New&Old Ormond College Magazine No.88 June 2014
Snapshots
Ormond Sport 2014 2013 was fantastic, with Ormond placing competitively in all sports, winning premierships and the intercollegiate season over Trinity. Another exciting year has begun.The intercollegiate competition is always competitive and Ormondians are putting the hard yards in early. Training kicked off in week one for cricket, softball and squash, and hopeful sportsmen and sportswomen have begun fitness training. Non-competitive sports are on the rise, from yoga to whole-College dodgeball. Our goal is to improve positive attitudes to fitness through social sports and fitness activities. Good luck to all teams! Vickie Powell (Sci 2) and Pete Redhead (Arts 3) Left: Ormond’s softball team
Clean sweep for rowers For the second time in three years our rowers achieved a clean sweep at the intercollegiate rowing, confidently winning all boat divisions on the day. This was a huge feat, with Ormond taking 11 out of the 12 divisions in three years. It was an honour to have such success in an event that has been running for over 100 years and was the result of strong leadership and hard training from the rowers. The Men’s 1st (Higgins) and Women’s 1st (Margot Foster and Richardson) trophies will be on the Dining Hall’s walls soon. George Marchant (Arts 2)
Right: Applauding the Men’s 2nd winners
Friday at 1pm Fridays at 1pm provides a semi-formal environment where Ormond students discuss domestic and international affairs. Topics include the political crisis in Ukraine, the Abbott government’s attempt to repeal the Racial Discrimination Act and the implications of the recent budget. The program is popular with students of all year levels. Many find it a useful way to keep up to date on the news and learn from the expertise of peers who have a range of backgrounds and interests. It is also a lively forum for debate of political and economic ideas. Will Moisis (Arts 4)
Left: Discussing domestic and international affairs on Friday at 1pm
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ORMOND COLLEGE MAGAZINE
Contents
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From the Master
Editorial team
Our Heritage
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Life at Ormond
New life to Francis Ormond’s portrait Caring for the future The disproportionate difference in action
Di Bambra Clare Chudacek Louise Curran Annabel Doyle Peter Edwards Kate Higgins Rachel Toovey Ethan Ziv
12 Our community
Photographers
Unveiling Jean McCaughey’s portrait Student Community Support A richer, broader experience Thanking Jane Freemantle World War I centenary Four Coffees and a Dinner
James Grant Max Marrows Hayden McMillan Sebastian Wood Ethan Ziv
20 Alumni news
New & Old is published twice a year by the College Advancement Office for the Ormond community.
Printed using FSC-certified carbon-neutral paper stock.
Obituaries Honours and Alumni events
PHILANTHROPY
Come to Open Day
&
SCHOLARSHIPS A life devoted to education Coming to the big city
Scholarship recipients 2014 Giving to Ormond 2013
No.88 JUNE 2014
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Sunday 17 August 2014 To find out more visit www.ormond.unimelb.edu.au or call +61 3 9344 1100
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From the Master
Our heritage
Rufus Black Master
Great art exhibitions invite us to contemplate not only the aesthetic but values and beliefs. The marvellous exhibition For Auld Lang Syne: Images of Scottish Australia from First Fleet to Federation currently at the Art Gallery of Ballarat, in which the portrait of Francis Ormond takes pride of place, invites us to reflect on the distinctively Scottish values on which his College was built. The values laid with our foundation stones were those of the Scottish Enlightenment. They guided us then and they guide us still. It was those values that led the Scottish community of early Melbourne initially to oppose building a college. To be sure, they greatly valued education. Scotland in the 18th century already had literacy rates 10–20% higher than other countries in Europe, with the possible exception of the Netherlands. At one level, as Don Chambers put it so eloquently in his history of the College’s foundation: “For such Scots the concept of a university college was not only English and therefore alien, but savoured of an Oxbridge aristocratic decadence which conflicted with Presbyterian educational austerity.” More deeply, as he points out, the model of Oxford and Cambridge offended the Scottish sense that education and denomination should not be linked. At both those English universities, in order to become a student you had to confirm
First Chair of the College Council, Alexander Morrison
your belief in the Church of England’s 39 Articles of Religion.
But they would create a college built on Scottish, not English,
At the great Scottish Enlightenment universities like Glasgow
values. Francis Ormond, who was a faithful Presbyterian, said:
and Edinburgh, there was no such requirement.
“We have no desire to restrict the advantages of the College. We have no tests . . . it is open to all denominations” and the first
It was not until there was a serious threat that the land set aside for
Council had not only members who were Scottish Presbyterians but
a Presbyterian college would be sold for other purposes, that the
others like the Anglican Augustus Strong, who held the Chair in
Melbourne Scottish community was galvanised into action.
Classics and championed the liberal humanist cause.
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ORMOND COLLEGE MAGAZINE
From its beginnings, the College sought to put that neglect right by attracting excellent tutors in philosophy. Throughout its history, that focus on philosophy and ethics has been a defining character of the College. Today, it is thanks to the College’s Seymour Reader that Ancient Philosophy is taught in the University, all first-year students of Ormond take part in a College ethics program and Ormond is home to the Centre for Ethical Leadership. The power of that early belief that the College had its own distinctive educational agenda and capability to contribute to the University has meant that it is part of Ormond’s cultural DNA to seek ways to play a more expansive role in the life of the University. In 1880s Ormond, this took the form of seeking to have the ‘prac’ classes taught in the College’s excellent science laboratories, recognised towards a University degree. By the mid-20th century, the same aspiration saw the creation of multiple endowed fellowships so that the College, in a rather more Oxbridge-inspired way, would become home to academics So it was that Ormond would be the college to which Catholic
who also took their place in the University.
students came before Newman was founded and where Jewish students found a home. Today when we talk about
For the Scots, and for those who shared their values, the point
the importance of making the College accessible and being
of a university education was, in the words of Francis Ormond,
a diverse community, we are finding contemporary words for
so that students would go on ‘to exercise an important and
ideas deeply rooted in our history. Part of the foundation of that
sensible influence in the affairs of our country’. This is perhaps
commitment to non-denominationalism was the belief in the
the most quoted phrase in the College’s history. It is an idea that
centrality of philosophy to the educational curriculum. The first
has resonated with each generation.
Chair of the College Council, Alexander Morrison, complained that: “Mental and Moral Philosophy ... [were] subjects now
In the history of Ormond, it is possible to see how these
unhappily neglected at the Melbourne University, but for which
Scottish Enlightenment values have had a universal appeal that
the Scottish Universities have always been distinguished, and
transcends their ethnic and denominational origin to inspire and
which have done so much to mould the national character.”
guide us today.
Ormond Scholars Exhibitioners and First Class Honourmen 1903-4
No.88 JUNE 2014
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Life at Ormond
New life for Francis Ormond’s portrait
Lesley den Hartog Curator of Cultural Collections
Since 1887 the life-sized figure of the College’s founding
and that the stress of completing the work perhaps contributed
benefactor, Scottish-born Francis Ormond (1827–1889),
to his untimely death, just as Ormond’s indefatigable industry
dressed in a Victorian walking suit with gloves and hat in hands,
has been seen as a cause of his own demise. As well as
and leaning on the plinth of a classical column, has presided
portraits, Dowling’s oeuvre, influenced by the painters of the
benevolently over those dining in Hall. Painted by Australia’s first
English Pre-Raphaelite movement, includes works in religious
locally trained artist, Robert Hawker Dowling, in a convention
and Orientalist genres. Known in Australia in his lifetime as the
that dates back to Baroque aristocratic portraits, the painting
first example of a colonial artist making good in the Old World,
shows the College, one of Francis Ormond’s major philanthropic
Dowling has recently regained recognition through the 2010
achievements, romantically imaged with a sunset glow in the
NGA retrospective travelling exhibition of his works, curated
background. Over the years, Ormond’s gaze became somewhat
by John Jones.
dim and dusty, as did other details in the portrait. In January this year, for the first time since its arrival at Ormond 126 years ago,
While Dowling’s portraits are generally marked by a sensitive
the portrait left the College premises. Having undergone cleaning
attention to the sitter’s face and hands and a detailed and
and conservation, it is now for the first time on public display as
sometimes gorgeous rendering of fabric and clothing, his
part of the Art Gallery of Ballarat exhibition For Auld Lang Syne:
Ormond portrait is unusual in the range of iconography
Images of Scottish Australia from First Fleet to Federation.
which composes the fictive space within which the figure of Francis Ormond is set. It is this, as well as the texture of
There are many parallels between Francis Ormond and
the subject’s clothes and especially his expression, looking
Robert Dowling, the son of a Baptist minister. Both were deeply
as it does with a searching kindness into the future, that
committed Christians and both started life modestly. Ormond
the expert cleaning by the University’s Centre for Materials
was initially described as being of no more consequence than
Conservation has made more clearly visible. The restrained
Frankie the stable boy and Dowling was initially apprenticed as
richness of Ormond’s black Victorian suit is set against the
a saddlemaker before following his vocation as an artist. Also,
dreaming spires of the College, imaged in the background as
just as Ormond can in some senses be seen as an autodidact,
more fully completed than the actual building was at the time
Dowling professed himself to be a self-taught artist and travelled
of painting. There is an arrested energy in this figure of Ormond,
to and from Europe, as Ormond did, to develop the knowledge
whose left foot appears to have just hit the ground to give a
he needed to achieve his professional ambitions. Born in 1827,
moment’s pause, a break for contemplation, before moving
the same year as Ormond, Dowling died in 1886, just three
on. Distinct now in this fictive space are two potted plants.
years before Ormond and just after completing Ormond’s
One, resembling a pineapple, is placed in the middle ground
portrait before he boarded ship to return for an intended last
between Ormond and the College; the other, a generic citrus
visit to England. Writing Dowling‘s obituary, James Smith, his
fruit in a terracotta pot, sits in the foreground, diagonally
friend and art critic, claimed that he was hard at work finishing
opposite the College, enriching the colours and composition
the Ormond commission to within half an hour of his departure
of the portrait.
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ORMOND COLLEGE MAGAZINE
Iconographically, these details can be interpreted differently. They may symbolise Francis Ormond’s interest in Australia’s contemporary horticultural progress, an interest which is affirmed by his donation to the College of a copy of Ferdinand van Mueller’s Select Extra-Tropical Plants Readily Eligible for Industrial Culture or Naturalisation, inscribed as a gift to him by the author, the first director of Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens. These iconographic details may also refer to Ormond’s personal life and the life of the College. Historically, pineapples have been used as a decorative domestic architectural feature and to symbolise hospitality. Citrus fruits, with their association with the golden apples of the Hesperides, were used to symbolise prosperity and happiness and often associated with weddings and marriage. Ormond’s first wife of thirty years had tragically died in 1881, the year the College opened, and in the year before the portrait’s completion he had entered into a felicitous second marriage with Mary Oliphant. Likewise, just as Ormond’s pastoral activities had prospered, so too had the College, whose occupants he encouraged to think of the College as not just an institution, but a home. The College’s original fabric had to be extended under his beneficence to accommodate the growing numbers of young people who wished to reside here while undergoing their university education. This is imaged in the portrait clearly by the inclusion of the planned north facade, the Victoria wing, which Ormond indicated his intention to fund on 14 September 1887 and for which the foundation stone was laid in 1888, well after the portrait was completed and just five months before Ormond’s death.
Francis Ormond’s great grand-daughter, Bea MacDonald, at the For Auld Lang Syne exhibition in Ballarat
of an apocryphal story about the portrait. Frank Raleigh’s long
For Auld Lang Syne: Images of Scottish Australia from First Fleet to Federation
association with the College began when, as a young boy,
Friday April 11, 2014 – Sunday July 27, 2014
he was employed to look after the cows that, in the Oxbridge
10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Art Gallery of Ballarat
Another Ormond benefactor, Frank Raleigh, is the source
tradition, grazed the College’s grounds. On his death, he bequeathed his life’s savings, accrued from his employment
Celebrate the role played by Scots, including wealthy
here, to endow a scholarship that would financially enable
pastoralist and philanthropist Francis Ormond, in the
a Melbourne University student who might otherwise be
development of the Australian nation from the First Fleet
denied the benefits of a College education. While drawing
to Federation, by visiting the For Auld Lang Syne exhibition
the attention of visitors and new students to our founding
at the Art Gallery of Ballarat.
benefactor’s portrait, Frank delighted in telling them the story of how one morning, eight years after the institution had
This large and complex exhibition brings together artworks
opened, on the same day that the College received a telegram
and objects from across the country and beyond to
announcing Ormond’s death, he had unlocked the doors of
celebrate the unique contribution of Scots to the
the old dining room where the portrait was hung and found
development of the cultural, social and political life of this
that it had crashed, face downwards, on the floor. Thankfully
nation during its formative years. The exhibition features
the recent conservation has revealed no evidence of the
the College’s large portrait of Francis Ormond by Robert
damage, hidden by a dusty patina, that such trauma might
Hawker Dowling, which usually hangs in the Dining Hall.
have caused. Consequently we can look forward to the return of the beautifully restored painting in August when, with its
The Master, Assoc. Prof. Rufus Black, hosted a special
return to its traditional position in Hall, our founding benefactor
lunch and tour of the exhibition at the Gallery on
will again look out over us into the future with fresh new life.
Thursday 8 May.
No.88 JUNE 2014
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Life at Ormond
Caring for the future
Andrew Michelmore Chair of Council
One of the council’s chief tasks is to steward the College for the long-term. There is a parable told about New College Oxford which is a salutatory story for any institution that is there for the long run – and New College is anything but new, having been founded in 1379. In the 19th century, the Fellows of New College found that the roofs of both their magnificent dining hall and their chapel were in poor repair. They called in the great architect of the time, Sir Gilbert Scott. After careful examination, he solemnly explained that, after 500-odd years, all the great oak timbers would need to be replaced. The bill for the timber looked ruinous. Word of the Fellows’ fears for the future of their college reached even the gardeners, whereupon the head gardener came to the Fellows and explained that 100 years before, their predecessors had directed his forebears, for these were jobs passed down in families, to plant an oak forest to provide the timber they knew the college would one day need. This story invites each generation responsible for an institution like Ormond to ask ‘what is the tree planting we need to do?’ Some years ago we identified that our College’s greatest long-term challenge was, not unlike New College’s, ‘how can we look after our magnificent buildings?’ Time and weather are not kind to sandstone and slate and even our ‘new’ buildings, as they start to reach their half-century, need attention. While much has been done over the College’s history to care for the buildings, eventually the incoming tide of time requires maintenance to turn into replacement. You may have noticed scaffolding on stone buildings and spires around Melbourne of similar age to ours. Our turn has come.
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The new magnolia near the front gate
ORMOND COLLEGE MAGAZINE
This year marks the first year in our history when, in accounting terms, we have been able to depreciate our buildings and use funds to start work on the stone. This is an important milestone because if we stay on this path, our buildings will stand the test of time as New College has. Our gardens have also reached an age where replacement is needed alongside maintenance. During the storms we had last winter and in the wild winds this summer, we have lost two of our mature trees due to ageing, gale force winds splitting them both down the middle. Age has also accounted for a large old poplar in the Main Drive. These come on top of losses in the drought and of the old magnolia near the front gate, which died when the dry turned to the wet. To minimise further losses, our expert arborists have carefully surveyed all our large trees and provided us with a plan of cabling, pruning and special attention to some of the soil to reduce the risk of damage from extreme weather and to extend their lives. As we care for the old, we need to plant the new, so we have begun the processes of replacing the old trees that were lost. Some, like the new conifers in the Main Drive, are specimens grown from the seeds of the original trees; others, like the magnolia, have been planted to match. Whatever we are doing, we are paying careful attention to safeguarding for the future that extraordinary experience which tingles the spine, even decades later, of walking up the beautiful drive, with its glimpses and views, and turning the corner to reveal the magnificence of Main Building.
2014 Annual Giving Shaping Ormond’s Future Our focus in 2014 is on shaping Ormond’s future. The College today shares the vision of its founders to make sure that financial need is never a barrier to the extraordinary and life changing experience of being a student at Ormond. We also have two other important projects this year The erosion of main building pinnacles
18 months ago we commissioned the heritage architects Lovell Chen to survey our fabric and develop a long-term plan. In short, the report found that if the stone is not to all peel away to reveal the brick skeleton, and in places that is not far off, we will need to spend $80.5 million over the next 20 years.
which you may be interested in supporting: • Vesti stonework restoration — ensuring the long term upkeep of this wonderful building that has served us so well over the years; • Maintenance of our Trees — for safeguarding the
Then there is the slate that we cannot re-nail another time, the
health and longevity of our substantial trees which
lathe-and-plaster ceilings we need to replace, the rewiring we
add so much beauty and character to the grounds.
need to do and so the list goes on. We have recognised that these numbers are beyond the reach of fundraising alone, and help from the government in these straitened budgetary times is unlikely. Therefore an important part of our work in recent
Please join with others this year to support the Annual Giving program. Every gift has an impact on the College and students’ lives.
years has been to transform our economics so that we can do the work our buildings need while continuing to bring fee increases downwards towards CPI.
No.88 JUNE 2014
For more information please contact advancement@ormond.unimelb.edu.au
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Life at Ormond
The disproportionate difference in action
Students ensuring the hand was assembled correctly
Helping Hands
The program was facilitated by Katrina Renard, Associate Director of Learning (BOB), and alumnus Jesse Poulton (2011).
This year, for the first time, Ormond College students ran during
The event started with an introduction to BOB, followed by
Orientation Week a project called Helping Hands to introduce
a parody on student experiences with BOB and the power
first-year students to the Beyond Ormond Borders (BOB) program.
of team-building. Students were then asked to start putting
The project was initiated, fundraised and facilitated by the BOB
together the different pieces in front of them, without being
O-Week student leaders. Their passion, determination and
told that they were building prosthetic hands. Ten minutes into
commitment throughout the summer to making this project
the process, a special video was shown revealing the nature of
happen ensured that the large cost of funding and running
what they were doing. The emotions, shock and element of
the program did not get in the way of its success.
surprise made students realise how capable they are of making a disproportionate difference in people’s lives. Following this activity, the team held a BOB fair where students could find out more about the programs offered through the College. The extraordinary amount of interest all the programs received from our students, at both the fair and the official BOB program launch at the start of semester, reflects the success of Helping Hands in creating a positive culture change around community involvement at Ormond. Given the positive effect of this project and its impact on BOB, we hope to see it continue in years to come.
Building the hands as a team
Arnesh Kapur (Commerce 3)
BOB is all about getting students to realise the disproportionate difference they are able to make, and the Helping Hands team wanted students to engage with the program and this idea in a new and exciting way. They wanted to motivate our new students to get involved and to open their eyes to the change they are capable of creating. Helping Hands is run through an organisation called Henricks Consulting and involved our first-year students working together in teams of five to build 40 prosthetic hands. Once the hands are built, they are returned to Henricks where they are checked by engineers to ensure they have been assembled correctly. Then they are donated to landmine amputee victims around the world who have them fitted by medical professionals. 10
Assembling the prosthetic hand while the dominant hand is disabled by a foam made sock
ORMOND COLLEGE MAGAZINE
Collectively, the Club and College have been working together to develop new initiatives to celebrate the diversity of the Ormond community. Further initiatives to look out for this year include a series of talks on interpreting Australian culture, cultural appreciation societies and a student-published travel guide. Benton Ching (Arts 3)
The Dance Benefit for Mental Health A display of Ormond’s dancing talent, the 2013 Dance Benefit proved a dual forum for dance as well as discourse and debate
International Student Support
on the topic of mental health. Bold dance medleys were coupled with short video interviews that offered insights into the
International students form a significant portion of the student
question of positive mental health, a debate often relegated
body at Ormond College, comprising around 25% of the total
to the margins of conversation.
student population. In 2014, the Students’ Club and the College have committed to working together to increase the level of
The Dance Benefit responded to a legacy of student
support for international students.
engagement with the topic of mental health. Co-founded by former Ormondians Elly Danks (2010) and Rowena Baer
The College has appointed new staff members with portfolios
(2010) in 2011, the original Dance Benefit was inspired by
suited to meeting the needs faced by international students.
the desire that discussions surrounding mental health be
The appointment of College Chaplain Dr Garry Deverell, whose
less stigmatised in the Ormond community. This legacy –
portfolio includes the integration of international students,
coupled with the innovation and enthusiasm of over sixty
highlights the College’s interest in ensuring that incoming and
dancers, choreographers, lighting technicians and musicians –
returning internationals are given support in settling into both life
created a visual spectacle and a forum for critical reflection.
at Ormond as well as the cultural context of modern Australia. Another new appointment, Dr Sherina Mubiru, has specialist skills in providing linguistic support to international students who do not speak English as their first language. At the onset of 2014, the General Committee appointed a member of the Student Support Committee (SSC) focused on caring for the wellbeing of international students. This is a new initiative designed to enhance the care for international students within the Students’ Club, with the Student Support Committee member accountable for ensuring that the international students assimilate well into life at College. The international SSC member sends out an email to each international student containing a welcome guide upon receiving confirmation of their acceptance, to provide a sense of orientation and information on what to expect upon their arrival in Melbourne.
Alexa Thompson (2011) and Caitlin Clifford (Arts 3) at the Dance Benefit event last year
Additionally, before O-Week, a day was dedicated to helping
Dances ranged from the eclectic to the upbeat, with high-
international students source their necessities before University
energy skipping routines performed alongside hip-hop,
began.The day was run in a relaxed and informal manner,
contemporary and jazz. The Dance Benefit celebrated a range
beginning with icebreakers in the morning and, after lunch,
of styles and abilities not restricted to traditional ‘dance’.
members of the SSC took small groups of international students out of Ormond and into the city of Melbourne to sort out issues
With support from the Ormond community, the Dance Benefit
such as bank accounts, mobile phones and university student
raised over $1200 for headspace, Australia’s National Youth Mental
cards. This was done to ease international students of some of
Health Foundation. The video interviews and their warm reception
the stress that comes with being thrust into a new environment,
may be even more illustrative of our progress in engaging with an
being a long way from home and the high intensity of the
issue often stigmatised and marred by suspicion.
O-Week program.
Caitlin Clifford (Arts 3) and Alexa Thompson (2011)
No.88 JUNE 2014
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Our Community
Unveiling Jean McCaughey’s portrait
Di Bambra Director of Advancement Jean McCaughey’s portrait by Tom Nicholson
Tom Nicholson, Jean McCaughey’s grandson and a
Tom has created a portrait that will speak to the generation
successful artist, was commissioned to produce a portrait
who knew her and also to a generation who never knew her.
which celebrates not only Jean McCaughey’s contribution
What becomes obvious is that Jean was a well-known, very
to the Ormond College community but also 40 years of
talented and greatly loved figure around the campus who
co-residence at Ormond.
had a huge impact on the College in her own right.
Jean played an integral part in this important period in the life
A metaphorical unveiling in the Dining Hall on Friday 22
of the College, when Davis McCaughey was Master of Ormond
November 2013 was followed by a viewing of the portrait in
College from 1959 to 1979. Though dedicated to her family
situ in the library in the J M Young room, the space for which it
and to social justice for the disadvantaged, Jean was also deeply
has been created. This space produces a more intimate kind of
involved in the wellbeing of staff and students, and is the first
experience, as Tom wants the relationship between that portrait
woman to be recognised in a portrait hung at the College.
and the room, and the kind of encounter with Jean that this induces, to be discovered by the viewer.
Tom Nicholson said, “I had to confront both the public meaning of Jean’s life, which was very strongly connected to Ormond, and also a very long-standing connection to her personally. So that question of how you make an image which represents, at least notionally, an instant in her life and how that might stand for a whole range of experiences of her was particularly acute in this work.” Prior to producing the final charcoal portrait, Tom based the drawing component of the portrait on a photograph taken the day that Davis’s official portrait was unveiled in 1979. Tom specifically chose to depict that moment, which he describes as capturing Jean when she had finished listening and was about to respond to the person with whom she was engaged in the conversation.
Alumni and other members of the Ormond community are very welcome to view the portrait; please contact Louise Curran at alumni@ormond.unimelb.edu.au or 9344 1270.
Jean McCaughey’s family at the unveiling last year. From left: Ellen Koshland, Tom Nicholson, Mary Nicholson, Brigid McCaughey and James McCaughey.
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ORMOND COLLEGE MAGAZINE
Our Community
Student Community Support
Rob Leach Vice Master
This year, Ormond’s Community Team has been
pastoral care presence and strengthens the team of senior staff
fortunate to add two new members. Dr Garry Deverell
who are on call for critical incidents. Furthermore, Sherina has
has been appointed College Chaplain and Freemantle
offered her assistance to students from non-English-speaking
Fellow. The arrival of Dr Sherina Mubiru marks the
backgrounds who may require help with their academic English.
reinstitution, after a long absence, of the position of Resident Medical Officer.
Garry is an Indigenous Trawoolway man from northern Tasmania with a background in school teaching, parish ministry and academic research. He finds the energy of young people infectious and is excited about working with Ormond students to help them make a disproportionate difference in the world. Garry’s chaplaincy duties include offering pastoral care to staff and students, with a special emphasis on supporting international students and those in the Transitional Residency program (temporarily living at College Square).
Dr Sherina Mubiru
These appointments significantly strengthen the College’s ability to provide pastoral, physical, psychological and spiritual support to our students. After a career in speech pathology, Sherina decided to further her vocation in caring for people through medicine. She currently works as a paediatric emergency registrar at Sunshine Hospital and, as well as being resident in McCaughey
Dr Garry Deverell with students in the JCR
Court, dedicates one day per week to Ormond matters.
Garry is also committed to creating opportunities for theological reflection and intercultural dialogue. As a Freemantle Fellow,
One of Sherina’s first tasks is to ensure that the College’s health
Garry adds capacity to support the Ormond College Indigenous
policies and procedures are up-to-date. She will also initiate
Program, with a focus on implementing the Reconciliation Action
new wellbeing activities and preventative medicine strategies to
Plan. In this way, Garry will continue the good work initiated by
encourage healthy living at Ormond. Sherina provides a female
Associate Professor Jane Freemantle.
No.88 JUNE 2014
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Our Community
A richer, broader experience
Joe Fennessy (The University of Melbourne) John R Irwin (Chronicle 1969).
John Irwin’s (1968) impressive career achievements are
John credits his time at the University of Melbourne for much
matched by his outstanding generosity to the University
of his success.
and Ormond College. “The University was life-changing for me in terms of the In 1969 John Irwin boarded a flight from Melbourne’s Essendon
extraordinary opportunities and life experiences it offered;
airport armed with a Master of Engineering Science from the
in preparing me to pursue an international career and in
University of Melbourne and an intent to spend “one or two
developing a life-long desire for ongoing learning.”
years” overseas to obtain a master’s degree in business. Nearly 45 years later he is yet to reside back in Australia, having carved out
That ongoing learning included completing further education
a remarkable international career in the offshore drilling industry.
at Purdue University and Harvard Business School, and a distinguished visiting professorship at the University of Virginia.
Despite the geographical separation resulting from his worldly adventures, the Engineering alumnus maintains a close affinity
As a student in Melbourne, John received a number of
with the University of Melbourne and Ormond College,
scholarships which enabled him to pursue secondary and tertiary
endowing scholarships and making a bequest that will benefit
education. He said the support provided him with unexpected
both institutions into the future.
educational opportunities that opened up a new world for him.
John recently drew the curtain on an extraordinary career that
“In some cases, living allowances permitted me to have time
saw him live and work in all corners of the globe, including
for a richer and broader experience, and do things such as reside
the US, UK, Singapore, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates,
in Ormond College. The scholarships also gave me a sense of
Myanmar, Nigeria and Brazil.
worth, recognition and confidence that were very important.” This personal experience played a large part in John deciding to
As President and CEO of the international drilling contractor
endow scholarships at the University and Ormond College. In 2010,
Atwood Oceanics, he played a significant role during his 17
the John R Irwin Scholarship was established for students studying
years of leadership in building the company, its listing on the
a graduate degree under the Melbourne Model curriculum.
New York Stock Exchange, and its recognition as number two on the ‘All Star List’ of Fortune’s 100 Fastest-Growing US
Alisha D’Souza, a Masters of Engineering student who received
Companies. He was also the recipient of the Ernst & Young
the scholarship in 2012, says it allowed her to focus more time
‘Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Energy’ for Houston and
and effort on her studies and extracurricular activities, including
the US Gulf Coast, and was named by Texas CEO magazine
volunteering with Engineers Without Borders.
on its ‘Best of the Best’ list in 2010.
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ORMOND COLLEGE MAGAZINE
John and Margo Irwin
“It has made managing work and other commitments much
Now residing in Houston, Texas, John is a member of the
easier, more productive and efficient. I am truly grateful for the
University of Melbourne USA Foundation Board and is a
generous support,” she said.
committed advocate for the University, Ormond College, and the city of Melbourne. He is pleased to support Believe
Together with his wife Margo, John has also funded the John
– The Campaign for the University of Melbourne.
and Margo Irwin Scholarship at Ormond College for Engineering and Science students.
“I feel it is important for Melbourne and Australia to have world-class universities and attract talented students regardless
“I have a desire to see both Ormond College and the University
of means,” he said.
of Melbourne do well in the future,” he said. “It has been an honour to become re-involved with Ormond “I have wonderful memories and life-long friendships and am
and the University of Melbourne at this stage in my life.”
grateful for the life-changing educational experience. Having been absent from Melbourne and Australia – as a resident, anyway – for nearly 45 years, these relationships and memories have become extremely important for me to preserve.” Further underlining the couple’s generosity, John and Margo are making a bequest to Ormond College, ensuring their legacy is felt by future generations. “This is an opportunity to give careful thought to those areas that are important to you and that bring you a sense of pleasure, satisfaction, belonging and meaning,” he said of the bequest. “In my own case, three areas that are very important to me are supporting Ormond College, supporting the University of
“The support from the John and Margo Irwin Scholarship has given me the freedom to broaden my academic interests and welcome new challenges, the motivation to develop a sense of self-assurance in an environment abounding in opportunity and the chance to contribute all I can to the life of the awe-inspiring college that is Ormond.” Elizabeth Ford (Sci 2)
Melbourne – the Melbourne Model, and professional education – and supporting education in Melbourne in terms of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. I am passionate about the longer term competitiveness of Melbourne, the city and home in which I was so fortunate to be born, grow up, and be educated.”
No.88 JUNE 2014
15
Our Community
Thanking Jane Freemantle
Rufus Black Master
Jane Freemantle has made a profound and lasting contribution
Jane has also served as the President of the Senior Common
to the life of the College during her time at Ormond, and we
Room and the staff representative on the College Council. In
have much to thank her for and celebrate on the occasion of
these roles she has championed the centrality of academic
her retirement. She has embodied all that is best about being a
community to collegiate life and offered wise counsel on the
member of the Senior Common Room.
overall direction of Ormond. What has characterised all of Jane’s many contributions to the College is her absolute commitment to students and their wellbeing. Whether it was providing counsel, mentoring or academic advice whatever the hour, cooking dinner for students or cheering a sporting team at 7 am before heading off to work, Jane has always been there for them. Students’ extraordinary affection and regard for Jane as a result of all that she has done for them was expressed when the Students’ Club took the unique step at the Club Dinner last year of making her a life member of the Ormond College Students’ Club (OCSC).
Or-Ma’am Dinner 2013
Associate Professor Freemantle is first of all a distinguished academic, whose courageous and groundbreaking work is helping to redefine our understanding of the Indigenous population of Victoria. Jane has turned her personal and academic passion into practical action that has made the College a better place, as the driving force behind the Ormond College Indigenous Program. It is a mark of her character that she readily points to the contributions of others, but the simple truth is we would not
Receiving her life membership of the OCSC
have this program and it would not have became an integral
Jane, together with her ever-supportive husband, Jim Freemantle
part of how we operate as a College in just six years without
AO, will be greatly missed and fondly remembered,
Jane’s leadership.
and I wish them both all the very best.
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ORMOND COLLEGE MAGAZINE
Garma 2013
Jane has been an enormously influential woman in my life, both while I was at Ormond and in the time since. I was first introduced to Jane as a warm Senior Common Room member who seemed to be present at every OCSC event, looking for points of connection and opportunities to share knowledge with new students, while also being aware of and worried for those students who might not be feeling part of the College. During my time at Ormond, I realised that Jane was someone who, whatever the circumstances, made whatever needed to happen possible. I feel extraordinarily fortunate to have worked with Jane during the development of Ormond’s Indigenous Program, learning constantly from her integrity and the way this translated into change at an institutional level and relationships on a personal level. In addition to being a highly regarded academic, Jane established connections with as many students as possible, actively building and maintaining relationships. Jane has been an academic and personal mentor, not just for me but for many others too, and I hope that in the years to come she is able to continue sharing her warmth, care, knowledge
Or-Ma’am Dinner 2013
and stories with those around her.
Jane has played an integral role in nurturing my university
Fi Belcher (2008)
and College experience. Jane was the first to welcome me into the halls of Ormond and over the years she has helped
Jane was the first person to make me feel like Ormond was
me to reach my potential, both academically and personally.
a home away from home. She genuinely cares and I know
She has inspired and guided me and in a maternal way,
she always has my best interests at heart. She goes beyond
and cracked the whip when that’s exactly what I needed.
her official role here at Ormond and is always there for a
Jane remains a close friend and mentor of mine and I am
chat about anything at all, no matter when. Jane is the first
eternally grateful for the generous support she has rendered
staff member I met and will truly be the last I forget.
and continues to render me.
Nina Fitzgerald (Biomed 2)
Bede Jones (2011)
No.88 JUNE 2014
17
World War I centenary
Rufus Black Master Harold “Pompey” Elliott 1899
The Centenary of the start of the First World War is a
He stood against life-wasting British actions on the Western
time to reflect.
Front, he was present on the front line where few generals ever ventured and, as a more junior officer, in the thick of the
Ormond was deeply touched by the Great War. The list of
fight he refused to ask his soldiers to do things he would not
names in the Vestibule of those who served is long. Their
do himself.
images can be seen in the sporting pictures on the walls and their names on trophies and oars. The sense of loss lingers.
These are but a few of the many lenses through which we
When rowers of this generation carry the great brass shield
can view the First World War. The Centenary is an opportunity
of the Mervyn Bournes Higgins rowing trophy into the Hall,
to revisit an important chapter in Ormond’s history and to
we remember a dashing rower, a great scholar and a fallen
explore what it meant then and what it still means to us today.
soldier of the Australian Light Horse. We start that exploration this year with a dinner to commemorate Ormond people not only fought in the War but they also led.
the great dinner held in the Dining Hall one hundred years ago,
General ‘Pompey’ Elliot was perhaps the most famous among
at which the College farewelled the Ormond men going to war
them. His story still inspires today.
and Pompey Elliot spoke in reply on behalf of the soldiers.
Ormond College World War 1 Commemorative Dinner Friday 12 September, 6.30pm - 9.30pm, Ormond College, $50 per head. Contact Louise Curran on 03 9344 1270 Guest Speaker: Dr Ross McMullin AM, historian and biographer whose main interests are Australian history, politics, and sport. He has researched and written extensively about the impact of World War 1 on Australia and its involvement in that conflict. Dr McMullin’s books include his award winning biography on the notable Ormond alumnus Pompey Elliott and his most recent book Farewell, dear people which includes the stories of several young men, with close connections to Ormond, who were sadly lost in the war. In researching for the evening we have discovered many interesting stories and much about life at the College at the time, which we will share with you on the evening.
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ORMOND COLLEGE MAGAZINE
Our Community
Four Coffees and a Dinner
Deb Hull Director of Learning
Want to connect with and support Ormond students without committing hours of time that you don’t have? From July, Ormond is launching a program that brings together graduate students and alumni. It involves, literally, four coffees and one dinner across the year. You will be matched with a graduate student who is studying in your field and will meet them for coffee wherever and whenever works for you both. You might offer insights into your industry, open their eyes to diverse career pathways, give tips about what recruiters are looking for, or just chat about their studies and what they are currently thinking about. The student will also invite you to dinner at High Table in Hall during the year, to meet with senior Ormond staff and other participants in the program. Initially we are seeking alumni to connect with graduates studying: • construction management
• international relations
• dentistry
• mathematics and statistics
• economics
• mechanical engineering
• education
• optometry
• finance
• physiotherapy
• human resources • Indigenous studies
•p ublic policy and management
• information systems
• research science
• infrastructure engineering
• urban planning
If you would like to participate in this new Ormond program, please contact Louise Curran at alumni@ormond.unimelb.edu.au or 9344 1270.
No.87 DECEMBER 2013
Later this year, we hope to extend the program to medicine and law.
19
Alumni News
Thomas Graham (2003) won $100,000 with his company Map-D in an international tech-engineering competition. Through his time in the US as visiting scholar at Harvard, he co-founded Map-D which is working with companies including Facebook and Paypal to tackle their Big-Data challenges. Andrew Holmes (1962) has been elected as the next President of the Australian Academy of Science. Andrew will take up this role after the Academy’s General Meeting in May 2014. We wish Professor Holmes all the best as he takes on this new role and continues his important work. Jo Jukes (1987) still keeps up with her Ormond mates and has recently joined the Ormond ski lodge at Hotham. Jo has worked in Germany and Australia for Siemens as a project and corporate lawyer. She is married with three children. Leah Grogan Sakas (2003) and her husband Jack welcomed a baby girl, Vivian Grogan Sakas, on 5 December 2013.
Ross Abraham (1998) is married to Meredith, they live in Geelong and Ross is the owner-operator of Kardinia Dental. They have two young sons, Oliver, born in 2011, and Dexter, born in 2013.
Vivian Grogan Sakas
James Starling (1997) left Australia in 2003 to trade commodities in Argentina and Brazil. He completed an MBA degree in France in 2005, then worked at a bank in London until 2012. James married Rebecca in Leicestershire in April Dexter and Oliver Abraham
2012 with Dennis Deane (1997) as master-of-ceremonies. Early
Peter Andrew (1984) has spent the last six years out of
this year James took up a portfolio manager role with Trafigura’s
Australia traveling between Singapore, England and Singapore
Hedge Fund Division based in Geneva, Switzerland. James is
again. He sees his three children broadening their views on the
working on a return to the family farm in South Australia.
world. Peter’s career has a real opportunity to make a difference in a (fledgling) industry of workplace strategy. His role at CBRE
Anna Stockley (2002) is living in New York City running
in workplace strategy is a form of management consulting
strategy for Bonobos, an e-commerce company selling men’s
that brings together people, technology and the physical
clothes and the largest apparel brand to launch online in the
environment to reinvent work/learning processes and culture
USA. They now have stores across the country to supplement
to drive business performance and increase employee
their website business. Anna never thought she would be
engagement and satisfaction. Peter’s personal ambition is
managing the expansion of a retail network across America!
to help transform work and workplaces in Asia. Returning to
She loves that she can stay in touch with Ormond via her
Singapore with a large organisation like CBRE has enabled him
youngest sister, Naomi, who joined the College in 2013
to build a regional team and drive into immature markets in
as a first-year and lives in O-Wing.
Hong Kong, China, India, Japan and Singapore.
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ORMOND COLLEGE MAGAZINE
Sally-Anne Symes (1992) undertook further study on leaving Ormond and travelled overseas. She returned to Australia and has worked in the Victorian water industry for the past decade. Her role includes sustainability planning, environmental risk profiling and NRM investment. Sal is married, has three beautiful children and lives in Bendigo. She recently started a small business delivering fun, foreign-language programs for young children
The College has learned of the following deaths in our community. Our sympathy is extended to the families of these Ormondians.
(aged 2–12 years) in regional Victoria. Helping to grow little
Peter William Fay (1947)
linguists and bilingual sustainability warriors is her new passion.
Kenneth John Millar (1944)
Jonathan Wilcox (2008) is undertaking a 3-month internship
Keith Dickson Nunn (1950)
with the Trial Chamber of the Extraordinary Chambers in the
Dr Richard John Fuller (Ivanhoe) (1978)
Courts of Cambodia, which is the UN-assisted hybrid tribunal
Dr Ian Peter McIntyre (1953)
tasked with the prosecution of war crimes and genocide committed by the Khmer Rouge in 1975-79. He will be assisting
Robert Andrew Anderson (1965)
the Chamber with judgment drafting and researching the
Margaret Ellen Thom (1946)
relevant laws as the most recent indictment goes to hearing. He recently graduated as a Sydney JD and was admitted as a
George Rousseau (1960)
lawyer in NSW, where he has been practising criminal law.
David (René) Paul (1958) David, known as René, and I became close friends in 1957, when at Geelong College we shared the prefects’ study with two other Ormond colleagues, David Messenger and Ian Wills. David was a recognised senior English literature and French student. His impish wit and discourses were so engaging, a relief from the stress of impending exams. David had informed and excited me about Melbourne University and the residential College, Ormond, of which I knew little. He was Melbourne savvy. When going for interviews at the University, I stayed with David and his family in West Brunswick and was warmly welcomed; his father Norman had been an Ormondian in 1923. So I regard David as the
David Paul and Graeme Robson in the 1961 Ormond College Students’ Club General Committee
influence under which I was fortunate enough to attend
David was a teacher, initially at Ivanhoe Boys’ Grammar,
Ormond, where we were ‘wives’, sharing a study for three
then in England, before going to Scotch College in 1970,
of my College years.
where he was head of history and politics and later head of social education. David was President of the History
David and I shared so many days, so many friends, so many
Teachers’ Association of Victoria in the late 80s and also
experiences, including my anxious help with his recurrent
Chief Examiner of European History. Renaissance history was
asthma attacks. In addition to communal fellowship, we
his love.
shared an interest in music. I was introduced to the early Negro ballads of blues singer Leadbelly, the exciting
David has two sons, Jason and Christopher, from his first
jazz orchestrations of Duke Ellington and the beautiful
marriage to Jennifer Lechte (née Broadbent) and a daughter,
melancholic playing of Miles Davis. I cherish those times.
Dimity, with his second wife, Veida, who did so much to support David with his many problems in latter years,
After David came back from England, contact became less
when he was preparing himself for his death. René will be
frequent until the last few years, by which time David was
remembered with much affection by all who knew him.
battling many serious ailments.
Graeme Robson (1958)
No.88 JUNE 2014
21
Australia Day Honours
Founders and Benefactors
Professor Bruce Harold McKellar AC (1973) for eminent service
The Annual Commemoration of Founders and Benefactors
to science, particularly the study of theoretical physics, as an
was a wonderful occasion where the many members of our
academic, educator and researcher, through seminal contributions
community came together in celebration of our proud tradition
to scientific development organisations and as an author and
of benefaction. The evening began with a service in the Chapel,
mentor.
led by the college chaplain Dr Garry Deverell, which allowed the attendees a moment of reflection on the goodness of
Mr Peter John Jopling AM QC (1974) for significant service
contributing back.
to the law in Victoria and to the community. Emeritus Professor John D McLaren AM (1951) for significant service to education, particularly the humanities and social sciences, as an academic, mentor and teacher. Professor Rob Moodie AM (1972), a member of the Ormond College Council and Ormond Alumni, for his service to medicine through HIV/AIDS research and through leadership roles in population health and disease prevention programs. Dr Heather Y Schnagl AM for significant service to education as a school principal and through roles with professional
Neville (1961) and Di Bertalli with scholarship recipient Stevie Kirke-Groves (Sci 2)
organisations; she is the spouse of Dr Roger Schnagl (1970).
Following this, we reconvened to a jubilant dinner held in the Dining Hall. In between Dr Rob Leach’s stimulating speech on
Mr Paul Sheahan AM (1965) for significant service to
this college’s history, and graduate student Cameron Muirhead’s
education and through roles with sporting, charitable and
thought-provoking words on the privilege of philanthropy,
community organisations.
many scholarship recipients relished the opportunity to engage individually with their benefactors. Praised by some as the
The Honourable Dr Ross Alan Sundberg AM QC (1961)
best event they had attended in years, this year’s celebration
for significant service to the law as a judge, reporter and
reminded us, as astutely put by Cameron Muirhead, that “Life
educator; he was appointed Judge in Residence at Ormond
is a gift… it offers us the privilege, the opportunity, but most of
College in October 2011.
all, the responsibility to give something back, which we can do by becoming something more”.
Dr David Alan Parker OAM (1960) for service to dentistry.
Stephanie McMahon (MD1)
Doctor tackled deadly epidemics
“Working in refugee camps was without doubt one of the
As a young doctor working in
we should be talking about what’s going on in the camps
refugee camps in Sudan,
around diets, water and sanitation.”
most instructive parts of my medical training, learning that
Rob Moodie AM (1972) treated children with
It’s an approach that has guided him through a 35-year
preventable diseases that
career, including in the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic
could quickly become deadly
when he took a key role in United Nations’ efforts to warn
epidemics in crowded conditions.
communities of the emerging threat. More recently his focus
Seeing a steady stream of children suffering the same types of
has turned to the diseases caused by smoking, obesity and
illnesses, with scarce resources to treat them, led him to think
excessive alcohol consumption.
about the bigger picture. Obesity and alcohol remain major challenges: “Whether
22
“It’s that notion of sitting on the bank of a river and people
it’s tobacco, alcohol or food, you’re fighting major industries
keep drowning, so you drag them out and save them, and
who are in a sense the vectors of these industrial
then someone says, ‘why don’t you go up the river and see
epidemics,” he says.
who’s pushing them in?”’ says Moodie.
Kate Hagan (Fairfax Syndication)
ORMOND COLLEGE MAGAZINE
Event Diary 1984 - 30 Year Reunion - Cocktail Party
Thursday 17 July 2014
Ormond College at 6.30pm
NSW Chapter Gala
Friday 8 August 2014
Paddington, NSW
WW1 Commemorative Dinner
Friday 12 September
Ormond College at 6.30pm
OCA Dinner
Friday 10 October 2014
Ormond College at 6.45pm
1881 Club Dinner
Tuesday 21 October 2014
Ormond College at 6.30pm
1974 - 40 Year Reunion Cocktail Party
Friday 14 November 2014
Ormond College at 6.30pm
MacFarland Circle
Monday 1 December 2014
Ormond College, time to be advised
Save this Date Friday August 8, 2014 From 7pm
Grab a device and mark your calendar!
The Ormond College NSW Chapter is kicking up its heels for the
Biennial Gala to raise scholarship funds for NSW based students At the house of John Knox and Ro McGinley-Knox, Paddington, 2021 Details to follow...
No.88 JUNE 2014
23
Our heritage environment — integral to the Ormond experience
49 College Crescent Parkville VIC 3052 Australia T: 61 3 9344 1100 F: 61 3 9344 1111 E: advancement@ormond.unimelb.edu.au W: www.ormond.unimelb.edu.au
2014 Ormond College Association Dinner
OCA AGM and Dinner 2014
Names:
Friday 10 October 2014 at 6.45pm
This year’s OCA Dinner will be held on Friday 10 October
Please print full name & year of entry
2014. The guest speaker for the evening is Paul Sheahan
AM (1965). Paul was awarded the Order of Australia
Please print full name & year of entry
Medal in January 2014 for his significant service to
Contact number during business hours
education and through roles with sporting, charitable and
Email address
community organisations. Educated at the University of Melbourne, Paul was Headmaster of Melbourne Grammar
Names for a Table of 12 1
Peer Year
(table captain)
School from 1995 to 2009, having been Principal of his old school Geelong College from 1986 to 1995. Paul is a former Australian Test cricketer who played 31 Tests and
2
3 One Day Internationals as an opening and middle order
3
batsman between 1967 and 1973.
4
The evening will also include the 2004, 10 year and 1994,
5
20 year reunions.
6
6.45pm – 7.30pm Pre-dinner drinks and savouries 7.30pm – 10.30pm Dinner College Dining Hall
7 8 9
Dress: Black/Ormond Tie
10 11
For enquiries please email to: alumni@ormond.unimelb.edu.au
12
RSVP: Friday 3 October 2014
OR seat me with (please tick): my year group
1994 year group – 20 year reunion
2004 year group – 10 year reunion
Dietary Requirements
OCA Dinner only
place/s @ $85 per person
place/s @ $75 per person (2009–13 only)
Total $ Payment Details Cheque (payable to Ormond College) Mastercard
Visa (no Diners/Amex)
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Please complete form on reverse and return to: OCA Dinner Ormond College 49 College Crescent Parkville VIC 3052 AUSTRALIA T: +61 3 9344 1270 E: alumni@ormond.unimelb.edu.au Book online at: www.ormond.unimelb.edu.au/event