Script Workshop assembles leading theatre artists to provide writers with the resources to progress to the next stage of creative development of their script, without the expectation of an immediate performance outcome or the need to produce a performance-ready draft. In Canberra in July 2008, with the assistance of The Ian Potter Foundation, the National Script Workshop offered a program for recent director, playwright and dramatist graduates. The program provided a bridge for the participants between professional training institutions and the industry itself. PlayWriting Australia selected twelve graduates from Flinders University, Grifﬁth University, the National Institute of Dramatic Art, University of Queensland, University of New South Wales, the Victorian College of the Arts, and the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Graduate playwrights proposed a new play to be developed during the week-long program and initially spent a day working with the graduate dramatists. The graduate directors then joined them to continue to analyse the new play script. For three days they worked with the company of experienced, professional National Script Workshop actors, getting the play up on the rehearsal room ﬂoor. The four plays were presented to the assembled National Script Workshop company, followed by the offer of mentoring by the assembled professional directors and dramatists, overseen by PlayWriting Australia Artistic Director Chris Mead.

Left Emerging playwright, Maxine Mellor Right The ﬁrst table read. Clockwise from left: Andrea Demetriades, Paul Bishop, Anthea Lock, Russel Dykstra, Remy Hii, Rebecca Frith, Daniel Schlusser, Sue Smith and Leland Kean

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

This was an opportunity for young practitioners to work closely with professionals at the highest level, developing their skills and working to enrich and sustain the industry itself.

TASDANCE TASMANIA $15,000 for Let’s Get it Strait Ms Annie Greig, Artistic Director www.tasdance.com.au

Far horizons in dance “Everyone who participated in the ﬁrst two weeks of workshops had a fantastic time and the ﬁnal results exceeded our expectations! It was also a great opportunity for both dance workshop leaders to develop a comprehensive workshop program that was suitable for every age group in the schools.” Annie Greig

Cape Barren and Flinders Islands are located off the north-east tip of Tasmania and are part of the Furneaux group of islands in Bass Strait. Due to the remote location and expense of travelling from the island, the local students and community have little access to high quality arts programs. Let’s Get it Strait is an eight-month workshop program which will give the youth living on these islands an opportunity to gain skills in contemporary dance, and create a work around issues relevant to them. Tasdance workshops will be offered to students at the Flinders Island and Cape Barren District Schools, with community members also able to participate. The workshops aim to build conﬁdence in the students’ dance skills and their ability to contribute choreographically. Participants will have creative control of the work, with guidance and support from visiting teachers and choreographers. This approach aims to build the local community’s capacity to create and present beyond Tasdance’s involvement. The culmination of Let’s Get it Strait will be the presentation of the created work in November 2008.

Left One for Sorrow Two for Joy Five for Silver. Dancers James Shannon and Carlie Angel. Photograph Rob Burnett Right One for Sorrow Two for Joy Four for a Boy. Dancers Floeur Alder and Charmene Yap. Photograph Paul Scambler The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

HOTHOUSE THEATRE VICTORIA $12,000 for a two-year Theatre Technician

CAIRNS REGIONAL GALLERY LTD QUEENSLAND $13,852 for The Transience Travelling Schools

Traineeship 2008–2009 (part of a commitment of $24,000 over two years)

Exhibition 2008

Ms Bernadette Haldane, General Manager www.hothousetheatre.com.au

Hot housing regional talent ‘‘[This has been] truly inspiring and an opportunity I never thought I would have. The 21st of January 2008 was my ﬁrst day working at HotHouse. I was really excited and nervous as I only had a little knowledge about lighting and still had no knowledge about audio at all … Six months later I have gained a wealth of knowledge in all kinds of areas from many different people.” Sarah Bianco Support from The Ian Potter Foundation has enabled HotHouse Theatre to offer a traineeship in technical theatre to Sarah Bianco, who developed an interest in theatre after seeing a production at HotHouse in 2006. For a number of years HotHouse Theatre has offered workshops and mentorships in the areas of design, production, lighting design, writing and direction. Young people mostly have to move away from the Albury–Wodonga area to gain further training and experience. Through this traineeship, Sarah will receive training and gain proﬁciency in areas of technical theatre, and be offered an opportunity not currently available in the region.

Left Technical Manager Rob Scott (Trainee Supervisor) with Sarah Bianco (Technical Trainee) Right Butterﬂies by Nicola Bryar for the Transience exhibition

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

Ms Kate Boydell, Public Programs Manager www.cairnsregionalgallery.com.au

Students gain from art on the move Falling rates in student attendance at the Gallery due to the prohibitive costs of hiring buses to transport students highlighted the need for the development of this program. The Transcience Travelling Schools Exhibition allowed participating primary and secondary schools from the Cairns, Mossman, Atherton Tablelands and Innisfail districts to experience an exhibition in their school environment. The artworks selected were all part of the Transience exhibition from an artists’ organisation ‘The Upholstery Collective’ and hosted by the Cairns Regional Gallery during February and March 2007. Transience focused on the transient and ever-changing nature of living and working in Far North Queensland. Travelling the works to various local schools further examines this theme in a practical sense. An education package was developed and practical workshops facilitated by exhibiting artists were offered. Students were also given hands-on experience in acting as curators and hanging the exhibition with assistance from the Gallery’s staff. Up to 4,000 students accessed the program and 450 of them participated in the workshops.

TAMWORTH REGIONAL CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC INC NEW SOUTH WALES $5,000 for the Brass Festival Workshops Mrs Jane Robertson, Director www.tamworthregionalconservatorium.com.au

Coming together for brass “The festival is a rare opportunity to bring brass players from all over the region to play in an ensemble situation and be tutored by four of Australia’s foremost brass musicians and teachers.” Jane Robertson Although the Foundation does not normally support festivals under the Arts area, the Brass Festival in Tamworth has a strong focus on educational outcomes and provides an opportunity for regional musicians that would not otherwise be possible. Run in June 2008 the Festival was an intensive weekend of workshops and music performance activities for brass players of all ages and abilities. About ﬁfty players participated and the activities were directed by visiting brass specialists, including Peter Walmsley, Ron Prussing, Dominic Harvey, Matthew Walmsley, Noelene McGrane and Jane Robertson. The activities provided an intensive learning program and culminated in a concert.

WEST AUSTRALIAN BALLET WESTERN AUSTRALIA $10,000 for Genesis 2007 Mr Steven Roth, General Manager www.waballet.com.au

New lift for talented dancers “The grant greatly increased the overall quality of the Genesis… As a result of performing at PICA, West Australian Ballet gained access to a much higher calibre of technical, production and marketing resources.” Steven Roth The Genesis 2007 program provided an opportunity for dancers within the West Australian Ballet to create and perform their own short works, enabling them to develop their choreography skills. The program allowed the dancers to gain a constructive and technical understanding of their artwork, and the chance to present their performances to industry professionals, dance critics and the general public. This year, with the assistance of The Ian Potter Foundation, the season was presented at PICA in November 2007, rather than at the West Australian Ballet Studio. Twelve works were presented, which received positive reviews.

Left ‘Tandem Trombones’ Tamworth Brass Festival Right Timothy O’Donnell, Kasey Polkinghorn and Emma Sandall The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

Portraiture deepens and enhances understanding The Ian Potter Foundation approved a grant of $1 million to the National Portrait Gallery to further the Gallery’s program of acquiring new works for the national collection of portraits. The idea of a National Portrait Gallery for Australia has been enthusiastically received by the Australian public. In 2004 this enthusiasm led to the inauguration of a proposal to build a dedicated home for the National Portrait Gallery.

DOWN THE TRACK

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY $1 million awarded in 2006 for the acquisition of new works Mr Andrew Sayers, Director www.npg.gov.au

Construction of the $87.7 million building in Canberra’s Parliamentary Zone, adjacent to the High Court of Australia and the National Gallery of Australia, commenced in 2006. The new National Portrait Gallery will open to the public in December 2008. It will provide gallery spaces for the permanent collection and will allow the chronological display of 400 portraits of people who have shaped Australia and who continue to shape our nation, as well as temporary exhibition spaces, art storage, and public areas, including a café, Gallery shop, function room, theatrette and education facilities. One of the great tasks for the National Portrait Gallery is the development of a national collection of portraits. The funds provided by The Ian Potter Foundation have been devoted to this task. The Gallery began collecting as an independent institution in 1998 and, although it has successfully acquired significant gifts of portraits, the area of historical works of the nineteenth century needed to be addressed. The Gallery’s intention is to apply the grant to the purchase of major nineteenth or twentieth century portraits to provide a comprehensive view of Australian history. Portraits in the nineteenth century period are rarer than those of our own time and significant works remain in private collections. When such works come onto the market they tend to be expensive. The Ian Potter Foundation grant funds expended to date have allowed the Gallery to acquire four significant nineteenth century works and one significant early twentieth century double portrait. The grant will allow the Gallery to continue building that part of the collection in the future.

Above The Mutineers turning Lieutenant Bligh and part of the ofﬁcers and crew adrift from His Majesty’s Ship the Bounty 1790 by Robert Dodd (1748–1816) Left Practising the Minuet: Miss Hilda Spong c1893 by Tom Roberts (1856–1931)

Website takes ballet education centre stage “The Ballet is committed to ensuring that Australia’s vibrant dance scene – featuring exuberantly talented dancers and well-informed, enthusiastic audiences – continues to thrive into the future. The education website assists them in achieving this goal.” Patrick McIntyre, Associate Executive Director

DOWN THE TRACK

THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET VICTORIA $100,000 for the 2002 education program Mr Kenneth Watkins, Director, Endowment and Private Giving www.australianballet.com.au

An estimated 300,000 people around Australia take dance and ballet classes each week. This strong grassroots interest in dance goes some way towards explaining the popularity of the country’s national ballet company, The Australian Ballet. Since 1993 The Australian Ballet has presented a comprehensive education program. The program provides educational and enrichment experiences for a wide range of people, from regular audience members to schoolchildren to specialist dance students. In 2003, with the support of The Ian Potter Foundation, the Ballet created its ﬁrst specialist education website. The website not only promoted the educational activities offered by the company, but provided a wealth of information about the art form and the company to people all around the country. This increased access has been enthusiastically embraced. Since 2003 the education website has been reviewed on several occasions, and content and features refreshed. Over time, the site has been more narrowly targeted to younger people aged 8 to 16, providing information for recreational browsers as well as for school projects and people dreaming of a career in dance. Currently the education website attracts on average 36,212 page views each month. Popular pages include those providing information about upcoming education programs: ‘Fun things to do’, ‘Our dancers’ and ‘Behind the scenes’. The site also features fun facts on each page, e-cards, teachers’ kits and an online quiz. The website has been an integral part of The Australian Ballet’s expansion of its education program. Between 2006 and 2007, the number of education activities offered by the company increased from 133 to 264.

Above Young students with the Australian Ballet’s Rachel Rawlins. Photograph © Branco Gaica Left Alice Topp with students in an Out There workshop. Photograph James Braund The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

DOWN THE TRACK

$5,000 in 2002 for Live by the Die $8,250 in 2004 for Off the Wall workshops

THE SHOPFRONT THEATRE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE CO-OP LTD NEW SOUTH WALES

in movement and puppetry $11,450 in 2005 for the development of Angels in the Architecture $12,000 in 2006 to install a disabled toilet, and create disabled access $12,000 in 2008 for workshops to develop (lost toy story) Ms Nerida Woods, General Manager www.shopfront.org.au

In 1976 the St George Theatre for Young People was founded by Errol Bray and established in Penshurst. In June 1997 the company was renamed Shopfront Theatre for Young People and became a registered cooperative, owned by young people with a Board of Directors elected by shareholders.

In 2005 the Foundation supported the development of Angels in the Architecture, a nine-month skills-based workshop project that integrated young people with and without disabilities. The project culminated in performances set in an aerial urban ghetto at Shopfront’s theatre.

Shopfront provides a cultural network and production cooperative where young people, regardless of background or ability, can express themselves and create exciting work based on their experiences. Shopfront provides an extensive program, including workshops, seminars and training in a number of art forms and technical and production practice.

In 2006 the Foundation contributed to the renovation of Shopfront’s premises through funding the installation of a disabled toilet and disabled access into the theatre.

In 2002 the Foundation supported Shopfront for Live by the Die. This examined addictive and risk-taking behaviour among the youth community in south-eastern Sydney. The process of making the show taught the young participants about some of the gains to be had from taking dramatic and theatrical risks, with this leading to increased self-conﬁdence. As one participant said, ‘I learnt that I could be good at something. I’ve never felt that before’.

A grant was awarded in 2008 for (lost toy story). This is a year-long community cultural development project that is exploring the stories of loss and death, longing and hope, through a series of workshops in sculpture, drawing, photography, puppetry, performance, music and poetry. The theme of lost toys is the central starting point of workshops. Some one hundred young people attend workshops each week. Nine young producers are working on (lost toy story) and twenty-ﬁve sites around the Hurstville area will be used for the project.

In 2004 the Foundation supported the development of Off the Wall. This project worked across the two disciplines of puppetry and capoiera, a Brazilian traditional acrobatic and martial arts dance. Workshops were run for students from James Cook Boys High and Kogarah High and young people from Youthzone. This project led to the development of new skills and an increase in self-esteem for the participants.

Left Just hanging out. Dancers in Wadya Call Me?, 2004, King Lane, Rockdale Right Electric Sheep. A sculpture created by Brigid Vidler and Ashton Whitwell in the development of (lost toy story), 2008

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

ARTS GRANT PAID 2007–2008 Australian Art Orchestra Breaking the Sound Barrier – Crossing Roper Bar – AAO musicians working with traditional musicians who are keepers of the traditional songs belonging to Yugul Mangi.

$10,000

(ﬁnal payment of a $20,000 commitment over two years)

Australian Print Workshop Inc Building the Future – renovation and upgrade of the Education and Open Access Studio and installation of a disabled toilet.

$108,160

PlayWriting Australia National Script Workshop – Graduate Program – an opportunity for young practitioners to work closely with industry professionals. Polyglot The Big Game – the development of a board game by the children of the Carlton Housing Commission ﬂats, through an education program run in conjunction with the National Gallery of Victoria and the Carlton Primary School.

$26,674

$30,000

Australian Youth Orchestra Young Symphonists – a nine-day intensive residency program for young musicians held in Beechworth, Victoria.

$10,000

Rozelle Neighbourhood Centre Racing to the Real – performance development workshops for the Ever After Theatre Company for disabled young people aged 15–25 years.

$8,300

Bell Shakespeare Company Regional/Remote Access Program – the Actors at Work team and an arts educator will present workshops and performances in Katherine, Beswick and Alice Springs.

$64,020

Shopfront Theatre of Young People Co-Op Ltd (lost toy story) – for the development of a youth community arts program in the Hurstville area of Sydney.

$12,000

Somebody’s Daughter Theatre Inc Every Child Every Chance – for the creation of two multimedia training packages.

$50,000

Stompin Youth Dance Company Inc Stompin Emerging Artist Residency – to enable a young choreographer to undertake a ﬁve-week residency.

$7,000

Sydney Symphony Orchestra Holdings Pty Limited Playerlink – to take musicians to regional New South Wales to provide specialist instrumental tuition and workshops.

$10,000

Cairns Regional Gallery Ltd The Transience Travelling Schools Exhibition – featuring local emerging artists, this touring exhibition will enable primary and secondary students to experience an exhibition in their school and attend workshops with the artists.

$13,852

Cultural Infusion Ltd Freestyle @ Fed Square – to present master classes as part of an annual event celebrating Australian Hip Hop Culture.

$10,000

Goldﬁelds Brass Band The Instrument Replacement Program – to purchase a bass tuba as part of a program to replace aging instruments.

$10,000

HotHouse Theatre Two-year Theatre Technician Traineeship – accredited training of a young person in all aspects of technical theatre.

(ﬁrst payment of a $30,000 commitment over three years)

$12,000

(ﬁrst payment of a $24,000 commitment over two years)

Malthouse Theatre Arts Immersion – third and ﬁnal year of a program to bring students to the Malthouse Theatre, Chunky Move and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art to experience visual art, dance and theatre.

$9,500

Sydney Symphony Orchestra Holdings Pty Limited 2008 Italian Tour – to enable Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Gianluigi Gelmetti and 92 musicians to tour to Italy for the ﬁrst time in the orchestra’s history.

$50,000

Sydney Youth Orchestra Association Sydney Youth Orchestra – for the expansion of the regional touring program.

$25,000

(ﬁrst payment of a $75,000 commitment over three years)

Tamworth Regional Conservatorium of Music Inc Brass Festival – a weekend of workshops and master classes for brass players in the Tamworth region.

(ﬁnal payment of a $28,500 commitment over three years)

Melbourne International Film Festival Accelerator Program 2008 – for emerging ﬁlm-makers to undertake intensive and structured professional development during the 2008 Melbourne International Film Festival.

$10,000

Melbourne Opera Company Ltd Regional touring program for the three years 2006–2008 – to tour the company’s work to regional Victoria.

$50,000

(ﬁnal payment of a $150,000 commitment over three years)

Tasdance Let’s Get it Strait – an eight-month workshop program on Flinders and Cape Barren Islands in Bass Strait, offering skills in contemporary dance and the chance to create a performance piece around issues relevant to the local community.

$5,000

$15,000

The Victorian Arts Centre Trust Chookahs! Children’s Festival – an education program run within the festival.

$20,000

Victorian Music Library George Logie Smith Memorial Fund – contribution towards the Victorian Music Library activities.

$5,000

Musica Viva Australia Australian Music Days – to teach students about the composition of music and give insight into the creative and technical processes involved through workshops with composers.

$8,000

Music Broadcasting Society of Vic (3MBS FM) 3MBS FM Radio and Music Education Program – to support radio and broadcasting education programs.

$50,000

West Australian Ballet Genesis – to enable new and emerging choreographers to develop their skills working with the company.

$10,000

Next Wave Festival Polyphonic – a series of keynote lectures, discussion forums and skills-based workshops in response to the festival’s theme ‘Closer Together’.

$10,000

Western Edge Youth Arts Inc Creating New Classics – an arts education program based in Debney Park Secondary College and Debney Meadows Primary School, using texts such as Shakespeare and Greek classics.

$20,000

Orchestra Victoria 2006–2007 regional concert and education program – to perform concerts and present their education program in regional areas of Victoria.

Sub-total Arts

$694,506

$25,000

Grants to The Ian Potter Cultural Trust for 2007–2008

$660,987

Total Arts

$1,355,493

(ﬁnal payment of a $75,000 commitment over two years)

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

‘Community wellbeing’ can be deﬁned as the sum of the factors that contribute to the quality of life of community members. The Foundation supports the development of new approaches to improving community wellbeing with the goal of enhancing the quality of life of the people to be served by the project. We also support projects that incorporate contributions from volunteers and collaboration between different groups and agencies. The Foundation’s program of Community Wellbeing International Travel Grants assists senior managers and leaders in this sector to undertake international scoping tours of centres of excellence.

Funding Objectives • To support projects designed to help families deal with the challenges of parenting and family relationships • To support projects designed to help children and young people deal with transitions • To support projects designed to assist older Australians deal with challenging life issues • To support projects designed to enhance the lives of people with disability or illness • To support projects designed to assist new settlers and people from disadvantaged backgrounds become contributing members of our society

Left Red Car by Out of the Garage artist Phillip Skillen

Community Wellbeing The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON REFUGEE WOMEN NEW SOUTH WALES $32,500 to the Meet Your New Neighbours: Refugee Integration Tool Kit

DISABILITY OPPORTUNITIES VICTORIA VICTORIA $8,344 to the Virtual Reality Baby Program Mr Jeff Gibbons, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer www.dov.org.au

Ms Eileen Pittaway, Director www.ancorw.org

Promoting successes encourages better outcomes for refugees

Simulated parenting brings home the realities of life with a baby

The Australian National Committee on Refugee Women has used this funding to produce a community education tool kit to highlight the inspiring contributions and successes of refugees resettling in Australia. Accompanied by a training program, the materials are designed as a community education resource to enhance understanding of refugee experiences and help dispel the often damaging myths that can affect groups settling in Australia. The project captures the resilience of resettling refugees and documents their many triumphs. Although the experiences of refugees are diverse, each settler brings to Australia amazing strengths, knowledge, skills and a desire to contribute to a new life here in their new country. Participants have shared some of the challenges of settling into a new environment and shown that success is possible with the aid of supportive services and an understanding and welcoming community. Participants who are proﬁled in the project have embraced the opportunity to share their experiences in their own words. As one successful young woman explained, ‘Everybody has their own story to tell’.

Since 1962 Disability Opportunities Victoria (DOV) has offered services for people living with a disability in Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula areas, with the goal of providing support that enables them to live, learn, work and enjoy recreation in their local communities.

This project was undertaken by the Australian National Committee on Refugee Women in partnership with the Centre for Refugee Research at the University of New South Wales and was supported by refugee groups and community organisations. Left Ajang Deng Biar is interviewed for the community education tool kit project by the team from Art Resistance Right Virtual reality babies can be programmed to behave like a normal baby and require the same care

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

The desires, aspirations and abilities of each client who attends DOV are assessed when they first attend, and an appropriate day program is then designed. Two of the day programs offered to young disabled clients are Living Independently Training Classes and Lifestyle/Healthy Living Classes. Included in these programs is material related to sexuality, pregnancy and parenting. To assist with these aspects, The Ian Potter Foundation gave DOV a grant for the purchase of ‘virtual reality babies’. Virtual babies are realistic dolls (or ‘infant simulators’) that can be programmed to sleep, wake and cry, and are used by the participants in the Virtual Reality Baby Program. This program runs for fifteen weeks, and is designed to give its students both understanding and experience of parenting and of the impact of having a baby. Students take it in turns to care for their baby twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, enhancing their awareness of the responsibilities of family life. As one of the ‘mothers’ in the pilot program reported, ‘At times I find it a little hard when [my baby] is crying and I am in the middle of cooking or eating my lunch. I am not able to finish because [my baby] needs to be fed’.

SECONDBITE VICTORIA $24,000 to the expansion of the Market

TULGEEN GROUP NEW SOUTH WALES $17,761 to the Out of the Garage project

Collections Project

Ms Eva Taylor, Executive Ofﬁcer www.tulgeengroup.org.au

Ms Katy Barﬁeld, Operations Manager www.secondbite.org

Distributing surplus foodstuffs results in fairer sharing

Older and isolated artists beneﬁt from continued opportunities

SecondBite was established in late 2005 by volunteers who had the simple idea of visiting their local market at the end of trading to collect surplus fresh food which could then be distributed to people in need. The volunteers collect food that would otherwise go to waste and deliver it to agencies such as Sacred Heart Mission in St Kilda and the Brotherhood of St Laurence in Fitzroy. The ingredients are then used in the preparation of meals for people who are disadvantaged or are part of the more than 23,000 Victorians registered as homeless on any given night.

One of the most successful of the programs offered by Tulgeen Group’s Training and Education Services is the Art in the Garage program, in which disabled artists are taught by local practising artists in a studio converted from an old garage. The program generates income and greatly increases the artists’ self-esteem and sense of worth, as well as promoting community understanding of a range of disabilities.

In July 2007 The Ian Potter Foundation made a grant of $24,000 to SecondBite to improve the efficiency of its collections and distribution. The employment of a coordinator of volunteers and food donors brought very positive results. In the four months prior to submitting their request for funding, SecondBite had collected an average of five tonnes of food a month. Since the grant was paid, SecondBite has seen phenomenal growth, and in the month of May 2008 collected a record 20.2 tonnes of food that would otherwise have gone to landfill. For the whole of 2007, SecondBite redistributed a total of 132 tonnes of fresh food to 44 agencies – enough for 264,000 500-gram meals.

The success of Art in the Garage led Tulgeen Group to seek support from The Ian Potter Foundation to pilot the Out of the Garage project. This funding enabled the employment of an arts worker to visit four artists with disabilities in their homes for a year for weekly three-hour painting sessions. This provided ongoing art practice for those artists who were outside the cut-off age (65 years) for funding for access to Art in the Garage, or whose lack of mobility impeded access to the studio. An exhibition and sale of the produced works is the end product of the year’s work. Tulgeen Group plans to use data collected as part of the project’s evaluation as a basis for submissions to federal funding bodies, highlighting the loneliness and isolation that can affect older people with disabilities.

Left SecondBite volunteer collecting at the Prahran Market Right Out of the Garage artist Bev Mitchell pictured with Bev’s Necklace The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

OPEN FAMILY AUSTRALIA VICTORIA $24,170 for the Redskins Youth Leadership Program (part of a commitment of $87,191 over three years) Ms Sue Renkin, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer www.openfamily.com.au

Yesterday’s players are tomorrow’s leaders Open Family Australia had its beginnings in St Kilda in 1978 when Father Bob Maguire was working with homeless and drug-addicted adolescents who were alienated from their families and communities. Today Open Family has a presence in Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Queensland, with services organised into ﬁve program areas: Education, Wellbeing, Outreach, Life Skills and Community Ownership. There is also a Research arm. One of the most successful components of the Wellbeing Program in Victoria is the Positive Energy Sports Program, which includes the Redskins Basketball Club. The Redskins began playing in 1997, and the club now supports more than ﬁfty teams and hundreds of registered players each season. There are also hundreds more who are former members of the teams and these young people are the target of the Leadership Program. In July 2007 The Ian Potter Foundation approved a grant to develop a youth leadership program for forty former Redskins players aged between 16 and 25 who had demonstrated leadership potential while in the basketball teams. The program is intended to equip these young people with

Left Members of the ﬁrst Youth Leadership Program Right Leadership Program participants making a real contribution to their community

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

the knowledge, conﬁdence and skills to become more active members of their communities and enhance their access to education and employment opportunities. The grant was a contribution towards the employment of a coordinator to develop the details of the program, and then act as its leader. Under the leadership of a very competent young woman, the three-year program began in early 2008 with an orientation weekend. This was followed by organised activities and workshops that take place one day each month. Each participant is matched with a mentor who acts as role model and conﬁdante. In the third year of the program, participants will assist in the selection of the next group of leadership trainees from the Redskins so that the program can continue. The program will be evaluated by Open Family’s Research arm, using YARPET, a program evaluation tool designed for use with young people. Reports from the current participants are extremely positive, with attendance never dropping below 85%, and 90% of participants rating the program seven or higher out of ten on a ‘helpfulness’ scale.

ABORIGINAL EMPLOYMENT STRATEGY LTD NEW SOUTH WALES $95,000 to employ a manager and a support person

MIND VICTORIA $61,000 for the coordination, implementation

to work with Aboriginal students in the School Based Traineeship Program (part of a commitment of $285,000 over three years)

and evaluation of the Sprout Garden Design and Landscaping Service (part of a commitment of $190,418 over three years)

Mr Danny Lester, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer www.aboriginalemploymentstrategy.com.au

Ms Robyn Duff, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer www.mindaustralia.org.au

Stable employment is the key to success

Regular employment is a major factor in recovery from mental illness

The aim of the School Based Traineeship Program for Indigenous students offered by the Aboriginal Employment Strategy (AES) is to increase employment rates among Indigenous young people. The AES works with corporate partners to secure traineeships for Aboriginal school students. The ANZ and Commonwealth banks were the original partners. The program has grown and now includes Westpac and the National Australia Bank. From December 2008 partners will include Qantas, Telstra, Accor Hotels and Resorts, Newcastle City Council, Centrelink and the NSW Department of Housing.

Sprout was established in 2002 to assist clients develop the skills and confidence to move back into the mainstream community, but with no government or other support Mind was finding it difficult to deliver. In 2007 The Ian Potter Foundation made a grant of $190,418 to the Sprout Community Garden, one of Mind’s most innovative programs. The grant will assist Sprout’s further development, and fund research into Sprout’s benefits to clients and the wider community. The research results will form the basis of an approach to the Victorian Government for recurrent funding for the program. In the first year of the grant significant work has been put into developing a business plan and model of operation that will guide Sprout over the next three years and beyond. Additional resources have been allocated to establishing the parameters for the research project and sourcing external research expertise. Some modifications have been made to the original submission to add value and weight to the research project.

Traineeships are undertaken at the same time as the Higher School Certificate (HSC), starting at the beginning of Year 11 and finishing at the end of Year 12. During these two years participants are paid to work one full day per week with their Host Employer, and spend the rest of the week studying a Certificate II in Business Services and completing their HSC or Year 12 Certificate. The AES expects up to 240 new trainees to commence in December 2008, an increase from the 179 who began the program in December 2007. All trainees who complete the two-year program move into further education or employment as a direct result of the benefits gained from the completion of their traineeships. A major reason for the success of the project is the mentoring given to each trainee. Field officers are employed to manage the process of promoting the program, and recruiting and selecting the trainees. Once a traineeship begins, the field officer provides ongoing mentoring support to the trainee, and works closely with Host Employers to ensure any issues that arise are resolved as quickly as possible. The grant from The Ian Potter Foundation contributes to the salaries of traineeship staff.

At the end of the ﬁrst year of funding, the business plan is continuing to be reﬁned, research consultants engaged and additional staff members recruited to assist in delivering the program. For Sprout this is an exciting opportunity, offering the potential for the program to establish itself on a long-term sustainable basis.

Left Trainee gains useful skills on the job Right The Sprout community garden The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

JUMPSTART CARE INC SOUTH AUSTRALIA $29,950 for the establishment of a community

VICTORIA RELIEF AND FOODBANK LTD VICTORIA $150,000 for purpose-built refrigeration and

outdoor play facility, Stage 1

food-handling facilities

Ms Jo Cantell, Jumpstart Care Ofﬁcer

Mr Mike Cannon, General Manager www.vrfb.com.au

Well-equipped playgrounds allow children to explore their world in safety

Increased storage capacity results in greater efﬁciency and effectiveness

Jumpstart Care, a small grassroots organisation in Port Pirie, approached The Ian Potter Foundation in August 2007 for help in realising their plan to develop land it had bought into a community park for local residents. Funds were sought for the creation of a safe and stimulating children’s playground.

Victoria Relief and Foodbank (VRFB) receives donations of foodstuffs, groceries and beverages from manufacturers that are distributed to welfare agencies throughout Victoria. They are then made available to individuals and families who are experiencing social hardship, or need emergency or disaster relief.

Volunteers from Jumpstart undertook much of the work preparing the site for the playground. The initial stages of the playground development included removal of trees, construction of a safety fence, laying of paving, and cutting a wheelchair entry and exit interior door to the Jumpstart meeting rooms. A shadecloth shelter was also planned so that the equipment could be used during the very hot weather Port Pirie experiences. In July 2008 the group reported that they had ordered the equipment for the playground and were eagerly awaiting its delivery and installation, as were the children and parents who attend the centre. The playground was completed in September 2008.

Left Port Pirie’s new safe playground is ready for action Right Current chilled refrigeration is now outdated and inadequate for growing demands

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

In March 2008 VRFB was given a grant to enable it to increase its food-handling capacity. This will allow VRFB to take advantage of donations of food that it had previously refused because of insufﬁcient storage capacity. The improvements will include the construction of additional refrigeration capacity to enable storage of 100 pallets, compared with the previous 16-pallet capacity in rented storage, and an increase in chilled refrigeration capacity from 40 to 80 pallets. The improvements will also include enhanced food-handling capacity for dried goods such as pasta and rice that must be rebagged into manageable quantities for redistribution.

FOUNDATION FOR RURAL AND REGIONAL RENEWAL (FRRR) VICTORIA $75,000 to the Small Grants for Small Rural

Small grants add up to a big difference

Communities Program (part of a commitment of $225,000 over three years)

The grants have the potential to achieve signiﬁcant results for people within rural and regional Australia and to make a real difference within communities. Projects supported by The Ian Potter Foundation include:

Ms Sylvia Admans, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer www.frrr.org.au

In 2007 The Ian Potter Foundation provided funding for FRRR’s Small Grants program, which in turn provides small, well-targeted grants to small rural and remote communities throughout Australia.

Franklin Progress Association, Tasmania $2,904 to the Lighting the Palais project A fully ﬁtted aluminium lighting bar able to carry and operate twelve stage lights was professionally installed in the Palais Theatre, just in time to stage Showboat of Music, a locally produced and directed musical production. This will save the costs of hiring a bar and the associated installation time in the future, and it is expected that the use of the Palais for live theatre performances will increase. Left Showboat of Music staged with the new lighting bar and stage lights in place at the Palais Theatre

Rainbow Civic Centre Management Committee, Victoria $1,798 for the Community Kitchen Food Bar The purchase and installation of a bain-marie for the Rainbow Civic Centre kitchen in 2007 is proving to be a great success with the community’s volunteers. Food can now be prepared and kept warm, or heated to the right temperature for all community functions. Several community groups have now used the bain-marie and commented that ‘it is a wonderful asset for our community’. Left Members of the Rainbow Civic Centre Management Committee

Towamba P&C Association, New South Wales $4,210 for the Burragate Bus Shelter The Bus Shelter project was initiated to provide a safe and sheltered area for local students travelling by bus to school in Towamba and Eden, and will incorporate a community noticeboard to provide information and local events news for residents. The funding request was for materials only, as skilled tradespeople within the area and other enthusiastic community members volunteered their time to build the shelter. Left Volunteers work together to prepare the slab base for the Burragate bus shelter

The Gloucester District Historical Society, New South Wales $2,500 towards painting the museum interior The Gloucester District Historical Society was formed in 1962 with the charter to preserve as much of the district’s written, photographic, oral and built history as possible. Repainting the museum became necessary to breathe new life back into the building, to enhance the background for the displays and to make the museum more appealing to both visitors and the volunteer workforce. Left Painting the museum

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

DOWN THE TRACK

POSITIVE WOMEN (VICTORIA) INC VICTORIA $5,000 in 2003 for the Positive Women Theatre Project and $4,750 in 2005 for the development of nine stand-alone dramatic monologues Ms Dawn Wilcock, Director www.positivewomen.org.au

One small grant that produced extraordinary results In June 2003 Positive Women (Victoria) Inc was granted $5,000 by The Ian Potter Foundation to collect the stories of a number of women who were HIV-positive. These were to be used to inform, educate, and raise awareness of the experiences of these women, and to help dispel the myths and stigma associated with HIV. On receiving the ﬁrst grant, Positive Women engaged well known playwright Graham Pitts to capture the stories of women living with HIV/AIDS. When the stories were completed, one piece was developed into a monologue which could be presented at relevant conferences by an actress. At the end of the monologue, the person whose story it was would come forward and identify herself as its subject. The success of the ﬁrst monologue encouraged the organisation to apply for further funding. The Australia Council for the Arts provided a grant to develop the stories into a play that was written by Graham Pitts, performed at St Martin’s Theatre in South Yarra, and eventually placed on the VCE drama play list as an option for study in Year 12. Positive Women also applied successfully for a second grant from The Ian Potter Foundation to develop the other stories into monologues. The resulting series of nine powerful monologues is now performed over radio and at conferences and other relevant events, allowing the voices of HIV-positive women to be heard, and increasing awareness and understanding of those who hear them.

The effects of these projects have been many and varied. First, telling their stories has assisted individual members of Positive Women to come to terms with their illness and its challenges, and has raised awareness in the general community of how women live with HIV and of the challenges they face. Second, the organisation developed a Digital Storytelling Project with the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). This technology not only allowed the women to tell their own stories without the mediation of a third person, but also gave them the opportunity to be included in the Victorian Memory Grid project, an interactive exhibition space where audiences can access short ﬁlms and ACMI can digitally archive stories. Third, the success of the Positive Women projects inspired Straight Arrows, a community-based group for HIV/AIDS-affected heterosexual men and their families, to raise funds from the Elton John AIDS Foundation for another round of digital stories, this time involving all sectors of the HIV community. And ﬁnally, Positive Women has been approached to develop monologues for positive women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities and is endeavouring to obtain funding for this project. The achievements and initiatives described above all stem from the original $5,000 grant – a result that far exceeded the expectations of the original application.

Above Digital storytelling takes the Positive Women story to new audiences

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

COMMUNITY WELLBEING GRANTS PAID 2007–2008 Aboriginal Employment Strategy Ltd Manager and support person to work with Aboriginal students in the School Based Traineeship Program – to employ a mentor to help trainees complete their training and preparation for employment.

$95,000

(ﬁrst payment of a $285,000 commitment over three years)

Careworks NSW ChainBreakers Recovery Program – a pilot program for six to ten male ex-prisoners and addicts to learn employment, relationship and social skills in a non-threatening space.

$20,000

Carinya Society Strategic governance review and development – to conduct a comprehensive and independent review of the governance of the organisation, including Board processes and operational activities.

$14,000

Activate Australia Activate Australia Leadership Program/Re-Activate Program – leadership programs for young people from socio-economically disadvantaged communities to prepare them for later life.

$44,615

Adelaide Day Centre for Homeless Persons Inc Rainwater catchment for Roma Mitchell Garden – working in this garden is part of an intervention program for homeless and isolated people who suffer from substance abuse.

$10,000

Central Coast Emergency Accommodation Services Inc Donnison Street Free Homeless Restaurant – the restaurant provides over 75,000 free meals each year to homeless people, and is a ‘one stop shop’ for support and resources, including clothes, showers, advice, referral and advocacy.

$4,826

Cerebal Palsy Education Centre Trial power wheelchair – with this purchase CPEP will be able to teach a number of children how to use the chair, and will be able to allow families to trial its use at home.

Age Concern Albury Wodonga Inc Tai chi for people with low vision or no vision – Age Concern and Vision Australia propose a program for people who are legally blind or have severe vision loss. Arbias Employment pilot for people living with an alcohol or other substance-related brain impairment – individual case plans related to employment will be developed with Arbias clients who will then receive intensive support to achieve their goals. Assistance Dogs Australia Ian Potter Foundation Assistance Dogs Australia Service Dogs Project – to cover the complete training of three assistance dogs that will work with people with disabilities.

$15,050

$23,116

Cohuna District Hospital Patient transporter – an eight-seater ‘patient transporter’ will be available seven days a week to transport patients to appointments, freeing paramedic services to respond to local and intrastate emergencies.

$12,166

Community Action in Carole Park Inc Carole Park Foodshed – a worker is required to manage and assist the volunteers at the Carole Park Foodshed which sells food more cheaply than supermarkets. Employment of a paid worker will enable the shed to open for more regular hours.

(ﬁrst payment of a $65,348 commitment over three years)

Association for the Blind of WA Inc Access to Learning: equipment for students who are blind or vision impaired – equipment and software upgrades in one of the training rooms will allow training on cutting edge equipment, increasing the likelihood of mainstream employment. Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Manager – Access, Resources and Communications – ﬁnancial assistance with this position. The use of so many volunteers in the agency makes coordination of volunteer services an important part of management.

$50,000

Australian Breastfeeding Association NSW Branch ABA Online Breastfeeding Café – this online version of a local ABA group will enable women who cannot access the regular meetings to participate in seeking and giving advice.

$26,500

Australian National Committee on Refugee Women Meet Your New Neighbours: Refugee Integration Tool Kit – a community education ‘tool kit’ will assist in the successful settlement and integration of refugees.

$32,500

Ballarat District Nursing & Healthcare Motion C5 unit (mobile clinical assistant PC) – these small hand-held computers will allow rural nurses to obtain instant access to patient data and reference materials.

$50,000

Biala Box Hill Inc Sensory Garden and Accessible Play Space – to be developed for the general public and Biala’s children.

$70,000

Bridgewater Police and Citizens Youth Club Helping Hands – a weekly dinner and activities evening for families who cannot afford to participate in other community activities.

$12,000

Cancer Patients Assistance Society of NSW Can Assist – recruitment and training of volunteer members – the Community Development Manager will be responsible for recruiting 100 new members and developing and implementing a training program for them. Care & Communication Concern Welfare Services Inc Hand Brake Turn – Central Coast – Scholarship Program – scholarships will allow participation in an eight-week structured program that gives graduates Certiﬁcate I in Automotive Skills, paving the way for them to gain permanent employment. LiveWires – Wired Up – an after-school and school holiday program to give computer access and skills to primary school age children living in and around the Collingwood Housing Estate in Melbourne. (ﬁrst payment of a $10,000 commitment over two years)

Chronic Illness Alliance Inc Chronic Illness Peer Support Network – the establishment of an educational and support network for professional and volunteer workers involved in peer support programs for people with chronic illnesses will improve the quality of services.

Continuing Education Bendigo IT training classroom – upgrading one of CEB’s three computer training classrooms will enable students to use state-of-the-art equipment, increasing the employability of its students. Cystic Fibrosis Queensland Ltd Kits for parents of babies newly diagnosed with CF – redevelopment of the current outdated kit will give parents the most up-to-date information on the management of their child’s cystic ﬁbrosis.

$10,000

$19,319

$24,265

$15,000

$20,000

$40,000

$28,500

Delta Society Australia Ltd Pet Partners in the Classroom – to evaluate the effectiveness of this Geelong-based program in which volunteers and their dogs visit schools to improve the overall health and wellbeing of children.

$25,000

Directions ACT (Assisting Drug Dependents Inc) Primary Health Intervention Clinic – to establish a professionally staffed health clinic which will improve the primary health care of its alcoholand drug-using clients.

$31,000

Disability and Aged Information Service Inc Kin-Carer and Youth Initiative – this early intervention strategy is designed to build resilience and sustainability in over 520 vulnerable kin-carer families by empowering them to better connect with and access existing support services and resources.

$66,680

(ﬁnal payment of a $132,030 commitment over two years)

$27,000

$22,500

$5,000

Disability Attendant Support Service Inc Improving the quality and diversity of the tools and aids that support the development and learning of DASSI’s Attendant Support Workers – this equipment will be used in 50 training programs that will reach approximately 300 support workers each year. Disability Opportunities Victoria Virtual Reality Baby Program – programmable dolls and their accessories will be used in clients’ health and wellbeing and independent living programs to simulate the responsibilities of caring adequately for an infant. Diversitat Northern Community Hub – contribution to a multipurpose community centre that will provide a home for a range of services for culturally and linguistically diverse and disadvantaged residents in the northern region of Geelong.

$11,943

$8,344

$50,000

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

Dr Edward Koch Foundation Suicide Prevention and Awareness – Skills Training Workshop – to run free suicide prevention workshops in North Queensland to groups such as Anglicare and others that have requested such training. Drug Arm Australasia SA Community Education Project – to provide a community education program for twelve months in metropolitan Adelaide which offers information via workshops in schools, community venues, and other agencies focusing on alcohol and drug use and their risks. Edmund Rice Camps (SA) Youth at Risk camps – contribution towards the cost of running camps for disadvantaged young people during the 2008 April school holidays. Edmund Rice Education Multimedia hub and expert – to employ a multimedia expert to work with staff and young people to develop a multimedia hub as the site for development of new materials and teaching techniques that will appeal to disengaged students. Epilepsy Association Australia (Epilepsy Action) Epilepsy 360 – a new publication to be distributed nationally to health care professionals and those with epilepsy. It will contain articles related to medical research, medications, personal stories and information about epilepsy services.

$10,000

$22,390

$9,290

$20,000

$24,000

Epilepsy Association of SA Inc Epi-Job – this project will offer people with epilepsy career development and employment skills and assistance in accessing job opportunities.

$15,000

Eva Tilley Memorial Home Inc Residential redevelopment – the rebuilding of the residential aged care facility will alter its categorisation from ‘low care facility’ with 80 beds to an ‘aging in place’ residential operation with 116 rooms.

$25,000

Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal Small Grants for Small Rural Communities Program – FRRR grants to rural and regional community organisations are of particular importance now because of the effects of sustained drought on rural communities.

$75,000

FRANS Inc FRANS Financial Literacy Program – this 18-week program for intellectually disabled people includes community outings during which clients practise the skills they have learned in class, and an evening session for primary carers so that they can reinforce at home what the clients have learned. Harmony Foundation Victoria Ltd Holy Melbourne Concert 2008 – this organisation presents an annual free concert with a program of music from the ﬁve main religious faiths. Headway Adult Development Program Inc Art Wise – to assist with the costs of providing up to ten participants the opportunity to develop or relearn art skills lost as a result of their brain injuries. Artwork produced will be exhibited during Brain Injury Awareness Week. Inala Youth and Family Support Service The Vietnamese Parenting Project – Vietnamese parents will be offered further parenting group work and education to complement the work being done by the agency’s Vietnamese Child Protection Program. International Social Service Australia The Use of International Laws to Boost Outcomes for Australian Children – Stage 1 will develop a new service delivery model for the casework services offered by ISS to ensure that the provisions of The Hague Convention are implemented throughout Australia in a way that beneﬁts ISS clients. Boosting Outcomes for Children Using International Conventions – Stage 2 will develop a national system for the delivery of the newly developed model of services for children involved in international family disputes. ISS will develop materials, pilot and promote their use throughout Australia, and evaluate and report on the project.

$12,000

$5,000

Lifeline Central West Inc Strong Farming Communities Supporting Each Other – Mates Helping Mates – to provide three complementary mental health training programs in each of four Exceptional Circumstance drought-affected communities in Central West NSW. Mallee Family Care Chances for Children mentoring program – to fund the salary for three years of a coordinator who will manage the program that provides mentors for socially and ﬁnancially disadvantaged young people in the Northern and Southern Mallee. Mallee Track Health & Community Service Adventure-Based Family Relationship Strengthening Project – a program aimed at strengthening the relationships between parents and their children through a full-day Alternative Motivation adventure camp, and a four-week follow-up relationship-building program. McGregor House Overhead lifting system – installation of a tracking system will reduce the risk to staff members as they transfer clients during their routine activities. Mind Coordination, implementation and evaluation of the Sprout Garden Design and Landscaping Service – employment of a project ofﬁcer will ensure Sprout’s continued development towards becoming a much-valued self-sustaining program that assists individual clients in their recovery from mental illness. Mitchell Community Health Youth Week 2008 (Wallan and Broadford) – funding towards Youth Week activities, the theme of which was depression as it is experienced by young people in rural areas.

$3,320

Mt Theo – Yuendumu Substance Misuse Aboriginal Corporation Yuendumu Community Swimming Pool Project – funding towards the construction of a community swimming pool that will provide health and social beneﬁts for children and young people in Yuendumu, and a community focus for youth activities.

$35,000

Murdoch Childrens Research Institute Meeting Adolescents on Their Ground – to develop an innovative, youth-friendly, internet-delivered anger prevention and management program that targets anger difﬁculties in young adolescent males. The program will be developed and trialed in a large Victorian secondary school over three years.

$20,000

$35,000

$28,000

$90,775

$94,000

$7,530

$20,909

$61,000

Neami Limited Mental Health Arts Development – to work with up to 15 people experiencing mental illness to develop their skills in screen media production. The training will culminate in the production of a DVD about a program called Mind, Body and Soul. Odyssey House Victoria Community-Based Mutual Assistance Employment Program – for people recovering from substance addiction through non-residential rather than residential treatment options.

$1,600

$150,000

$49,615

$10,000

$60,000

(ﬁrst payment of a $120,000 commitment over two years)

$29,950

Life Changing Experiences Foundation Ltd The Sister2Sister Program – funding towards running costs of this mentoring program for disadvantaged young women who are referred by schools and other agencies.

$50,000

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

Lifeline Central Coast NSW Telephone Counsellor Training Course – to train 100 new telephone counsellors to meet growing demands, counter the attrition rate of one-third each year, and provide sufﬁcient volunteers for an effective roster.

$35,150

(ﬁrst payment of a $190,418 commitment over three years)

Jumpstart Care Inc A community outdoor play facility – Stage 1 will develop a playground in Port Pirie in a location where there is no playground and few other community facilities.

Life’s for Living What I’d Like You to Know About Me! – began as a project to produce a CD-ROM resource kit for service providers working with people with disabilities. This third stage of promotion and implementation will help families learn how to access the website and add material to it, as well as reﬁne the site in response to feedback from users.

On Track Community Programs Inc Caring for Kids: Support Model Pilot – Stage 1 – this ﬁve-year pilot project aims to introduce and evaluate a range of strategies to address the needs of children whose parents suffer from mental illness.

$63,000

Open Family Australia The Redskins Youth Leadership Program – this three-year project will develop a youth leadership program for young people aged between 16 and 25 who were members of the Redskins Basketball Club and have demonstrated leadership potential.

$24,170

(ﬁrst payment of an $87,191 commitment over three years)

Royal Guide Dogs Association of Tasmania National Uniﬁed Lifeskills Model: Building Skills for Life – funding Stage 3 of $26,000 this project to develop a comprehensive, centralised, coherent, sustainable and family-friendly resource to assist young people and their families address deﬁcits that result from vision impairment. Samarinda Lodge Expanding the Vocera wireless communication system to residents – to assist with the expansion of its communication system to include the residents of Samarinda Lodge, a residential aged care facility in Ashburton, Victoria. Sandy Ridge House Inc T/A Ronald McDonald House Monash Family Benefactor – this scheme ensures support for each family room by subsidising its annual costs.

$66,901

$20,000

(ﬁrst payment of a $60,000 commitment over three years)

Volunteers – the lifeblood of the House – development over three years of the volunteer program at Ronald McDonald House Monash.

$15,000

(ﬁrst payment of a $45,000 commitment over three years)

SANE Australia The SANE Learning Centre – education for a better life for people affected by a mental illness – to partly fund a study to identify and assess the opportunities for and appropriateness of SANE’s education and training activities. SecondBite Expansion of the Market Collections Project – to employ a coordinator of volunteers and food donors so that the organisation can collect and distribute a greater amount of surplus food. Self Help Addiction Resource Centre Inc Re-Negotiating Relationships: Getting in Touch – the program will provide weekly yoga classes taught by a qualified teacher in both the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre and at SHARC’s community centre in Carnegie. The program aims to provide an alternative coping strategy for women, both in prison and on release. Service to Youth Council Cooperative Foundation Court Renovation – complete renovation of three of seven kitchens in the group of seven inner city flats that offer medium-term accommodation for young people aged 17–25 who are experiencing barriers to accessing independent accommodation. Soul Theatre Inc Chrysalis – assisting with the production costs of the play Chrysalis, which deals with the issues of sudden infant death, incarceration of women, rape, abortion and racism. The play raises the consciousness of those involved in the production, and those who attend performances. South Gippsland Animal and Paws Galore Thrift Shop Veterinary costs for the next twelve months – providing assistance with the treatment and desexing costs for an estimated 200 animals. Spina Bifida Foundation of Victoria Inc Printing of the Healthy Futures diary – this diary contains information about spina bifida and its link with folate, and enables people with spina bifida to record their medical appointments and keep track of information and medications. St John Ambulance Australia (Vic) Ambulance renewal – a contribution towards the replacement of the St John Ambulance aging fleet of 65 ambulances. St Paul’s Drug Prevention, Rehabilitation and Aftercare Program Home detox program – St Paul’s detox program for alcohol and drug abusers has been operating for over 20 years. Agency workers spend seven days working in the client’s home as the detoxification process occurs. The client then enters a three-month rehabilitation program where support is given to remain free of alcohol and drugs. Home detox program – contribution towards the running costs of this program.

$10,000

$24,000

$15,000

$24,834

Starlight Children’s Foundation Australia Evaluation of the Captain Starlight Program in three Northern Territory health clinics – to systematically evaluate the Captain Starlight program in health clinics and schools in the Northern Territory. StreetWork Incorporated Kickstart – an adolescent mentoring initiative for disadvantaged and troubled young people – employment of a youth mentor to work with 17 young persons in the disadvantaged Manly, Avalon and Dee Why areas of Sydney.

$15,000

$20,000

Stride Foundation Ltd Mentoring through Music – Hume – the project offers selected young people $20,000 aged 13–16 an opportunity to explore music and develop musical skills by working with a music mentor who helps them set goals for other areas of their life, such as school attendance and participation, dealing with adversity and developing positive networks. Stroke Recovery Association NSW A DVD promoting the benefits for stroke survivors of Stroke Recovery Clubs – to produce a 20-minute DVD that will include information about the benefits of participation in local Stroke Recovery Clubs. The DVD will be a companion to an earlier DVD, which gave information about recovery from stroke. Summer Foundation Ltd Pilot Information and Carer Support Network for Families of Younger People in Residential Aged Care – to pilot the development of a support network for the carers (usually parents) responsible for young disabled people who are living in residential aged care facilities. Technical Aid to the Disabled (NSW) Moving Forward – this project will assist TAD to meet the high demand from parents of children with disabilities for individually modified computers to be used by disabled children for both education and recreation. The Lost Dogs’ Home The Lost Dogs’ Home dedicated treatment and rehabilitation program for sick, injured and neglected stray animals – this contribution towards the cost of treating and rehabilitating animals allows money in the fundraising budget to be used towards building the proposed state-of-the-art facility. The Mental Health Research Institute Developing the Cunningham Dax Collection into a community resource – Stage 2 funding will allow the art collection to increase its opening hours from 1.5 to 3.5 days per week over the next two years, by which time the collection will be in a much stronger position to secure support from the tertiary education, corporate and government sectors.

$20,000

$29,605

$9,400

$10,000

$40,000

(ﬁnal payment of an $80,000 commitment over two years)

$10,000

$5,000

$59,780

$4,500

$5,000

The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Tasmania A Couple’s Weekend and Beyond for people with MS and their partners. A Journey of Living Fully – Laughing Often – Loving Always! – to support couples as they come to terms with issues that arise in their relationship due to one partner suffering from MS. It includes sessions on issues such as MS and intimacy, sexuality, difﬁcult emotions and the need for open communication between partners. The Neighbour’s Place Inc Emergency food relief and support services – to expand hours of operation, purchase food and assist with the costs involved in its storage and distribution throughout 2007–2008. The Old Colonists’ Association of Victoria Rushall Park Kiosk Group support for the garden greening project – funding to purchase and install a vertical freezer and a heating and cooling system for the Rushall Park Kiosk, which is operated by residents to generate income for improved facilities at Rushall Park through the sale of baked goods and coffee. The University of Melbourne: Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences School of Social Work The cost of support in foster care and other long-term placements – this research project aims to establish the true ﬁnancial cost to agencies of supporting the long-term foster care, permanent care and special needs adoptive placements of children who have been placed in alternative families through the child protection system. Travellers Aid Society of Victoria Homeward Bound Emergency Relief and Travel Assistance Program – provides emergency relief services, including tickets and material aid, and reunites travellers in crisis with family, friends and other supports.

$10,000

$5,000

$4,600

$30,000

$10,000

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

Tulgeen Group Out of the Garage – will provide in-home art classes to disabled artists who are unable to attend the long-running Art in the Garage program because of either mobility problems or because they are over 65 and too old to qualify for access. Typo Station Community Support and Development Worker – funding the employment of a worker to follow up the young men who have participated in the residential stage of the Typo program, and make community links to assist them deal with their problems.

$17,761

$50,000

(ﬁrst payment of a $100,000 commitment over two years)

UCA – Hotham Mission Transition into the Community Manual Project – development of a manual that will assist those who work with asylum seekers living lawfully in the Australian community on bridging visas. The manual will be available to schools, workplaces and community centres. University of South Australia: Education, Arts and Social Sciences Sowing the Seeds of Innovation in the Protection of Children: An Ian Potter Foundation Initiative – development of DVDs of exemplary practice in sustained home visiting of vulnerable families and family-centred drug and alcohol treatment services across Australia. The DVDs will be used in qualifying and post-qualifying courses and inservice training in a broad range of institutions across Australia.

$20,000

$105,000

(ﬁrst payment of a $210,000 commitment over two years)

Victoria Relief and Foodbank Ltd Purpose-built refrigeration and food-handling facilities – additional refrigeration and improved food-handling capacity will enable the organisation to take advantage of donations that are currently refused because of limited storage space. WorkVentures Ltd Airds Local Enterprise Centre – will co-locate community, employment and enterprise services in the same building, improving the life chances of disadvantaged people.

$150,000

$30,000

(ﬁrst payment of a $60,000 commitment over two years)

YMCA Victoria – Youth and Community Services Inc Creative Life Program – this ten-week after-school program will be offered each term to up to eight girls aged between 12 and 15 who are referred by Rosebud Secondary College. The program will use a creative arts approach to help the girls develop more prosocial behaviours.

$14,181

(ﬁrst payment of a $28,632 commitment over two years)

Youth for Christ Australia The Youth Guidance Program – an adventure-based learning and mentoring program designed to help young people from Brisbane and surrounding suburbs aged 13–17 who are at risk of suicide, face exclusion from school, come from broken homes or are locked into cycles of addiction. Youth for Christ South Australia No Limits – an activity-based early-intervention learning program for at-risk young women in Years 9–11. This program will enhance the life opportunities of the young participants and, through a ‘train the trainer’ component, will foster the introduction of activity-based programs in other settings. YWCA of Sydney Mum Dad Baby – parents from Shoalhaven have developed this guide to parenting. It is proposed to use this publication as a ‘textbook’ for groups of similar parents in the disadvantaged East Nowra and Ambervale/ Campbelltown communities.

$10,000

$6,100

$40,000

(ﬁrst payment of an $80,000 commitment over two years)

Sub-total Community Wellbeing

$2,933,685

Interest Free Loan (IFL) Scheme St Vincent de Paul Society Northern Sydney NILS Northern Sydney St Vincent de Paul – to extend the NILS program offered by St Vincent de Paul Society Northern Sydney, and provide loans to additional applicants.

$20,000

Total IFL

$20,000

Total Community Wellbeing

$2,953,685

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

THE ALEC PRENTICE SEWELL GIFT Providing Opportunities For Children

CORA BARCLAY CENTRE SOUTH AUSTRALIA $37,500 to Sound Connections – Support for Families with Deaf Children Ms Robyn Phillips, Program Manager www.corabarclay.com.au

Mr Alec Prentice Sewell (1909–2003) of Toolangi, Victoria, bequeathed a large part of his estate to The Ian Potter Foundation and expressed a wish that it be used for the ‘maintenance, education, welfare and benefit in life of needy children’. The Governors of The Ian Potter Foundation have chosen to honour his memory by making grants in his name to benefit needy children and young people, and by defining ‘needy children’ as those who are disadvantaged by virtue of their economic, social, physical or geographical circumstances. The goal of the grants is to provide children and young people with access to programs and experiences that will increase the likelihood of their reaching their full potential.

Teaching parents to teach their children leads to success Sound Connections is an innovative program that responds to the new generation of infants identiﬁed as deaf at birth through recently introduced universal newborn hearing screening. Research and experience have demonstrated that the earlier a baby is diagnosed with a hearing loss and ﬁtted with corrective hearing aids, the more likely it is that the baby will develop speech. Research also demonstrates that parents can be excellent teachers of their deaf babies, as long as they know what to do.

• To support projects that will address the needs of socially or economically disadvantaged children and young people

The Sound Connections pilot program, to be run over nine months in the metropolitan and nearby rural areas of Adelaide, will be offered primarily via fortnightly home visits by an auditory verbal therapist. Home visits allow the therapist to encourage speech and language learning at home through the use of equipment and toys. During the home visits the therapist is able to teach parents how to continue this work between visits, and can also assess the support needs of the family and make appropriate referrals. After the ﬁrst year of home-visiting involvement with Sound Connections, the parents and their child will be offered an ongoing centre-based program.

• To support projects designed to improve the literacy of disadvantaged children and young people

The grant will assist with the travel and salary costs of the auditory verbal therapist.

Funding Objectives • To support projects that will lay the foundation for future positive health, social and educational outcomes for disadvantaged children and young people

• To support projects that provide opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people to learn about and care for the environment

Above Mother and child learning together with Sound Connections The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

THE EXODUS FOUNDATION NEW SOUTH WALES $100,000 to The Exodus Foundation – Ashﬁeld School of Arts (part of a commitment of $200,000 over two years) Reverend Bill Crews www.billcrews.com.au

Literacy is one of the keys to social inclusion The Exodus Foundation was established in 1986 by the Reverend Bill Crews of the Ashfield Uniting Church to meet the needs of homeless youth and other people in need. One of its most successful programs is the Schoolwise MULTILIT® (Making Up Lost Time In LITeracy) Program, which fast tracks the reading skills of children in Years 5 and 6 who have cognitive literacy skills equivalent to those of a child in Year 2 or below. The aim is to get students to the reading level of the average 10-year-old, recognised as the level that will serve the student for life. Many students exceed this level and, within one year of commencing the MULTILIT® course, reach the same reading level as their peers. Children are identified through local schools and are encouraged by the schools to enrol in the free twenty-week program. Buses from Exodus collect students from their schools at 8:30 am and return them at 11.30 am. Ninety-six per cent of participants go on to complete high school, and all participants are able to avoid the lifelong difficulties they would have experienced because of their illiteracy. In 2006 The Exodus Foundation was given the Ashfield School of Arts, an adjacent building which had not been used for thirty years and required extensive renovations. This building was given to The Exodus Foundation because of its capacity to relocate and grow its very successful Schoolwise MULTILIT® Program. In June 2007 The Exodus Foundation applied to The Ian Potter Foundation for a grant of $400,000 to assist with the refurbishment of the School of Arts. A grant of $200,000 over two years was made, subject to the balance of funds being obtained from other sources. The first instalment was paid in August 2007. When completed the School of Arts Redevelopment Project will house The Exodus Foundation’s Schoolwise program. The contribution from the Alec Prentice Sewell Gift will allow the program to relocate to an expanded purpose-built facility which will make it possible to offer four classes per year rather than the current two. The larger space will also enable Exodus to undertake onsite training of teachers, and to develop other programs related to homeless youth. Over the long term, the grant from the Alec Prentice Sewell Gift will extend the school engagement strategies to underprivileged children from a wider area, enabling more young people to experience a life of different possibilities.

Above A student participates in the Exodus Foundation’s Schoolwise MULTILIT® program Left Extensive renovations are required before the Schoolwise program can be relocated

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

OPEN FAMILY AUSTRALIA VICTORIA $47,350 for Shooting Goals for Children – a new junior Redskins basketball program Ms Sue Renkin, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer www.openfamily.com.au

Young teams gear up for success The success of a basketball club for older girls and boys led to younger members of their families wanting their own teams. The leaders of the Redskins recognised that there was a real need to provide similar experiences for younger children and requested funding for the establishment of a junior Redskins basketball program. In July 2007 the Alec Prentice Sewell Gift made a grant to establish the program for children aged under 12. The grant covered the registration fees for one hundred children to join the Sunshine Basketball Association, provided a club uniform for each child, covered coaching costs and the necessary first aid kit. The club is situated in a disadvantaged area of Melbourne with a large population of recent immigrants from Africa and East Timor. Children are referred to the club by the Western English Language School and their primary schools, as well as the local police. Membership of the club allows the children to benefit from the sense of belonging to a successful organisation that promotes pro-social skills and self-respect at the same time as it develops basketball and teamwork skills, physical fitness, health and general knowledge. A secondary gain has been the strengthening of family and community connectedness through the involvement of parents and other family members in the club.

Above A Redskins player shows determination and skill Left Young Redskins strike a pose

ALEC PRENTICE SEWELL GIFT GRANTS PAID 2007–2008 Alec Prentice Sewell – Community Wellbeing Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare Inc The Centre Scholarship Program – scholarships to allow young people leaving state care to continue their education.

Alec Prentice Sewell – Education $26,968

(ﬁrst payment of an $80,900 commitment over three years)

Children’s Protection Society Inc The Doula Project – weekly supportive home visits by trained volunteer ‘doulas’ (wise women) to young women and families at risk of having children taken into care.

$90,237

(ﬁrst payment of a $270,710 commitment over three years)

Cora Barclay Centre Sound Connections – weekly home visits by auditory verbal therapists to help parents of hearing impaired infants learn how to work with their babies to optimise their oral language development. Open Family Australia Shooting Goals for Children – the establishment of a new junior Redskins basketball program. Uniforms, registration fees and ﬁrst aid kits will be provided to children from a disadvantaged area to allow them to participate in the local basketball competition. Total Community Wellbeing – Alec Prentice Sewell

Queensland Museum Archie’s Shipwreck Adventure – increased nature-based childhood education delivered via an interactive display at the Museum of Tropical Queensland.

$50,000

The Exodus Foundation Ashﬁeld School of Arts – restoration of the old Ashﬁeld School of Arts building to provide extra space for the delivery of the outstanding MULTILIT® program.

$100,000

(ﬁrst payment of a $200,000 commitment over two years)

$37,500

Total Education – Alec Prentice Sewell

$150,000

Total Alec Prentice Sewell

$352,055

$47,350

$202,055 The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

Historically, grants in the area of Education have been strongly influenced by other funding areas, in particular Environment and Conservation, the Arts and Community Wellbeing. Over the past two years the Foundation has had an opportunity to fund programs that help deliver better educational outcomes for diverse audiences. The Foundation has funded programs that reflect our commitment to finding innovative ways to encourage wider involvement, greater engagement and lifelong learning opportunities. Through the support of innovation and research, the Foundation continues to support projects that examine barriers to providing the wider community with the best possible educational outcomes.

Funding Objectives • To support educational policy research of outstanding quality • To support educational programs of beneﬁt to the general community Current funding priorities include: • early childhood education • volunteerism in schools and communities • school–family linkages • science education • education in rural and regional areas.

Exclusions Education grants are limited by the fact that government primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, preschools and special education providers do not have Deductible Gift Recipient status for educational programs, and therefore are not eligible to apply for funding. The Foundation does not fund school building funds.

Left School students experiencing the excitement of being a scientist working in the Discovery Centre’s laboratory

Education The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

JESUIT SOCIAL SERVICES VICTORIA $7,500 for Engaging Parents in Australian Education Settings

BENDIGO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MUSEUM INC VICTORIA $47,500 to the ScienceLab @ Discovery

Ms Marika Miles, Project Ofﬁcer www.jss.org.au

Ms Karen Bryce, Discovery Manager www.discovery.asn.au

Giving every child the best possible start to life

Hands-on learning opportunities for science students in regional Victoria.

Three years ago a federally funded program set out to ﬁnd out why families living in disadvantaged communities tended not to access the family support services available in their areas. The research, called REACH Conversation Starters, found that many more families would be keen to access the support services should professionals working there behave in a way that made them feel welcome and comfortable.

A grant from The Ian Potter Foundation has helped the Discovery Science & Technology Centre in Bendigo create a hands-on classroom/laboratory with a particular emphasis on Years 3–8, where in-school laboratory access is least likely.

The potential long-term educational, health and wellbeing beneﬁts derived from parents and early childhood professionals having meaningful relationships are profound. Jesuit Social Services recognised that improving the capacity of family support service professionals to engage with parents was an important area for development. Funding from The Ian Potter Foundation is allowing the development and distribution of an audiovisual training resource and interactive CD ROM that encourages meaningful relationships between parents and children. The resource demonstrates how service professionals can work in partnership with parents to have a positive impact on child learning, behaviour and family cohesion. The resource is based on a United States tool kit that is already available in Australia and has been shown to be successful in assisting family support staff to develop innovative programs that foster meaningful relationships with parents. The redevelopment of the resource within the Australian context will help make it more user-friendly and relevant.

The Centre focuses on creating a fun and positive ﬁrst-time laboratory experience and introduction to chemical, biological and physical sciences for school-age children. While it is documented that fewer city-based secondary school students are choosing to take prerequisites for university courses in maths, engineering and science, this problem is even more profound in rural and regional areas. The creation of a hands-on science learning environment and classroom within a regional setting will provide more young people with the opportunity to learn about and enjoy science. It is hoped that in the long term this may translate into greater secondary and eventually university science participation. This project was completed successfully in early 2008 and the lab is now up and running. The lab itself was developed within a converted railway building on the cusp of the Bendigo CBD. Transport links to the centre are excellent, with the central station located directly opposite. Transport access has ensured the success of the Centre’s laboratory holiday programs and will continue to provide excellent access to the wider community.

Above Discovery Centre’s Education Ofﬁcer Phil Spark watches over some of Australia’s future scientists

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

TRAVELLERS AID SOCIETY OF VICTORIA VICTORIA $7,500 to Pathways to Education Ms Jodie Willmer, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer www.travellersaid.org.au

Simply getting to school can be a challenge for some young people Travellers Aid Society of Victoria has been offering assistance to travellers in need since 1916. The Ian Potter Foundation has been a long-time supporter of Travellers Aid and the many varied programs the organisation provides. One of the newer services offered by Travellers Aid is the Pathways to Education program. The program provides students with the most basic resource they require in order to fulfil their potential – physical access to education. For many young people living in difficult circumstances the cost of travel to and from school can be a significant burden. With the grant from the Foundation, Travellers Aid is able to provide long-term travel passes to young people in need. The yearly and half yearly travel passes will ensure that these young people have access not only to their schools, but also to their social networks and communities. The program is helping to reduce the education burden on low income families and to ensure that young people remain connected to their communities and their education and training.

LEARNING LINKS NEW SOUTH WALES $6,578 to Reading for Life Dr Danielle Tracey, Director, School Age Services www.learninglinks.org.au

Learning from the experience ‘‘The program was God-sent. It’s nice to have these children getting some extra help. They’re the ones I call the limbo kids, they sort of get left behind.’’ Teacher, 2007 participating school Studies have shown that adults with low literacy skills are seven times more likely to be poor and four to five times more likely to require public assistance and be unemployed. Providing children with the skills to both master and enjoy reading is fundamental to ensuring a positive future. Learning Links is a charity that supports children and young people with learning difficulties, disabilities and/or development delays. The Reading for Life program marries up schools and volunteers who have been professionally trained to deliver an effective and fun program one-on-one with an aim to improve children’s reading, self-esteem and confidence. A small grant from the Foundation is helping to ensure the continuing success of the project in 2008. Learning Links is currently embarking on a research study with the University of Western Sydney that will allow them to investigate the long-term impact of the Reading for Life program. The Foundation is committed to supporting projects with a strong focus on evaluation.

Above This fun one-on-one program improves children’s reading skills Left Young people have access to travel passes to enable them to travel to and from school. Photograph Christian Pearson The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

EDUCATION GRANTS PAID 2007–2008

WUNAN FOUNDATION WESTERN AUSTRALIA $50,000 to the Connections Program (part of a commitment of $100,000 over two years) Mr Murray Coates, General Manager, East Kimberley Pathways www.wunan.org.au

Community groups come together to reconnect young people with education

Wunan Foundation’s key strategic priorities range from delivering education and employment programs for young people to providing accommodation and support for individuals undertaking traineeships, employment and education within the East Kimberley region. The Connections Program aims to re-engage disconnected young people aged 13 –19 with education and provide them with the ability to participate in further education, training and employment. The main focus is on young Aboriginal girls and boys who have no interest in Australian Rules football. The Connections Program is delivered out of a youth services building, which is non-threatening and close to the local TAFE and training organisations in Kununurra. By addressing the issue of youth disengagement from the mainstream education system or employment, the Program aims to ﬁll a signiﬁcant gap. It is designed to leverage extensive community partnerships and enhance Wunan Foundation’s existing socio-economic development programs. Funding from The Ian Potter Foundation is being used to provide a youth worker to assist young people overcome pastoral and personal barriers to meeting their educational and employment potential. The Connections Program enjoys excellent partnership support from the Commonwealth Government, the local TAFE, Kununurra High School, Youth Pathways and Kimberley Training Group further strengthening the project outcomes.

Ardoch Youth Foundation Ardoch Education Support Project – Primary School Component – funding towards the ﬁrst year piloting of a project coordinator to work at Port Melbourne Primary.

$50,000

(ﬁrst payment of a $100,000 commitment over two years)

Bendigo Science and Technology Museum Inc ScienceLab @ Discovery – the creation of a science laboratory for hands-on student participation at Discovery.

$47,500

Charles Darwin University The Ian Potter Principal Research Fellow in Education Economics – additional grant – funding to ﬁnalise the research and publication of The Ian Potter Principal Research Fellow at Charles Darwin University.

$13,000

Collections Council of Australia Publication of the inaugural National Standards for Australian Museums and Galleries – the creation of a publication outlining the agreed National Standards.

$10,000

Jesuit Social Services Engaging Parents in Australian Education Settings – the creation of a program to assist family support services in connecting with disadvantaged families.

$7,500

Learning Links Reading for Life – a program to marry up trained volunteers in schools with students who would beneﬁt from supported reading programs.

$6,578

National Trust of Australia (Victoria) A Melbourne Couturier: Robert Frizlaff 1950–1970 – the creation of an educational catalogue for the National Trust exhibition of the work and design of Robert Frizlaff.

$8,980

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation Ltd The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Centre – Feasibility Study – a study into the movement of the Garden Foundation into new premises to allow greater educational access.

$10,000

The Council of Christians and Jews (Victoria) Inc Inter-Cultural Connections Through Story – development of a performance and workshop presentation for upper primary and lower secondary students that centres around stories from the cultural traditions of Jews, Christians and Muslims. The University of Melbourne, Asialink Centre The Ian Potter Foundation Asialink Scholarship Program – scholarships to allow leaders from the non-proﬁt sector to participate in the Asialink Leaders Program.

$50,000

$100,000

(ﬁrst payment of a $300,000 commitment over three years)

Travellers Aid Society of Victoria Pathways to Education – funding towards a program that provides Metlink passes for disadvantaged students.

$7,500

Victoria University of Technology: Arts, Education and Human Development Boarding Schools and Aboriginal Education: Forging a National Research Partnership – support for a roundtable session to discuss issues around boarding school education for Aboriginal students from remote areas. Wunan Foundation Connections Program – to keep at-risk students in Kununurra, WA, at school while providing them with work-ready skills.

$10,000

$50,000

(ﬁrst payment of a $100,000 commitment over two years)

Above Connections participants worked with some of the Kimberley’s most successful Indigenous artists from the Waringarri Arts Centre to produce a folio of their own work

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

Yalari Limited Support for the purchase of a 12-seater bus – the purchase of a vehicle to assist Yalari in providing transport to Indigenous scholarship holders in NSW and Queensland.

$40,758

Total Education

$411,816

The Guitars for Schools scheme aims to provide free musical instruments to students in low socio-economic areas so they can continue their music practice outside of school hours, in their own home and on their own instrument. The program aims to reward schools that provide their students with an active music program and are committed to providing music specialists on staff. Guitars for Schools ensures that promising musical students are rewarded and supported, regardless of their economic backgrounds. An application in early 2007 to The Ian Potter Foundation sought funding to expand Guitars for Schools from Victoria-only into South Australia. The application also sought assistance to establish ‘master classes’ for talented young people while also increasing the web-based resources available to students and participating schools. Importantly, the project brief included a strong research focus to ensure that the long-term impact of the program on students, teachers and school communities was measured.

DOWN THE TRACK

MUSIC COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA VICTORIA $25,850 to Guitars for Schools Ms Tina Broad, Campaign Manager www.musicplayforlife.org

The Council’s initial expectation was that sixty additional students from South Australia would be brought into the program, but that figure was significantly exceeded. The project expanded to include an additional thirty students from rural New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, resulting in a total of ninety students who benefited directly from the Foundation’s grant. In another unanticipated development, the program was able to expand beyond schools, to include school-age students in two South Australian youth detention centres. This development came about via a strong partnership with the South Australian Department of Education, which provides teachers to service the music programs at the detention centres. A successful master class for forty-five students and teachers built on the success of the established Victorian program. The weekend master class ran as a band workshop, with keyboard, songwriting and jam sessions complementing the guitar skill tuition. An advanced program that includes the support of celebrity musicians such as Mia Dyson has also been developed with the assistance of the grant. An online resource for students has been successfully completed and is available at www.guitarsforschools.org.au. Students are now able to upload their own songs and recordings, use practice journals and provide feedback on what they are learning, listening to and who they admire. Importantly, the research and evaluation elements of the program are now in place and will record the long-term impacts of the projects for all those participating.

Above Warriapendi Secondary School students Matthew and Noel are presented with their guitars. Photograph James Knowler Left Kilburn Primary School students Hayden and Colin share their excitement after being presented with their guitars. Photograph James Knowler The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

The Potter name in the Environment & Conservation area is perhaps most synonymous with the funding of an ‘exercise in farm planning’, which would become known as the Potter Farmland Plan. Twenty years on, the Potter Farmland Plan continues to inﬂuence the agenda for funding by the Foundation. Sustainable development of land and land management practices remain at the forefront of the Foundation’s funding guidelines and practices. The Foundation believes that community, government and business partnerships are the key to solving the great environmental challenges of our time. The Ian Potter Foundation continues to support and promote the funding of research and on-the-ground works that promote the preservation of species and increase public awareness of the environmental challenges facing Australian communities.

Funding Objectives • 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 that 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 that are threatened with serious economic hardship due to the degradation of land and water resources, and to develop policies to manage the social, economic and cultural changes needed for survival • To assist projects designed to preserve the built environment that has cultural signiﬁcance

Left Sea Anemone, Epiactis australiensis/Epiactis thomsoni

Environment & Conservation The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

DOLPHIN RESEARCH INSTITUTE LTD VICTORIA $25,000 to the response to multiple deaths and disease of Victorian coastal Bottlenose Dolphins in the Gippsland Lakes Mr Jeff Weir, Director www.dolphinresearch.org.au

Protecting the health and wellbeing of our marine environment Nine dolphins have died in Victoria’s Gippsland Lakes since November 2006, some heavily covered with fist-sized fungal skin lesions that had penetrated deep into the dolphins’ blubber layer. Initial monitoring by the Dolphin Research Institute (DRI) in December 2007 revealed that up to one-third of the dolphins in some groups were significantly affected by the skin lesions. Inadequate understanding of the nature of the disease and the population dynamics of the Gippsland Lakes dolphins make it difficult to assess both the significance of the deaths and the potential for the disease to spread.

Above Victorian coastal Bottlenose Dolphins in the Gippsland Lakes

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

Monash University is a key partner in this project, with academic support provided via a research committee. A recent Monash University graduate student project supported by DRI has provided some crucial early understandings around the toxin levels in Victorian waters that may be impacting on dolphins. Funding from The Ian Potter Foundation is helping DRI, their volunteers and university partners to gain a clearer understanding of the current population dynamics and the nature and cause of the disease among the Gippsland Lakes dolphins. The research will go some way to highlighting issues affecting the health and wellbeing of not only Victoria’s dolphin population but also the marine environment.

MARINE CARE – RICKETTS POINT INC VICTORIA $10,000 to develop a pictorial book revealing Victoria’s natural marine world Mr Hakan Dellal, Vice President

Creating opportunities to learn about and access our magniﬁcent marine environment Marine Care – Ricketts Point with the support of the Foundation is currently embarking on the creation of a pictorial book that will provide greater insight and interpretation of Victoria’s natural marine beauty. The book will be particularly useful for snorkellers, recreational beachgoers, local communities and marine enthusiasts. It is hoped that once completed the book will encourage people to use the easy-to-master skill of snorkelling to learn more about their local marine environment. Special underwater photography will highlight selected marine sanctuaries, national parks, marine life and vegetation of interest. The book will also provide information and guidance on how to access and enjoy protected marine areas, allowed recreational activities, and details on how to care for and protect these environments. The book will complement the already successful outreach work undertaken by volunteers at Marine Care – Ricketts Point.

Above Left Spider Crabs, Leptomithrax gaimardii Above Right Big-belly Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis Right Blue Blubber Sea Jelly, Catostylus mosaicus

MERRI CREEK MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE VICTORIA $16,100 to Out on a Limb – Reaching out to schools in distant waterways

ENVIRONMENT DEFENDERS OFFICE LTD (VIC) VICTORIA $17,517 towards EnviroLaw.org.au (national component)

Ms Angela Foley, Catchment Programs www.mcmc.org.au

Ms Mandy Johnson, Administration and Project Coordinator www.edo.org.au/edovic

Inspiring students about local environmental diversity

Empowering communities to take action on changes to their environment

Out on a Limb is an education project designed to extend the reach of Merri Creek Management Committee’s (MCMC) environmental programs with schools. MCMC has a long history of working with schools and local communities to help people gain a better understanding of their indigenous environments. In the past MCMC has focused on working with schools in relatively close proximity to creek environs, enabling easy connection with the indigenous landscapes that MCMC works to conserve. Out on a Limb will offer established MCMC activities in the form of school incursions and excursions to extend, stimulate and develop catchment and geographic awareness for schools not close to waterways. This program offers students a great opportunity to learn about diverse landscapes and put their understanding to work within their own school environment.

The Environment Defenders Ofﬁce (EDO) in Victoria primarily works to support members of the community who may face social or economic barriers to accessing legal advice relating to environmental issues they are confronting in their communities. The EDO relies on the support of volunteers and the provision of pro bono assistance from legal and other professionals.

Left ‘The engagement philosophy underpinning Out on a Limb is to guide students into lesser known natural areas and have them ﬁnd a sense of place and connection through a series of activities with many outcomes including these tiny detailed sketches.’ Angela Foley, Catchment Programs Leader for Merri Creek Management Committee Right Northcote Primary School students responded with wonder and concentration to Merri Park Wetland as part of a series of interactions with Merri Creek Management Committee

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

Funding from The Ian Potter Foundation and the Victorian Law Foundation is helping the EDO to create an environmental law wiki that will allow solicitors and barristers with particular expertise to feed directly into a national online version of the EDO’s popular environmental laws publications. Once ‘live’ the website will be an invaluable source of information and legal knowledge on important environmental issues affecting communities. The wiki will empower individuals and communities to make decisions and take action. The site will also have a national focus, allowing users and volunteers a clearer view on legal issues within each State.

UNIVERSITY OF THE SUNSHINE COAST: SCIENCE, HEALTH AND EDUCATION QUEENSLAND $24,220 to the Fraser Island Young Explorer project Professor Greg Hill, Deputy Vice-Chancellor www.usc.edu.au

Experience brings environmental science research to life The Fraser Island Young Explorer project will offer socio-economically disadvantaged Year 7 school students the opportunity to participate in ‘real’ environmental science on Fraser Island, Queensland. The project will give the students, supported by scientists at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), the chance to monitor and report scientific findings for their own school-based projects and contribute to a long-term global research project on the challenges of environmental stability. Students will stay at USC accommodation in the Dilli Village Environmental Education Camp on the island for five days, working with and learning from university researchers. Funding from the Foundation will significantly subsidise the camp, ensuring that there are no financial barriers to student participation in the project.

Top Rainforest walk beside crystal clear Wanggoolba Creek at Central Station, a former logging camp and now ranger and information station. Photograph © Dr Christian Jones Above Wreck of the luxury cruise ship Maheno, driven ashore in a cyclone in 1935, while being towed to Japan. Photograph © Dr Christian Jones The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS VICTORIA $1.25 million to the Australian Garden Project – Stage 2 (part of a commitment of $5 million over four years) Dr Phillip Moors, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer www.rbg.vic.gov.au

Celebrating the beauty and diversity of Australian landscapes and plants The ﬁrst stage of Australia’s newest and most remarkable botanic garden, the Australian Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG) Cranbourne, opened in 2006. Set within 363 hectares of natural bushland and heath on the Cranbourne site, the spectacular new garden is being created to display native plants in the evocative context of the landscapes of this continent. The fundamental aim of the Australian Garden is to reveal and celebrate the beauty and diversity of Australian plants. It also has the more practical aim of encouraging the cultivation of native plants in home gardens. Alongside the natural landscape features and plantings there are thematic Exhibition Gardens that demonstrate ways of using native plants in suburban gardens. These dual aims are also evident in its central focus on water, making it truly a garden for the times. The garden is designed around the concept of the presence and absence of water in the Australian landscape, and visitors will be able to make a metaphorical journey from the arid centre to the coastal wetlands. Visitors will also make discoveries about the use and conservation of water, about low water use plants suitable for their own gardens and about the practice of sustainable gardening.

As with Stage 1, the western side of the garden will reflect natural landscape influences. In this area the Eucalypt Walk will be extended to enclose the new Ian Potter Lakeside Precinct – named in recognition of the Foundation’s significant support for the Australian Garden. The Precinct will be a large event space, with capacity for some 1,500 people, suitable for festivals, functions, live music and theatre. It will bring to RBG Cranbourne and the surrounding City of Casey a major new community benefit. Along the eastern side of Stage 2, visitors will follow the waterside path of the River Bend Walk to the North and South Display Gardens, past the striking Melaleuca Spits to the Continental Edge Gardens. The Display and Continental Edge Gardens give inspiration and examples for using Australian plants in contemporary domestic and public settings, with creating a sustainable future the key theme. In addition, Stage 2 of the Australian Garden also provides nearby a large new family picnic and recreation space, the Woodland Picnic Area, which opened in October 2008. Extensions to the Australian Garden’s Visitor Centre, commencing in November, will enlarge Boonerwurrung Café, create a new indoor function room for 130 people, and add an auditorium for educational and other activities.

The ﬁrst nine-hectare stage of the Australian Garden features the dramatic Red Sand Garden, spectacular Rockpool Waterway, the Eucalypt Walk, Dry River Bed and Arid Garden. Since its opening the new garden has attracted an increasing number of visitors – in the past year more than 58,000 – and also a rapidly increasing number of school students who participate in the RBG’s educational programs. The second stage, currently underway, will add another nine hectares to the Australian Garden and extend the amenities and services for visitors, tourists and the local community. A grant of $5 million from The Ian Potter Foundation in 2006 has helped the Royal Botanic Gardens leverage additional support for Stage 2 of the project, the most signiﬁcant of which was a $20.9 million commitment from the Victorian Government. The ‘potential to leverage’ is one of the key funding principles of The Ian Potter Foundation. The Foundation is happy to be one of many funders within a large project and is particularly keen to support organisations that are looking for funding leverage.

Opposite Page The Australian Garden, RBG Cranbourne. Photographs by Janusz Molinski. Reproduced courtesy of Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

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ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA INC $100,000 to the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby Recovery Program Dr David Taggart, Research Scientist www.adelaidezoo.com.au

Only two years ago the plight of the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby looked to be irrecoverable. The only species of rock wallaby found in South-Eastern Australia, the animal was extinct in the Australian Capital Territory and less than ten were known to be living in the wild in Victoria and New South Wales. Commercial hunting of Brush-tailed Rock Wallabies from 1884 to 1914 resulted in over 1.1 million bounties being paid in Victoria and New South Wales. By the end of the commercial hunting period the remaining population of Brush-tailed Rock Wallabies was facing the even greater ravages of new predators such as foxes, cats and wild dogs. At several points throughout the last century the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby was feared extinct in Victoria, only for local landholders in the Grampians and Gippsland to sight them once more. However, by the late 1990s the remaining Victorian populations had almost completely collapsed, with the last animals removed from their Grampian home and placed in captivity for breeding. Recognising the fragile state of the population in the mid 1990s, a group of experts from the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment, Parks Victoria, Healesville Sanctuary, The University of Melbourne, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Waterfall Springs and the Adelaide Zoo came together to form the Victorian Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby Recovery Team. The team set about creating a unique combination of new and conventional wildlife management techniques to not only protect but also reinvigorate the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby population in South-Eastern Australia. The combined cutting edge science and leadership within the program was enough to convince The Ian Potter Foundation to contribute $100,000 in early 2007. Over the past twelve months, that funding, with additional support from private donors and philanthropic foundations, has contributed to the remarkable recovery of the species.

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

The highlight of the past twelve months has been the success of the cutting edge science trialed to boost the wallaby numbers. At the forefront of this science is a cross-fostering program which sees the young of Brush-tailed Rock Wallabies transferred into the pouch of other wallaby species. The cross-fostering allows the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby to be reared until independence by the foster mother and frees the endangered Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby females to produce another young. This process is a world first in endangered species recovery, and in early 2008 the team was rewarded with the successful transfer of one male pouch young from Little River Gorge in East Gippsland to the Adelaide Zoo, the first successful transfer since 2003. The successful cross-fostering transfer is only one highlight of many in a successful twelve-month period for the Recovery Team. The success in the wild has been repeated in captivity with eight births already recorded in 2008. The period has also seen the expansion of the ‘hardening off’ enclosure in Dunkeld, which is specifically designed to prepare the animal for release into the wild, and further success in the intensified baiting program to rid colonies of non-natural predators. The Recovery Program continues to excite all those involved with it. Should the success of 2007 and early 2008 be repeated there is every chance the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby will continue its remarkable recovery.

Left Cross-fostered Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby pouch young. Reproduced courtesy of the Department of Sustainability and Environment Right Tiny Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby pouch young ready for transportation to a foster mother. Reproduced courtesy of the Department of Sustainability and Environment Opposite Page Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby. Reproduced courtesy of the Department of Sustainability and Environment

ENVIRONMENT & CONSERVATION GRANTS PAID 2007–2008 Australian Catholic University Restoration of Central Hall – restoration of ACU’s historic Central Hall, located in Fitzroy.

$216,766

(third payment of a commitment of up to $500,000 over four years)

Dolphin Research Institute Inc Response to multiple deaths and disease of Victorian coastal Bottlenose Dolphins in the Gippsland Lakes – early research work into the deaths and disease of Gippsland Lake dolphins, many of which are carrying unknown skin lesions. Environment Defenders Ofﬁce Ltd (Vic) EnviroLaw.org.au (national component) – the creation of an environmental law wiki to empower communities to make decisions about their environment. Gympie and District Landcare Group ‘KidZone’ Environmental Expo for Young Children – Extension Project – the production of a detailed manual on organising a ‘KidZone’ Environmental Education event, based on experiences of coordinating this event from 2001–2007. Karkana Support Services Purchase and installation of a desalination plant for the market garden – assistance to purchase a desalination plant for Karkana to offset the water shortages facing the Horsham area. Keep Australia Beautiful (NSW) Knowledge Bank website – creation of a free web-based resource to assist community groups to successfully undertake environment and conservation projects. Marine Care – Ricketts Point Inc A pictorial book revealing Victoria’s natural marine world – to develop a pictorial guide and representation of Port Phillip Bay’s natural beauty in order to sustain its resources for the future. Through photographic representation, the project aims to highlight and expose Victoria’s marine biodiversity.

Newman College, Parkville Stonework restoration at Newman College – the restoration of the historic Newman College at The University of Melbourne.

$100,000

(ﬁnal payment of a $200,000 commitment over two years)

$25,000

Royal Botanic Gardens Australian Garden Project (Cranbourne) – Stage 2 of the Australian Garden incorporating the ﬁnal ten hectares of gardens.

$1,250,000

(second payment of a $5,000,000 commitment over four years)

$17,517

$5,000

$15,000

$6,000

$10,000

Merri Creek Management Committee Out on a Limb – Reaching out to schools in distant waterways – the program $16,100 will offer established MCMC activities in the form of school incursions and excursions to extend, stimulate and develop catchment and geographic awareness for schools not close to waterways.

RMIT University Beyond the Potter Farmland: Learning from the past – adapting for the future – the project tackles, in an organised and integrated manner, the complex challenges that are obstacles to developing sustainability strategies at the implementation level.

$60,000

Royal Zoological Society of South Australia Inc The Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby Recovery Program – support for the recovery program aimed at protecting the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby in South-Eastern Australia from extinction.

$100,000

St Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne Conservation of tessellated tiled floor of St Paul’s Cathedral – scoping work and early restoration of William Butterfield’s magnificent tessellated tiles at St Paul’s.

$50,000

The Organ Historical Trust of Australia Reconstruction of two of the three windchests of the 1875 William Hill & Son organ – the ﬁnal stages of the overall reconstruction of this historic organ in South Australia.

$40,000

University of the Sunshine Coast Fraser Island Young Explorer project – to provide young people in Queensland with an opportunity to participate in direct scientiﬁc research on Fraser Island.

$24,220

Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc Laptop and internet hosting – purchase of a laptop and ﬁve years of website hosting for the certiﬁcation of a Wildlife Friendly Backyard Habitat.

$2,050

Total Environment & Conservation

$1,937,653

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

One of the Foundation’s key funding principles focuses on prevention; we seek to fund projects that address the causes of problems rather than treat the symptoms. In no other funding area is this principle more important than in Health. The Foundation looks to support programs that help prevent disease and are forward-thinking in their strategies to advance community practice and approaches to health delivery. The Foundation is also acutely aware of the need to provide solutions and address issues of quality of life for those individuals living with chronic illness. As such we are interested in supporting innovative, replicable programs that improve the delivery of services and quality of life to individuals living with an illness or disability.

Funding Objectives • 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 that are substantially funded by government or major public health organisations • equipment and services that should properly be provided for in the usual operation of the hospital or health facility.

Left At Kununurra District High School Clontarf Football Academy students learn to cook and serve lunch to program participants and staff

Health 46

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

THE EPILEPSY FOUNDATION OF VICTORIA INC VICTORIA $15,000 to provide culturally relevant and

MULTICULTURAL CENTRE FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH VICTORIA $50,000 to the Diabetes Healthy Living Project: Diabetes

accessible epilepsy information

Prevention Education for Immigrant Women’s Health and Wellbeing

Mr Jeremy Maxwell, Development Manager www.epinet.org.au

Translations help break down barriers “These translations will be a fantastic resource for so many communities here in Victoria. For the first time they will have written materials that not only cover first aid for seizures but explain our services and how we can help them. Our health system can be a daunting prospect so having this material will allow them to gain access quickly to us.” Jeremy Maxwell Epilepsy affects people of all ages, nationalities and social backgrounds. The Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria provides a comprehensive range of services to people living with epilepsy. These services include the provision of public education, advocacy, employment programs, recreational support, individual and group counselling, support for medical and psychosocial research, and accessible, comprehensive epilepsy information. The Epilepsy Foundation has two essential brochures: Seizure First Aid and Our Services, currently available in English, Cantonese and Mandarin. The Foundation plans to translate these important documents into 18 languages to provide culturally relevant and accessible information to Victorians who speak limited or no English. This will provide people with epilepsy and their families with user-friendly information; reduce the already significant barriers people with epilepsy face; and make it easier for people with epilepsy to access appropriate services.

Dr Adele Murdolo, Executive Director www.mcwh.com.au

Bridging the cultural divide in diabetes “The key difference with the Diabetes Prevention Education program is that it will provide information to women in their own languages. Women are central as conduits for passing information around communities as well as improving the health of their families. The Ian Potter funds have allowed this sought-after program to ﬁnally be provided.” Dr Adele Murdolo The Diabetes Healthy Living Project will provide multilingual information and education to culturally and linguistically diverse background (CALDB) women in Victoria about diabetes prevention and strategies to promote healthier lifestyles. The project will target women from communities that have a high incidence of type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes. The education sessions will be provided to women who are working from home, or in informal employment such as outwork, unpaid caring, or in seasonal employment. The project will develop a new diabetes education and prevention component as part of the Centre’s existing health promotion and education programs for CALDB women. The Diabetes Healthy Living Project will be provided in a range of community languages to meet the needs of women whose ﬁrst language is not English. This approach will enable the program to reach women who would otherwise be unlikely to receive quality information about diabetes-related issues, preventative strategies and available services. The pilot project will run from June 2008 to June 2009.

The Ian Potter Foundation believes in strengthening communities by supporting inclusive programs. Left Lisa Rath (EFV counsellor) shows Zaeneb Abdul Said (Iraqi refugee) the ﬁrst aid translation Right Members of the Diabetes Healthy Living Project Team, L to R: Amira Rahmanovic (MCWH Education and Training Manager), Dr Regina Quiazon (Victoria University Diabetes Education Project Ofﬁcer) and Carolyn Poljski (MCWH Diabetes Healthy Living Project Worker) The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

INNER SOUTH COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICE INC VICTORIA $50,000 to support the Indigenous Health Outreach Program Mr Eamonn O’Toole, Coordinator, Indigenous Access & Equity Program www.ischs.org.au

Inclusive healthcare model to improve outcomes for Indigenous community “The feedback [about the new program] has been positive and many untreated conditions are now diagnosed and people are on treatment regimes.” Eamonn O’Toole

The Inner South Community Health Service is a mainstream health organisation with a strong focus on marginalised groups. The aim of the Indigenous Health Outreach Program is to improve health outcomes for the local Indigenous community in the St Kilda area of Melbourne by providing a friendlier model of care. The project will increase GP and nurse hours to a full day each week to respond to the increasing demand from the local Indigenous community. Every second week the program will use the organisation’s Health Bus to run outreach clinics. The GP and nurse will travel to regular gathering areas of the local Indigenous community to deliver primary health care services. Once a month these outreach clinics will include other allied health services, such as a podiatrist, physiotherapist and counsellors. The program will also complete health checks on clients, refer clients to outpatient clinics and assist with Medicare registration. This important project may provide a model of medical care for Indigenous communities that could be used in other areas.

Above GP practice nurse, Nuala, administering the inﬂuenza vaccine at Our Rainbow Place

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

RURAL HEALTH EDUCATION FOUNDATION AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY $10,000 to the Strong series, programs 3 and 4: Stay Strong and Strong and Deadly Mr Don Perlgut, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer www.rhef.com.au

Communication fosters knowledge and strength for rural health promotion “Through this project, strong connections have been established with the community itself, and the residents have expressed this in their repeated and heartfelt invitation for return visits.” Don Perlgut For more than sixteen years, the Rural Health Education Foundation has been working to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians in rural and remote areas by providing accessible distance education to general practitioners, pharmacists, nurses, Indigenous health workers and other health care professionals. Funding from The Ian Potter Foundation has contributed to the Rural Health Education Foundation’s groundbreaking television Strong series on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child and adolescent development: program 3, Stay Strong – Indigenous Child Health 6–12 years; and program 4, Strong and Deadly – Indigenous Adolescent Health 13–18 years.

The aim of the Strong series is to empower both Indigenous communities and health professionals working with them with information, knowledge and positive examples of ‘things that work’ in order to effect change at a community level. The Productivity Commission has identified ‘things that work’ as important in providing examples of sustainable change at a local level and in illustrating what may not be captured in national data. In particular, the objective of these two programs is to increase the health and wellbeing of Indigenous children and adolescents by providing high quality educational resources for health professionals and community members. The tyranny of distance continues to prove a financial challenge to producing educational programs that are relevant and meaningful to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, many of which are located in the most remote parts of Australia. Sending a film crew into very isolated areas of Australia to film case studies that add to the depth and relevance of Rural Health Education Foundation programs is time consuming, resource-heavy and costly. However, filming in these remote areas develops strong relationships with Indigenous communities and makes the resulting programs all the more effective. Without the support of The Ian Potter Foundation, the cost of this aspect of programming would be prohibitive.

Left Danila Dilba Youth Service teenage girls being interviewed about what they would like offered at Danila Dilba Right Ray Pascoe with one of his students at East Kimberley Primary Academy, which has been set up to engage boys at an early age The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

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THE AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WESTERN AUSTRALIA A commitment of $400,000 in 2001 (paid over two years) to establish a national research partnership focusing on child development and wellbeing Mr Lance Emerson, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer www.aracy.org.au

Creating a powerful force for innovative social change for Australia’s youth While Australia’s economic and technological progress has been strong over recent decades, these benefits have not resulted in significant improvements to the health and wellbeing of the nation’s young people. In fact, many of the key indicators that measure how young people are faring remain unchanged or are worsening. These include substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect, mental health, access to education, violent youth crime and substance abuse. The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) was founded by a group of eminent experts and organisations in response to worrying trends such as these. With seed funding from The Ian Potter Foundation ARACY recruited its first staff members and began operations. ARACY was able to leverage this initial funding to obtain additional financial support from government, other philanthropic and independent sources. ARACY now has a staff of nearly thirty across three cities and is vigorously pursuing a work plan that aims to create an Australian society in which all our children and young people have the opportunity to become the best they can be. ARACY has built a national membership comprising 325 organisations, 406 individuals, and nearly 1,000 subscribers. In addition, through the ARACY Research Network a further 262 network participants and 57 contributing organisations have joined in their activities. ARACY creates opportunities for members to share information and evidence. Because Australia is such a large country it can be difficult for researchers, practitioners and policy makers to share

their experience and knowledge. ARACY supports face-to-face meetings of members via workshops and conferences and is leading the use of technology to encourage cost-effective knowledge exchange across distance. Since inception, ARACY has taken the lead on a number of highly innovative national initiatives to improve outcomes for young people. These include: • Instigating the establishment of the National Data Network to encourage data sharing, link data sets and improve access to data. This provides a foundation for the best possible evidence base for policy decisions, and allows the best use of these resources for research. • Using internet-based seminars (webinars) and access grid technology to break down traditional barriers to communication over distance. This technology allows collaboration between policy makers, researchers and practitioners that would otherwise not be possible. • Launching the Commitment to Young Australians – a declaration that Australia needs to move towards a social, cultural, political and economic environment in which the wellbeing and development of all children and young people can be assured. More than 100 Australian organisations are signatories to the Commitment. With The Ian Potter Foundation support, ARACY has become one of the country’s most important research alliance organisations for children and young people.

Above Listening to young people – the launch of the Commitment to Young Australians Opposite Page Western Australian Commissioner for Children and Young People, Michelle Scott, at the signing of the Commitment to Young Australians

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

“The rates and types of problems that we are currently seeing in our children and youth are unprecedented. Complex problems require innovative solutions, but they have to be found quickly. That means bringing together the very best people and organisations to combine forces and collaborate in ways that haven’t been done before. That’s the ARACY challenge.” Professor Fiona Stanley, AC, Chairperson, ARACY

HEALTH GRANTS PAID 2007–2008 Bayside Health Service (Vic) (The Alfred Hospital) Research Centre for Medication Use and Safety – to establish this research centre.

$100,000

(ﬁnal payment of a $200,000 commitment over two years)

Inner South Community Health Service Inc Indigenous Health Outreach Program – a pilot project to improve health outcomes for a local Indigenous community and address urgent and acute medical needs.

Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health Diabetes Healthy Living Project: Diabetes Prevention Education for Immigrant Women’s Health and Wellbeing – to provide multilingual information and education to women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Victoria about diabetes prevention and strategies to promote healthier lifestyles.

$50,000

Rural Health Education Foundation Strong series, programs 3 and 4: Stay Strong and Strong and Deadly – this project will complete a groundbreaking series on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child development with the aim of increasing the health and wellbeing of Indigenous children and adolescents. The Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria Inc Providing culturally relevant and accessible epilepsy information – to fund a leaﬂet for epilepsy sufferers and their families with information in their own language to reduce the signiﬁcant barriers people with epilepsy face and to make it easier for them to access appropriate services. Total Health

$10,000

$15,000

$225,000

$50,000

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

The Foundation has a long history of supporting major medical research through grants to institutes such as the Howard Florey Institute, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, the Menzies School of Health Research, the Baker Medical Research Institute, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, as well as universities and hospitals across Australia.

Funding Objectives

The Foundation continues its commitment to supporting world class medical programs that utilise leading edge technology and involve internationally respected experts.

Exclusions

• 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

The Foundation will not normally support requests for funds for: • projects suitable for submission to the Australian Research Council (ARC) and/or the National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC) • salaries for researchers or research assistants and for equipment, which should be the subject of submissions to the ARC or the NH&MRC • purposes that 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 that would be awarded by the grant seeker to third parties • projects with an immediate or short-term expectation of commercial interest.

Left Children in Oenpelli community watch in wonder as a friend has her eyes checked.

Medical Research The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

ST VINCENT’S HOSPITAL MELBOURNE VICTORIA $100,000 to support a randomised controlled trial of a novel medical treatment program for cannabis dependence Professor Jon Currie, Professor of Addiction Medicine www.svhm.org.au

“There is an urgent need to develop more effective ways to assist people who have problems with cannabis. If successful, the results from the clinical trial that we are now able to undertake will offer our community a new, medically based treatment for cannabis-related problems.” Professor Jon Currie Current treatment for cannabis dependence focuses on psychological and counselling modalities such as cognitive behavioural therapies. The success rates with these treatment approaches are usually relatively limited, often achieving abstinence rates of only 10–15%. This is because the majority of people who use cannabis regularly experience severe and persistent withdrawal symptoms that prevent them from successfully stopping cannabis use. The commonly used counselling-based treatment modalities do not adequately address the distressing nature of this cannabis withdrawal syndrome, nor the underlying neurobiological abnormalities that are associated with cannabis dependence and withdrawal. The treatment program at St Vincent’s Hospital uses a combination of three medications that target the effects of cannabis on brain function, augmented with physical and psychological support that speciﬁcally targets the reality of cannabis withdrawal. Pharmacotherapy dosages are tailored according to clinical need and symptom, and are combined with a stepped-care model of nurse-based, symptom-focused, supportive counselling, with additional psychological treatment available if required. In clinical studies to date, 72% of 290 patients initially treated in a hospital outpatient clinic setting, and 67% of 160 patients subsequently treated in a nurse-based outpatient setting successfully achieved and maintained abstinence from cannabis at three months. The Ian Potter Foundation funding will be used to support a more extensive pilot project to assess the effectiveness of this new intervention for cannabis users.

Above Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones with a patient in the treatment program for cannabis dependence

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE VICTORIA $200,000 to the Indigenous Eye Health Program (part of a commitment of $1 million over ﬁve years) Professor Hugh Taylor, AC, Department of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences www.mdhs.unimelb.edu.au

Closing the gap in eye health for Indigenous Australians “Every Australian deserves quality eye care. The Potter Foundation grant will help us close the huge gap in vision care that exists for Indigenous Australians.” Professor Hugh Taylor Professor Hugh Taylor is leading The University of Melbourne’s Indigenous Eye Health Program. With the support of $1 million from The Ian Potter Foundation, the program aims to eradicate trachoma and redress the devastating inequity of Indigenous eye health in Australia. Since his pioneering days in the 1970s with friend and mentor Professor Fred Hollows, Hugh Taylor has been a passionate advocate for the health and wellbeing of our Indigenous communities. Today he is on a mission to eradicate a disease that has been wiped out in every developed country except Australia. The endemic poor eye health of our Indigenous community impacts greatly on life expectancy and quality of life, education outcomes and employment opportunities. Poor eye health is a powerful indicator of the difﬁculties Indigenous communities have in accessing health care. The Ian Potter Foundation is committed to assisting Professor Taylor in his quest and to ensuring that all Australians understand the devastating impact of poor eye health. The data relating to eye health in Indigenous Australia paints a distressing picture with reported blindness rates in Indigenous Australians ten times higher than in non-Indigenous Australians. Poor vision impedes healthy and independent living, can affect a child’s education and play, an adult’s work and leisure, and the likelihood of healthy aging. Unlike many illnesses and disabilities, most poor eye health is preventable. Professor Taylor invited Janet Hirst, CEO of The Ian Potter Foundation, to be a member of The University of Melbourne’s Indigenous Eye Health Advisory Board, which met for their inaugural meeting in May. The Board aims to develop key strategies to assist in the effective implementation of the program and advise on critical lobbying to the government for funding for Indigenous eye health. Professor Taylor is working tirelessly to spur the Commonwealth Government into action. He believes with concerted action and about $20 million from the government that active trachoma could be eradicated in Australia within three to ﬁve years.

Above Professor Hugh Taylor examining a man’s eyes for trachoma as part of The University of Melbourne’s Indigenous Eye Health Program The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

THE SUNDERLAND AWARD A commitment of $50,000 for ﬁve awards of $10,000

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The Sunderland Award was established in 1994 in honour of Sir Sydney Sunderland (1910–1993), an original Governor of The Ian Potter Foundation and an internationally recognised medical researcher in peripheral nerve injuries. The aim of the award was to support and provide new research experience to young Australian neurobiologists working on sensorimotor neurobiology questions. Five exceptional medical scientists were supported under the Sunderland Award. They have all gone on to be leading experts in their ﬁelds. We asked them for an insight into the value of the Sunderland Award for their careers.

1995 Professor Trevor Kilpatrick ‘The Sunderland Award enabled me to undertake a short period of study with Professors Ian McDonald and David Miller at the National Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, in London. This period of time was crucial in assisting me to assimilate my ideas concerning the ‘big picture’ issues facing researchers in my ﬁeld of interest, namely the study of demyelinating disease, speciﬁcally multiple sclerosis (MS). Professors McDonald and Miller were world experts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and although my primary area of focus has been the molecular pathogenesis of MS, my exposure to advanced imaging techniques at Queen Square (in particular MRI) has since enabled me and my colleagues to develop a translational research focus that incorporates MRI.’

1996 Dr Vaughan Maceﬁeld ‘Being awarded a Sunderland Award in 1996 was a great honour, allowing me to pursue my research into sensorimotor control of the hand with, arguably, the world’s leading investigator – Professor Roland Johansson at the University of Umeå in Sweden. I had spent a year in his laboratory during my time as a National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC) CJ Martin Fellow in 1990–1991, so the Sunderland Award provided the opportunity to cement our collaboration, which is continuing to this day. Indeed, one of Professor Johansson’s former PhD students, Dr Ingvars Birznieks, joined my laboratory at the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute in 2005 as a postdoctoral researcher and is now supported by a Thinking Systems grant from the NH&MRC and Australian Research Council. So, it is fair to say that the award allowed me to further develop my research career and to establish research facilities that have attracted postdoctoral researchers from Sweden, Denmark, Canada and Australia.’

1999 Dr Glenda Halliday ‘The award enabled me to collaborate on standardising our processes for the assessment and databasing of information gathered over time on patients with Parkinson’s disease who participate in regional brain donor programs based in Sydney and Melbourne. These assessments are now performed at a number of outpatient clinics in Sydney. Without these longitudinal assessments, many of the clinicopathological correlations we have identified since the award would not have been possible. Neurodegenerative diseases of the brain are difficult to study for a number of reasons, including difficulties with determining the molecular and cellular events occurring at the time of any deficit, and understanding that the brain has an enormous capacity to compensate when under disease attack and therefore recognising that accurate timing of disease onset and progression may be very inaccurate. As we develop strategies for reducing systemic disease, infections and cancers, understanding how the brain actually develops, works and responds to a wide variety of stimuli, including diseases, will be the next major health issues as the population ages and neurodegenerative disorders become the next epidemic.’

Top Professor Trevor Kilpatrick in his laboratory Middle Dr Vaughan Maceﬁeld Bottom Professor Glenda Halliday

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

2000 Professor Kathryn North ‘Many children with inherited muscle disorders have disabling muscle weakness, often lose the ability to walk and may die at an early age due to failure of respiratory muscles. I run the Clinical Neuromuscular Service at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, which cares for over 400 families with inherited muscle disorders – particularly the muscular dystrophies and congenital myopathies. My laboratory research is focused on identifying the genetic basis of inherited muscle disorders and understanding the mechanisms underlying the muscle weakness. I received the Sunderland Award in 2000, and used the funds to visit three collaborators in the United States. The time spent in Boston resulted in new collaborative studies using DNA microarray technology to understand the molecular pathways involved in nemaline myopathy and dysferlin deﬁciency. The time spent in Seattle greatly furthered progress in the study of a novel myopathy discovered in the North laboratory. Face-to-face meetings of scientiﬁc collaborators can never be replaced by email. The trip funded by the Sunderland Award helped to cement existing collaborations and to accelerate the progress of the joint research efforts of my laboratory.’

2001 Dr Simon Koblar ‘The Sunderland Award was a wonderful affirmation that the research I was doing was valuable and regarded as significant in relation to my Australian peers. I had returned from overseas to a less than ideal situation and was working hard to establish myself as a clinician-scientist, which is not an easy task. This award made sense to me as Sunderland himself was the prototypical clinician-scientist and a goliath in the field of neuroscience. The Sunderland Award gave me status, which helped me to become a founding chief co-investigator in an Australian Research Council Special Research Centre for the Molecular Genetics of Development (CMGD). The CMGD allowed me to pursue high risk research over its nine-year funding lifespan. By 2008 my group and collaborators have discovered a novel brain specific gene, NPAS4, and we are strategically building the foundation for brain repair using human dental pulp stem cells, when a brain is damaged following stroke.’ Top Professor Kathryn North pictured at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Bottom Dr Simon Koblar – Head, Stroke Research Programme, University of Adelaide and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, South Australia

MEDICAL RESEARCH GRANTS PAID 2007–2008 Baker Medical Research Institute Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, renal disease and obesity: characterising the complex interactions of chronic disease in Australia’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations – a contribution towards two major items of new equipment for the new Proﬁling Facility. Bionic Ear Institute The Bionic Eye Biocompatibility and Efﬁcacy Project – to support the feasibility study.

$1,000,000

$250,000

St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne Cannabis dependence treatment – a randomised controlled trial of a novel medical treatment program for cannabis dependence.

$100,000

The Cancer Council of Victoria Health 2000 Cohort Study – funding towards Phase 2 of an ongoing study that aims to identify lifestyle factors that may either increase or decrease the risk of cancer, particularly bowel, breast or prostate.

$50,000

(ﬁnal payment of a $100,000 commitment over two years)

(ﬁnal payment of a $500,000 commitment over two years)

The Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health Ltd

Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine Formation of the new Florey Neuroscience Institutes which will focus on neuroscience research and the health signiﬁcance of brain disorders

$2,000,000

(third payment of a $10,000,000 commitment over ﬁve years)

To establish a Neuropeptide Laboratory to facilitate the discovery of new drugs to treat disorders of the brain.

$80,000

The Ian Potter Cancer Immunotherapy and Bio-Organic Chemistry Laboratory $250,000 – to assist in funding new research space for the cancer immunotherapy research group. (ﬁnal payment of a $500,000 commitment over two years)

The University of Melbourne: Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

(ﬁnal payment of a $1,200,000 commitment over ﬁve years)

Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research To purchase a Luminex Multianalyser Proteomics Instrument in order to develop a detection test for ovarian cancer.

$25,000

$101,139

$500,000

(ﬁrst payment of a $1,000,000 commitment over two years)

Total Medical Research

(ﬁnal payment of a $500,000 commitment over three years)

$200,000

(ﬁrst payment of a $1,000,000 commitment over ﬁve years)

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research Cancer research facilities – funding towards facilities that will enhance WEHI’s capacity for cancer research within the WEHI redevelopment.

Menzies School of Health Research (Murdoch Childrens Research Institute) Healthy Skin Program – to reduce chronic diseases in Indigenous communities.

Indigenous Eye Health Program – a ﬁve-year program that will address the gross disparities in eye health between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

$4,596,139

Monash University: Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences OMX V2 platform – to purchase this instrument, which provides super resolution and will be the ﬁrst of its kind in Australia. It will be used to support the research of a number of highly regarded groups.

$40,000

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

The Ian Potter Foundation has a long history of supporting projects of high scientiﬁc merit, and in recent years this has extended to investing in Australia’s next generation of scientiﬁc minds. In 2007–2008 the Foundation continued to support outstanding researchers with Doctoral Fellowships at Lizard Island. The Foundation has built upon its commitment to support young scientists via the new Fellowship at Museum Victoria. The Fellowship was developed for early career researchers wishing to undertake a research project focusing on biodiversity and utilising a faunal group represented in Museum Victoria’s natural history collections.

Funding Objectives • 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 (ARC) and/or the National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC) • salaries for researchers or research assistants and for equipment, which should be the subject of submissions to the ARC • purposes that 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.

Left Adult Shy Albatross on Albatross Island

Science The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

MUSEUM VICTORIA VICTORIA $50,000 for The Ian Potter Fellowship for Biodiversity Research at Museum Victoria (part of a commitment of $150,000 over three years) Dr Robin Hirst, Director, Collections, Research and Exhibitions www.museumvictoria.com.au

Evolving a better understanding of our marine environment “A talented young researcher now has at his disposal the facilities, collections and research wisdom of Museum Victoria, through which he can explore an important species in our marine environment.” Dr Robin Hirst In January 2008 Dr Adnan Moussalli commenced The Ian Potter Fellowship for Biodiversity Research at Museum Victoria. The Fellowship was developed to provide an opportunity for an early career researcher to undertake a research project focusing on biodiversity by investigating a faunal group represented in Museum Victoria’s natural history collections, both the extensive historical items and the material newly acquired as part of ongoing projects. Museum Victoria’s research curators act as mentors to the Fellow, to provide direct advice, moral support and guidance in order to help develop the Fellow’s skills, initiative and independence – essential qualities for a career in science. Museum Victoria has a long and well-established history of research into the taxonomy and systematics of Cephalopods (octopuses, cuttleﬁsh, squid and nautiluses). Dr Moussalli’s research focuses on the evolutionary history and relationships between species of the family Sepiidae, commonly known as cuttleﬁsh. This group is globally distributed and very diverse, with more than 120 species currently recognised. Australia is a centre of diversity and endemicity with 34 species found in

Australian waters, 26 of which are unique to this region. Because of their soft bodies, specific physical characteristics useful for species identification are limited. A molecular perspective is essential to assess taxonomic diversity and potentially identify new species. Cuttlefish are ecologically important predators, and commercial cuttlefish exploitation has recently and rapidly expanded. An assessment of cuttlefish diversity is therefore urgently needed. Dr Moussalli’s research complements traditional taxonomic (species classification) work with modern molecular genetic techniques. Using Museum Victoria’s modern molecular laboratory (which was developed using an Ian Potter Foundation grant in 2002) Dr Moussalli aims to sequence a number of genes for as many species as possible. This information will allow the reconstruction of the evolutionary relationships among species to create a ‘phylogenetic tree’, which, similar to a family tree, will identify species that are closely or distantly related and potentially identify new species. Although a great deal of important taxonomic work has been done over the last century, much uncertainty remains regarding the age of the group and the evolutionary processes underpinning its diversity. The phylogenetic tree can help to resolve these issues. It can also be used in conjunction with geographic information on the distribution of each species to identify hot spots of genetic and species diversity, which, in turn, can guide conservation efforts.

Left Dr Moussalli studying cuttleﬁsh specimens from Museum Victoria’s collection Right Dr Adnan Moussalli, The Ian Potter Fellow for Biodiversity Research, observes cuttleﬁsh behaviour off Whyalla, SA

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY QUEENSLAND $20,000 for conserving turtles through understanding diving and diet Dr Ivan Lawler, Lecturer, School of Tropical Environment Studies and Geography www.jcu.edu.au

Environmental factors key to survival of diverse turtle populations Most Australian freshwater turtles feed on a low energy herbivorous diet. Dr Lawler and his colleagues propose that if low dietary energy limits activity, the marginal beneﬁt gained via cloacal respiration – the ability to take water into the cloaca and absorb oxygen from it to enable longer submergence times between surfacing to breathe – may provide a competitive advantage to habitat specialists. There is increasing realisation that there are a range of interesting and previously unrecognised turtles in rivers in Queensland. In northern Queensland these include Elseya irwini, or Irwin’s Turtle (named after its discoverers, Bob and Steve Irwin) from the Burdekin River, and Elseya stirlingi, the White Throated Snapping Turtle, from the Johnstone River.

Unfortunately, this new knowledge is matched by a growing concern that these species may be negatively affected by our use of water resources, particularly by the construction of dams. Many of these turtles use cloacal respiration, often referred to, not very politely, as ‘bum breathing’. Bum breathing only works well in cool, well-oxygenated water. In contrast, when water is held in an impoundment it becomes still and often results in low oxygen levels, conditions under which bum breathing is impeded. In impounded waters we usually see a change in the turtle community. The bum breathing turtles become less common, and normally respiring species, such as the common Krefft’s River Turtle, become dominant. The Ian Potter Foundation provided funding for the purchase of a gas analyser machine. Energy use is most easily estimated by measuring how much oxygen an animal consumes. Experiments will be conducted with turtles in chambers of different depths to see how much extra oxygen they need to surface. Comparisons will be made between the bum breathers and normal breathers. But that’s not the whole story. The energy costs of surfacing are not likely to be very large, so Dr Lawler and his colleagues reason that energy costs may only be important if energy for turtles is very limited. Irwin’s Turtle seems to eat a very low energy diet, consisting of such delicacies as eucalyptus ﬂower buds; while Krefft’s River Turtle has a more varied and likely more energy-rich diet. The interaction between diet, energy use and mode of respiration may be the key to understanding why bum breathers don’t do well in low oxygen waters. Just the cost of digesting a meal can be expensive for a reptile.

Above The White Throated Snapping Turtle (Elseya stirlingi) from the Johnstone River, Queensland Left Irwin’s Turtle (Elseya irwini) from the Burdekin River, Queensland, is named after its discoverers, Bob and Steve Irwin The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

LIZARD ISLAND REEF RESEARCH FOUNDATION QUEENSLAND $12,000 to The Ian Potter Doctoral Fellowship Program (part of a commitment of $60,000 over ﬁve years) Mr Charlie Shuetrim, Trustee www.lizardisland.net.au

Revealing pathways for reef survival “The traditional approach of conserving biodiversity may not be sufficient to protect these precious ecosystems. The loss of this single species may compromise the resilience of these reefs, making them extremely vulnerable to future disturbance events.” Dr Andrew Hoey The Ian Potter Foundation Doctoral Fellowship Program is to support field work at the Lizard Island Research Station on the Great Barrier Reef. Dr Andrew Hoey was awarded the Fellowship in 2007 for a three-year period to investigate the significance of the Bluespine Unicornfish (Naso unicornis) to the survival of the Great Barrier Reef. Coral reefs are under increasing pressure from both natural (eg coral bleaching, disease, storms) and human (eg pollution, sedimentation) disturbances. Over the past twenty years many reefs have failed to regenerate after such disturbances and have instead undergone a ‘phase-shift’, from a coral-dominated state to a degraded state dominated by fleshy seaweed. The inability of these reefs to recover from disturbances has been largely attributed to the removal of herbivorous, or plant-eating fishes through overfishing. A similar decline to a seaweed-dominated state represents the single greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef. Identifying those species of herbivorous fish that are capable of not only preventing phase-shifts on healthy coral reefs, but also reversing such phase-shifts is a critical step in the protection of the Great Barrier Reef, and coral reefs worldwide.

Left Dr Andrew Hoey transplants seaweed for the research project Right The Bluespine Unicornﬁsh keeps seaweed at healthy levels

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

Using seaweed that had been transplanted from coastal reefs to the reef surrounding Lizard Island, Dr Hoey was able to simulate conditions of a reef facing increased seaweed abundance. The consumption of transplanted seaweed was rapid, with up to 90% of the mass being removed within eight hours and almost totally consumed within twenty-four hours. While these results indicated that these reefs are highly resilient and capable of preventing the proliferation of seaweed following disturbances, a key questioned remained: Which species were responsible for eating the seaweed? Using stationary underwater video cameras to film the transplanted seaweed, the species responsible for removing it were identified. Despite over fifty species of herbivorous fishes being recorded on the reefs surrounding Lizard Island, a single species, the Bluespine Unicornfish, was almost solely responsible for consuming the seaweed. The remaining species displayed little interest in the seaweed and were observed taking very few bites. Therefore, the capacity of the Great Barrier Reef, and potentially all Indo-Pacific reefs, to remain healthy and prevent the proliferation of seaweed may rely on just one species. This finding has extremely important ramifications for the management of coral reefs worldwide. The Bluespine Unicornfish lives for approximately thirty years, making it extremely vulnerable to overfishing. In fact, it is one of the top three species targeted by fisheries in many locations in the western Indian Ocean. These reefs may already be on the brink of collapse a single disturbance may push them on a rapid trajectory to seaweed domination. While biodiversity is an important component of coral reef management, these results show that future management regimes will need to focus on protecting critical species and maintaining processes if the future of our reefs is to be assured.

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UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA TASMANIA $30,000 in 2001 for disease investigation in Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta Gould 1841) chicks at Albatross Island, Bass Strait, Tasmania Dr Rupert Wood, Veterinarian and Team Leader www.utas.edu.au

In March 2001 The Ian Potter Foundation funded a preliminary disease survey of Shy Albatross chicks at Albatross Island. Shy Albatrosses are endemic to Australia, and breed on three small islands off the coast of Tasmania. They are considered vulnerable to extinction and are one of the least studied of all albatross species.

cent of dead chicks autopsied featured pox in their cells and an additional 59% had signs of infection characterised by blisters on their feet. Emaciation and apparent starvation was present in 66% of the chicks. There was no evidence of other viral infections and testing for environmental contaminants in the liver were all negative.

The main breeding site for the bird, Albatross Island, is slowly recovering from the devastation of early century feather hunters and egg collectors. A poxvirus is believed to be the cause of death for up to 90% of chicks in some years. Coupled with the threats associated with longline fishing (baited fish hooks on lines of up to 80 miles long towed behind vessels), this disease has the potential to significantly affect the overall recovery of this species. Despite this fact, almost nothing is known of the nature of this poxvirus or its impact upon the population as a whole.

The preliminary findings of this work suggest that poxvirus is a factor in the death of Shy Albatross chicks at Albatross Island. It is likely that the virus is able to persist in the environment, and that ticks and fleas are most likely responsible for its spread. How a chick responds to disease is highly dependent on how healthy it is and the level of stress it is exposed to – environmental conditions, disease and starvation. The poor condition of many birds suggests that nutritional factors may be significant determinants of the impact of the disease. Impacts of the longline fishing industry on maternal care need to be investigated in this species.

The Foundation’s grant was provided to the University of Tasmania as part of an initial investigation into the cause of death among Shy Albatross chicks on Albatross Island. The funding, provided over three years, was to be used to help scientists identify strategies to control the spread of diseases on the Island that may be hampering the long-term survival of the species. A ﬁeld laboratory was set up at Albatross Island from 22 March 2002 until 6 April 2002. The conditions for scientists were very challenging: the island has no power, fresh water or facilities, and all equipment was transported to the island by boat. Initially scientists set about observing the colonies. Dead chicks were collected and given an external examination. They then underwent an autopsy and samples were collected to assess whether any parasites, pesticides, heavy metals or diseases were present at the time of death. Forty-one autopsies were conducted over a two-week period. The results showed a range of infectious and parasitic diseases, with poxvirus infections in chicks being the most notable. Seven per

Based on the preliminary results of this work it would appear that there is sufﬁcient evidence to warrant a structured disease investigation into the cause of death of Shy Albatross chicks at Albatross Island. The data also suggest that an understanding of the cause and determinants of disease and chick mortality could be used to increase the Shy Albatross population on Albatross Island. Investigation of disease in wild populations of animals is a difﬁcult and resource-heavy exercise. By funding this work The Ian Potter Foundation has allowed the most fundamental question in any problem-solving exercise to be answered: Do we have a problem? At Albatross Island we can now say that we do have a problem and, given what we now know, management of disease within the colony is one possible part of the solution. A key area of future work will be in attempting to develop and test a vaccine for the disease. Left Dr Rupert Woods and Al Wiltshire collecting Shy Albatross blood samples Right Dead Shy Albatross chicks The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

Left Shy Albatross nesting on Albatross Island Below Poxvirus particles under transmission electron microscopy. Photographer J. Loh Opposite Page The 32nd congress of the International Committee of the History of Art at the National Gallery of Victoria

SCIENCE GRANTS PAID 2007–2008 James Cook University: Science, Engineering and Information Technology School of Earth and Environmental Sciences Conserving turtles through understanding diving and diet – to examine the hypothesis that the advantage of cloacal respiration is conferred via allowing turtles to reduce energetic expenditure on surfacing to breathe and thus maintain a positive energy balance on a low quality diet.

$20,000

The Yongala’s Halo of Holes: Who’s Digging It? – a research study that aims to document the rays’ home range and their usage of the Yongala ecosystem wreck.

$8,100

Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation The Ian Potter Tropical Marine Research Centre – for the research and education complex.

(fourth payment of a $60,000 commitment over ﬁve years)

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

$50,000

(ﬁrst payment of a $150,000 commitment over three years)

Total Science

$500,000

(ﬁnal payment of a $1,500,000 commitment over three years)

The Ian Potter Doctoral Fellowship Program – for ﬁeld work, travel and bench expenses of at least 100 person-days at the Lizard Island Research Station by the fellow and his or her assistant.

Museum Victoria The Ian Potter Fellowship for Biodiversity Research at Museum Victoria – to establish a postdoctoral fellowship for biodiversity research.

$12,000

$590,100

Travel The Travel Grants program gives early career researchers an opportunity to present their ﬁndings at international conferences. With each year, we are seeing increasing diversity of applicants across a variety of sectors of research and learning. Recipients report being reinvigorated, challenged and inspired as a result of their travels. The Travel Grants program takes them a step closer to fulﬁlling their potential as they strive to use their knowledge to contribute to the Australian community.

Funding Objective The objective of our Travel Grants program is to assist early career staff members with an appointment of at least three years to attend overseas conferences to develop their research, and to interact with their peers in the international scene. Generally the destination needs to be outside Australia. In some instances, such as staff working in the Technical and Further Education sector, if a strong case is made for travel within Australia in terms of the professional development opportunity it will give to the individual and the potential beneﬁts to their organisation, the application will be considered.

Exclusions The Foundation does not provide Travel Grants for: • domestic travel • undergraduate, masters or doctoral students • retrospective grants for travel already undertaken in part or in whole

Conference The Conference Grants program is an important aspect of the Foundation’s commitment to excellence, particularly as it relates to exchanging and sharing knowledge. The program allows organisations to bring to this country keynote speakers of international renown. The speakers in turn lend their knowledge and expertise to their peers in Australia by presenting at symposia and conferences.

Funding Objective The objective of our Conference Grants program is to support symposia and conferences of international status to be held within Australia. Generally grants are made to assist with the travel and accommodation costs of an international keynote speaker.

Travel and Conference The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY QUEENSLAND $2,560 Travel Grant to attend the International

TASMANIAN MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY TASMANIA $2,500 Travel Grant to attend the conference Neocraft:

Symposium and Workshop on Tropical Peatland, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, August 2007

Modernity and the Crafts, Halifax, Canada; and a study tour in New York City, USA, November 2007

Dr Raphael Wust, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences www.jcu.edu.au

Mr Peter Hughes, Curator of Decorative Arts www.tmag.tas.gov.au

Understanding the role of peatland in natural carbon storage “In Australia, only a few people work on peatlands… the conference provided an ideal opportunity to meet other scientists from around the world who work on this topic and discuss critical issues directly, which cannot be achieved in Australia. The attendance has led to new research and funding opportunities.” Dr Raphael Wust Over the past four years Dr Wust has collected new data on peatland distribution and their potential as carbon storage over the last 28,000 years, including evidence for significant environmental changes during the last Glacial Maximum (20,000–15,000 years ago). These findings were presented at the conference in the paper titled ‘Peatland evolution of SE-Asia through the last 35,000 cal years: Implications for evaluating their carbon storage potential’. Dr Wust was able to collect two peat cores: one from a ‘fire’-prone area and one from a native peat swamp forest environment. He has already applied for funding to determine the amount of carbon lost to the atmosphere during the 1997–1998 and 2002 peatland fires in Indonesia.

Crafting a sustainable future “Viewing these institutions will be of great assistance both when considering the overall redevelopment strategies at TMAG, but also in the development of decorative arts and contemporary craft exhibitions.” Peter Hughes At the Neocraft conference Mr Peter Hughes presented the paper ‘Ecological is political: Toward an environmental theory for craft in the 21st century’. The paper dealt with studio crafts and contemporary environmental concerns with regard to both the need for crafts practitioners to respond to these issues while also recognising some of the advantages that might arise for them out of growing awareness of environmental concerns. While at the conference Peter Hughes met with colleagues from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Left A muddy Raphael Wust (centre) obtaining a peat core in Indonesia. Geochemical data of these peatlands show the vital role of native vegetation in the context of elemental recycling within the peat soils of South-East Asia. Right View of Architecture and Design Galleries, Museum of Modern Art, New York

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY NEW SOUTH WALES $1,675 Travel Grant to attend the 7th International

CURTIN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY WESTERN AUSTRALIA $2,000 Travel Grant to attend the 17th International

Diabetes Federation – Western Paciﬁc Region Congress, Wellington, New Zealand, March – April 2008

Biohydrometallurgy Symposium, Frankfurt, Germany, September 2007

Dr Alexandra Buckley, Diabetes Unit, Australian Health Policy Institute, School of Public Health www.usyd.edu.au

Seeking solutions for Diabetes “The project that I am managing is at the stage where locally relevant models of diabetes care are being developed and implemented. I gained signiﬁcant beneﬁt from listening to presentations on other diabetes care work that has been recently carried out in other developing countries, as I was able to gain insight into what works and what doesn’t in similar countries to those that I work in. I also contributed to this knowledge transfer by presenting some of the possible solutions to improving diabetes care that we have already implemented in Vanuatu, namely the national health worker training program to ensure that all health workers are working in a standardised manner.” Dr Alexandra Buckley

Dr Elizabeth Watkin, School of Biomedical Sciences www.curtin.edu.au

Discovering new tools for advanced research “A major benefit of attending the symposium was exposure to the latest developments in methods used to answer questions in the areas of diversity and the functional genomics of biomining microorganisms. These microorganisms are particularly difficult to culture and the recent advances in non-culture dependent molecular tools for examining microbial populations have opened up this field of research.” Dr Elizabeth Watkins The symposium, the only international symposium in the field of biohydrometallurgy, attracted 210 delegates from twenty-eight countries. The scope of the symposium was broad, with session topics ranging from Bioleaching Biotechnology to Molecular and Microbiology. The sessions of particular interest to Dr Watkin were Molecular and Microbiology and Interfacial Processes.

The 7th International Diabetes Federation – Western Paciﬁc Region Congress was an extremely informative meeting, offering presentations at the forefront of all areas of diabetes research, including basic science, clinical health services and public health research. International researchers from developing and developed countries attended the meeting. Given that Dr Buckley’s current work is based in developing countries of the Paciﬁc, this was of particular relevance to her. Dr Buckley was an author on three abstracts that were accepted for oral presentation.

Left Dr Alexandra Buckley Right Dr Elizabeth Watkin presents one of her two posters detailing her research group’s work investigating the population dynamics of microbial populations in biomining systems The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY QUEENSLAND $2,100 Travel Grant to attend the International Atomic

MURDOCH CHILDRENS RESEARCH INSTITUTE VICTORIA $2,750 Travel Grant to present at the Pediatric Traumatic

Energy Agency Radium and Radon Workshop, Venice, Italy, April 2008

Brain Injury Conference, San Diego, USA, November 2007; and to train at the Functional Neuroimaging Unit (McGill University and University of Montreal), Canada, October – November 2007

Dr Thomas Stieglitz, Department of Science, Engineering and Information Technology www.jcu.edu.au

Understanding the energy of our oceans “My future sampling technique is likely to improve based on discussions during the workshop. New collaborations are on the horizon and old partnerships with fellow members of international working groups have been fostered.” Dr Thomas Stieglitz As part of Dr Thomas Stieglitz’s ongoing research of land–ocean interaction, he is using the naturally occurring radionuclides radium and radon to study physical processes in the ocean, such as the inﬂux of groundwater into the ocean, or mixing rates of the ocean. In Venice, ﬁfty-two scientists participated in the IAEA Radium and Radon Workshop, all of whom use radioactive tools to study aquatic processes. During the course of the workshop Dr Stieglitz discussed many aspects of his joint interests with most of the participants. One day of the workshop was set aside to form working groups on issues that were found to require in-depth discussions. Dr Stieglitz participated in a working group on the application of radium and radon in freshwater systems, with the view of expanding his ocean applications to inland water bodies in the future.

Dr Miriam Beauchamp, Post-Doctoral Fellow www.mcri.edu.au

Towards better outcomes for children with brain injury “The conference brought together a remarkable group of international researchers and covered a wide range of topics in traumatic brain injury. The range and depth of topics helped gain a good overview of current and future directions in the ﬁeld … The time at the Functional Neuroimaging Unit (FNU) was an incomparable opportunity to gain cutting edge knowledge regarding innovative neuroimaging techniques and analysis….These opportunities have been exceptional in motivating and further fuelling my research interests.” Dr Miriam Beauchamp Dr Beauchamp presented the results of her research entitled ‘The relationship between brain volume and social skills in children with TBI’. The proceedings and abstracts associated with the meeting will be published in a special issue of Developmental Rehabilitation in 2008.

Left Jordan Clark and Thomas Stieglitz sampling for radionuclides in Australian mangroves Right Dr Miriam Beauchamp presents her neuroimaging ﬁndings at the Paediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Conference in San Diego, November 2007

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

TRAVEL GRANTS PAID 2007–2008 Asthma and Allergy Research Institute Incorporated Dr Sylwia Wilkosz – to attend the PAX Society International Meeting, Leuven, Belgium, September 2006.

$1,594

Australian National University Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies Dr Joern Fischer – to carry out collaborative research on environmental conservation and resilience with Professor Carl Folke at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm, Sweden, 2008.

$3,000

Baker Medical Research Institute Dr Michael Skilton – to attend Hypertension 2008, the joint meeting of the International Society of Hypertension and the European Society of Hypertension, Berlin, Germany, June 2008.

$3,000

Brain Research Institute Pty Ltd Dr Fernando Calamante – to attend the 15th Annual Meeting of the $2,203 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Berlin, Germany, May 2007. Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee Mr Wayne Cameron – to attend the World Expo Zaragoza 2008, Zaragoza, Spain, June – September 2008.

$7,000

Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology Dr Denise Ming Tse Yu – to attend the 3rd International Conference on Dipeptidyl Peptidases and Related Proteins, Antwerp, Belgium, April 2008.

$2,000

Centre for Eye Research Australia Limited Dr Maria Schache – to attend the European Society of Human Genetics Conference, Barcelona, Spain, June 2008.

$2,310

Children’s Cancer Institute Australia Dr Bellamy Cheung – to attend the BIT World Cancer Congress, Shanghai, China, June 2008.

$2,000

Curtin University of Technology School of Biomedical Sciences Dr Elizabeth Watkin – to attend the 17th International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium, Frankfurt, Germany, September 2007. Flinders University of South Australia Dr Alison Hutton – to undertake a study tour visiting the Summer Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, May – June 2008. Griffith University School of Nursing and Midwifery Dr Jennifer Gamble – to attend the International Network for PTSD following Childbirth meeting, an initiative funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and British Psychological Society, Sheffield, UK, October 2007. School of Psychology Dr Tracy Ludlow – to attend the 13th European Conference on Developmental Psychology, Jena, Germany, August 2007. Howard Florey Institute Brain Development Dr Jenny Gunnersen – to present at Cortial Development: Neural Stem Cells to Neural Circuits, Chiania, Crete, May 2008. James Cook University ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies Dr Tracey Ainsworth – to attend the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, Fort Lauderdale, USA, July 2008. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences Dr Thomas Stieglitz – to attend the International Atomic Energy Agency Radium and Radon Workshop, Venice, Italy, April 2008. Dr Raphael Wust – to attend the International Symposium and Workshop on Tropical Peatland, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, August 2007. La Trobe University School of Health and Physical Education Dr Karen (Zali) Yager – to present at the Higher Education Academy Conference, Harrogate, UK; and the European Association for Research in Learning and Instruction, Leuven, Belgium, July 2008. Menzies Research Institute Dr Kristen Hynes – to attend the Australian and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Queenstown, New Zealand, September 2007. Dr Ingrid van der Mei – to undertake a study tour to Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA, December 2007 – February 2008. Menzies School of Health Research Ms Michelle Dowden – to present at the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare, Paris, France, April 2008.

$2,000

$2,500

$2,000

$2,200

$2,600

$2,100 $2,560

$2,000

$1,000

$3,000

$2,000

Ms Sara Noonan – to attend the XXVII Lanceﬁeld International Symposium on Streptococci and Streptococcal Diseases, Porto Heli, Greece, June 2008. Ms Leisha Richardson – to attend the XXVII Lanceﬁeld International Symposium on Streptococci and Streptococcal Diseases, Porto Heli, Greece, June 2008. Child Health Division Ms Kim Hare – to attend the 6th International Symposium on Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Diseases, Reykjavik, Iceland, June 2008. Ms Gabrielle McCallum – to attend the 6th International Symposium on Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Diseases, Reykjavik, Iceland, June 2008. Monash Institute of Medical Research Dr Katja M Wolski – to attend the American Society of Andrology 22nd Annual Conference, New Mexico, USA, April 2008; and the 15th European Testis Workshop, Naantali, Finland, May 2008. Monash University Centre for Reproduction and Development Dr Duangporn Jamsai – to attend the Endocrine Society of Australia and the Society for Reproductive Biology 2007 Annual Meetings, Christchurch, New Zealand, September 2007. Physiology Department Dr Nigel Stepto – to present a paper at the 10th International Symposium on Insulin Receptors and Insulin Action, Stockholm, Sweden, May 2007; and to conduct tissue analysis in Professor Zierath’s Laboratory. Department of Medicine Dr Miranda Shehu-Xhilaga – to attend a conference titled Retroviruses, Cold Spring Harbour Laboratories, New York City, USA, May 2007. Department of Theory of Art and Design Dr Luke Morgan – to undertake research in London in order to edit an international refereed journal Studies in the History of Gardens and Designed Landscapes, London, UK, June – July 2008. School of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Dr Travis Beddoe – to attend the Gordon Research Conference: Microbial Toxins and Pathogenicity, Proctor Academy, New Haven, USA, July 2008. School of Nursing and Midwifery Ms Sharyn Streitberg – to attend the 2nd International Nursing Education Conference, Dublin, Ireland, June 2008. School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine

$2,000 $1,500

$2,500

$770

$3,000

$1,500

$3,000

$2,000

$2,800

Dr Penelope Anne Hasking – to present at the XXIX International Congress $1,000 of Psychology, Berlin, Germany, July 2008. School of Social and Political Inquiry Dr Terry Macdonald – to attend the World International Studies Conference, $3,000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, July 2008. Moreland Community Health Service Ms Lowell Wan – to attend the 34th Global Social Work Congress, Durban, South Africa, July 2008. Murdoch Childrens Research Institute Dr Miriam Beauchamp – to present at the Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Conference, San Diego, USA, November 2007; and to train at the Functional Neuroimaging Unit (McGill University and University of Montreal) Canada, October – November 2007. National Stroke Research Institute Dr Michelle Porritt – to work in the laboratory of Professor Michael Nilsson, The Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Goteborg University, September – November 2007, Sweden; and to attend the Society for Neuroscience Annual Conference, San Diego, USA, November 2007. National Trust of Queensland Ms Tina Niblock – to visit Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Jersey Zoo, Channel Islands, July 2008; to visit San Diego Zoo, Avian Propagation Centre, San Diego, USA, September 2008; and to gain experience in incubation and rearing of kiwi chicks for release to the wild in the Operation Nest Egg program, Auckland Zoo, New Zealand, January 2009.

$1,300

$2,750

$3,000

$5,853

Orygen Research Centre Dr Christopher Barnaby Nelson – to attend the Schizophrenia International Research Society conference, Venice, Italy, June 2008.

$1,600

Palmerston Association Inc Mr Damian Walsh – to attend the 2008 International Counselling Conference – Coming Together of Neighbours, Hong Kong, July 2008.

$1,900

Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research Dr Kristy Brown – to attend the Endocrine Society’s 90th Annual Meeting (ENDO), San Francisco, USA, June 2008. Dr Lynette Kilpatrick – to attend the 5th General Meeting of the International Proteolysis Society (IPS2007), Patras, Greece, October 2007.

$2,000 $2,125

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

Dr Izabella Czajka-Oraniec – to attend the Endocrine Society’s 90th Annual $1,600 Meeting (ENDO), San Francisco, USA, June 2008. Department of Steroid Receptor Biology Dr Jyotsna Pippal – to attend and present at the Keystone Symposia $2,500 Nuclear Receptors: Steroid Sisters (z2), British Columbia, Canada, March – April 2008. Female Reproductive Biology Dr Mai Sarraj – to present at the inaugural World Congress on Reproductive $3,000 Biology followed by the 41st Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Hawaii; and to deliver a seminar at the Michael Griswold Laboratory, Washington State University, Washington, USA, May 2008.

The Diabetes Unit, Australian Health Policy Institute, School of Public Health Dr Alexandra Buckley – to attend the 7th International Diabetes Federation – Western Paciﬁc Region Congress, Wellington, New Zealand, March – April 2008.

Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute Dr Peter Martin – to attend the Mechanisms of Plasticity and Disease in Motorneurons conference, Seattle, USA, June 2008

University of Adelaide School of Earth and Environmental Sciences Dr Bayden Russell – to present at the Effects of Climate Change on the World’s Oceans International Symposium, Gijon, Spain; and undertake a research visit to the Ecology Group, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy, May 2008. School of Population Health and Clinical Practice Dr Anne Wilson – to present at the South Paciﬁc Underwater Medicine Society 37th Annual Scientiﬁc Meeting, Kimbe, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea, May 2008.

Queensland Institute of Medical Research Dr Katherine Andrews – to attend the 56th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Philadelphia, USA, November 2007. Queensland University of Technology: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation Dr Ying Dong – to attend the 2nd International Symposium on Kallikrein and Kallikrein-Related Peptidases, Santorini, Greece, October 2007. RMIT University School of Education Dr Phillip John Doecke – to present at the Fourth International Teaching Games for Understanding Conference, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, May 2008. Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery Mr Peter Hughes – to attend the Neocraft: Modernity and the Crafts conference, Halifax, Canada, November 2007; and undertake a study tour in New York City, USA, November 2007. The University of Melbourne Ms Elizabeth Cham – to conduct research into historical American philanthropic investment in Australia, Rockefeller Archive Centre, New York, USA, October 2007 Centre for Animal Biotechnology Dr Deanne Greenwood – to attend Challenges of Global Vaccine Development, part of the Keystone Symposia Global Health Series, South Africa, October 2007. Clinical Department: Psychiatry Dr Alison Ruth Yung – to visit colleagues at the London, Manchester and Warwick PACE Clinics for six weeks, UK, November 2007. Department of Microbiology and Immunology Dr Dimitri Diavatopoulos – to attend the 13th International Congress on Mucosal Immunology, Tokyo, Japan, July 2007. Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning Mr Ajibade Airbinu – to attend and present a research paper at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Construction and Building Research (COBRA) Conference, Atlanta, USA, September 2007. Dr Anoma Darshani Pieris – to attend the International Planning History Society Conference, Chicago, USA, July 2008. School of Agriculture and Food Systems Dr Nicola Cooley – to attend the Macrowine Conference, Montpellier, France, June 2008. School of Historical Studies Ms Catherine Nunn – to attend the International Institute for Conservation Congress, London, UK, September 2008. School of Physiotherapy Dr Andrea Bialocerkowski – to present at the American Society of Hand Therapy Electives Course, New Orleans, Louisiana; to visit Professor Richard Berger at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; and to visit Dr Prudence Plummer-D’Amatio, Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA, February 2008. The University of Sydney Department of Dermatology Dr Sabita Rana – to attend the 13th International Congress of Immunology, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 2007; and the 12th Congress of the European Society for Photobiology, Bath, England, September 2007. School of Biological Sciences Dr Tanya Latty – to attend the International Congress of Entomology, Durban, South Africa, July 2008. School of Physiotherapy Dr Martin Mackey, to attend the 2nd International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, April 2008.

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

$1,700

$1,532

$1,870

$1,655

$2,500

$2,400

$2,000

$3,000

$1,600

$2,000

$2,800

$2,154

Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre Dr Nicole Lee – to attend the World Congress on Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies, Barcelona, Spain, July 2007. Ms Suzanne Nielsen – to attend the College on Problems of Drug Dependence 70th Annual Meeting, and associated NIDA International Forum, San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 2008.

University of Newcastle Centre for Organic Electronics and Organ Biosensors Dr Nicholas William Turner – to make an oral and a poster presentation at the Biosensors 2008 Conference, Shanghai, China, May 2008. School of Medicine and Public Health / Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research Ms Linda Campbell – to attend the 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome 6th International Conference, Utrecht, The Netherlands, June 2008. University of New South Wales Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering Dr Penny Martens – to attend the International Congress on Biohydrogels, Viareggio, Italy, November 2007; to visit a research laboratory, Belgium, November 2007; and to visit the collaborators’ laboratory at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India, December 2007. NSW Injury Risk Management Research Centre Dr Julie Hatﬁeld – to attend the 9th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, Merida, Mexico, March 2008; and to visit Dr Jean Shope, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA and Dr Daniel Mayhew, Trafﬁc Injury Research Foundation, Ontario, Canada, March – April 2008. University of Queensland Centre for Marine Studies Dr Maria Gomez Cabrera – to attend the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, Fort Lauderdale, USA, July 2008. The Perinatal Research Centre Dr Stella Bjorkman – to attend the Sixth Hershey Conference on Developmental Brain Injury, Paris, France, June 2008. Dr Margo Pritchard – to attend the 48th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Research, Prague, Czech Republic, October 2007. University of Tasmania Centre for Marine Science Dr Helen Phillips – to participate in the Philippines Straits Dynamics Experiment: Joint Cruise – Oceanographic Research Cruise, Manila, Philippines, November – January 2008. Tasmania Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute Dr Bridget Green – to attend the 8th International Conference and Workshop on Lobster Biology and Management, Charlottetown, Canada, September – October 2007. Dr Michaela Guest – to attend the European Symposium on Marine Protected Areas as a Tool for Fisheries Management and Ecosystem Conservation, Murcia, Spain, September 2007.

$1,675

$3,500 $2,000

$1,637

$2,788

$1,700

$2,550

$4,700

$1,600

$2,300 $2,000

$2,927

$2,800

$2,500

Victoria University of Technology

$2,400

$2,000

Department of Visual Art, Design and Multimedia Mr Mark O’Rourke – to attend the American Association for Artiﬁcial Intelligence Symposium, Arlington, USA, November 2008; and to undertake research at the Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA, September – December 2007. School of Molecular Sciences Dr Lawrence Ngeh – to give a presentation on the use of Magnetic Particle Technology in the treatment of oiled wildlife at the International Conference on Effects of Oil on Wildlife, Monterey, USA, June 2007.

$1,100

$500

$2,500 Total Travel

$177,353

THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE VICTORIA $20,000 Conference Grant to support keynote speakers

AUSGLASS LIMITED VICTORIA $8,000 Conference Grant to bring three key artists

for a Melbourne Conversation as part of the 32nd Congress of the International Committee of the History of Art, Melbourne, January 2008

to Open House: 14th Biennial Ausglass Conference, Canberra, January 2008

Professor Jaynie Anderson, School of Art History, Cinema, Classics and Archaeology www.unimelb.edu.au

The art of conversation ‘‘The benefits of the congress will be considerable… Many projects were conceived and born in this congress. Exhibitions are to be curated by Australians for international venues and art historians from abroad who have agreed to collaborate with our institutions. Research programs and research networks will be activated. A shared ambition is to create an Institute for Advanced Research in the Visual Arts at Melbourne, which could develop themes of the congress. Cambridge University Press has commissioned a companion to Australian art with the cross-cultural theme as a basis and many of the contributors will be invited to participate.’’ Professor Jaynie Anderson Seven hundred people from fifty countries participated in the 32nd Congress of the International Committee of the History of Art: Crossing Cultures – Conflict, Migration and Convergence. Two hundred and twenty-five papers were given, some of which will be included in the proceedings of the Congress, to be published by Melbourne University Publishing on the anniversary of the Congress in January 2009. The Foundation’s grant was used to support the Melbourne Conversation, a free public event, which brought the themes of the Congress to a wider audience. The Melbourne Conversation included talks from Professor Jaynie Anderson, The University of Melbourne; Ronald de Leeuw, Director of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Howard Morphy, Australian National University; Michael Brand, Director of the John Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; and Ruth Phillips, Carleton University, Ottawa.

Ms Maureen Williams, President Ausglass www.ausglass.org.au

The next era in the art of glass “The conference facilitated a broad and continuing exchange of ideas and technical expertise… Janet Laurence’s address was key in providing a critical evaluation of the extended possibilities of glass in a sculptural environment. Silvia Levenson’s unique approach to her work practice provided an outstanding lecture, as did her demonstration. Julie Conway raised awareness of sustainability and energy consumption, promoting continuing debate and discussion throughout the conference. This issue was so popular it will be further addressed at our next conference in Tasmania in 2009.” Maureen Williams The Foundation’s grant brought three internationally acclaimed artists to the Ausglass conference in Canberra: Janet Laurence, a high proﬁle Australian artist who is internationally renowned; Silvia Levenson, born in Argentina and now living in Italy, who is one of the world’s most established visual artists working in glass; and Julie Conway, an artist and environmentalist from the USA.

Left The last day of the Congress, 18 January 2008, at the National Gallery of Victoria. L to R: Professor Homi Bhabha (Harvard), Professor Jaynie Anderson (Convenor, University of Melbourne) and Neil McGregor (British Museum) Right Janet Laurence at the Canberra Glassworks The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA TASMANIA $6,000 Conference Grant to bring keynote speakers to

THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE VICTORIA $2,538 Conference Grant to bring one of the keynote

The Evolution of Parental Effects: Conceptual Issues and Empirical Patterns, University of Wollongong, January – February 2008

speakers to the 12th International Aegean Conference, DAIS: The Aegean Feast, Melbourne, March 2008

Dr Erik Wapstra and Dr Tobias Uller, School of Zoology www.utas.edu.au

Bringing new understanding of evolutionary influences “The keynote speakers provided excellent presentations that greatly enhanced the advancement of understanding by delegates at the conference.” Professor Erik Wapstra The Foundation’s grant was used to support the travel of Professor Alex Badyaev, University of Arizona, USA, and Professor Charles Fox, University of Kentucky, USA, both world leaders in the field of parental and maternal effects – an important and growing discipline within evolutionary biology. At the end of the conference the organisers believed they had achieved the aim of bringing together leading theoretical and empirical researchers working on plants, invertebrates and vertebrates, in a forum for discussion and where there was a free exchange of ideas on the evolution of parental effects. The organisers were able to increase the profile of evolutionary biology in Australia by giving many early career researchers the opportunity to interact with the international speakers. Many long-term collaborations were initiated between Australian and international delegates.

Above Conference delegates with convenor Dr Erik Wapstra (front row, second from left) Opposite Page Keynote speaker Yannis Hamilakis presenting at the 12th International Aegean Conference, DAIS: the Aegean Feast

The Ian Potter Foundation Annual Report

Dr Louise Hitchcock, School of Historical Studies www.unimelb.edu.au

An historical feast “Dr Hamilakis took time to interact with both international presenters and with University of Melbourne postgraduate students. He was also interviewed by Neos Kosmos, the leading Greek newspaper in Australia, as well as by SBS radio.” Dr Louise Hitchcock In the last few years, archaeological research in the prehistoric Aegean has turned its attention to feasting. This echoes developments in archaeology overall, but it also signiﬁes a dramatic change from the situation until the middle 1990s, when most research on foods was either simply data gathering or fell within the paradigms of ‘subsistence’ and ‘survival’, the discourse of animal and plant husbandry, and the logic of formalist economics. Dr Yannis Hamilakis, from the University of Southampton, touched upon the importance of studying the relationship between drinking and commensality. There was a great opportunity for scholarly interaction at the conference. In all, forty-seven papers were presented and fourteen countries represented. The results will be published in 2009 in the Aegean series, published by the University of Liege and edited by Professor Robert Lafﬁneur.

CONFERENCE GRANTS PAID 2007–2008 Ausglass Limited Ms Maureen Williams, President Ausglass – to bring three key artists to Open House, 14th Biennial Ausglass Conference, Canberra, January 2008.

The University of Melbourne $8,000

Flinders University of South Australia Department of Archaeology Associate Professor Claire Smith – to bring keynote speaker Jan Turek to the Archaeology, Social Justice and Ethical Globalisation Conference, Adelaide, October 2007.

$3,107

Dr Glenda MacNaughton – for Professor Paul Connolly to present a keynote address at the Honoring the Child, Honoring Equity Conference, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, November 2007. $3,000

Centre for Dialogue

$1,900

$20,000

School of Historical Studies $9,450

Faculty of Education Associate Professor Bernie Neville – to bring Professor Makarand Paranjape as keynote speaker to the Integrity: Truth, Reality and Globalisation 37th Annual Conference of the International Gebser Society, La Trobe University, Melbourne, June 2008.

$5,000

School of Art History, Cinema, Classics and Archaelogy Professor Jaynie Anderson – to support keynote speakers for a Melbourne Conversation, as part of the 32nd Congress of the International Committee of the History of Art, Melbourne, January 2008.

La Trobe University

Professor Joseph Camilleri – to bring Rabbi Melissa Wentraub, Dr Chandra Muzaffar and Associate Professor Chaiwat Satha-Anad as speakers for the Globalisation for the Common Good: An Interfaith Perspective Seventh Annual Conference, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, June – July 2008.

Dr Chris Healy – to bring Professor Antione Hennion, Professor John Law, Professor Barbara Kirschenblatt-Gimblett and Professor Steve Woolgar as keynote speakers to an international workshop which will focus on the role of expertise in assembling culture, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, December 2007. Centre for Equity and Innovation in Early Childhood

Kyabra Community Association Inc Mr David O’Toole – for costs of four speakers to attend the Strengths-Based Practice Conference, Brisbane, October 2006.

School of Culture and Communication

Dr K O Chong-Gossard – to bring Professor Jonathon Hall as a keynote speaker to Private and Public Lies: The Discourse of Despotism and Deceit in the Ancient World, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, July 2008.

$2,500

Dr Louise Hitchcock – to bring one of the keynote speakers to the 12th International Aegean Conference: DAIS: The Aegean Feast, Melbourne, March 2008.

$2,538

$2,987 University of Tasmania School of Zoology Dr Erik Wapstra and Dr Tobias Uller – to bring keynote speakers to The Evolution of Parental Effects: Conceptual Issues and Empirical Patterns, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, January 2008 – February 2008.

$6,000

Total Conference

$64,482

The Ian Potter Foundation Limited Level 3, 111 Collins Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Tel: 03 9650 3188 Fax: 03 9650 7986 admin@ianpotter.org.au www.ianpotter.org.au

Dianna Wells Design

ACN 004 603 972 ABN 42 004 603 972