Currie ConnectCurrie ConneCt Volume 1, No. 2. December 2010

www.currie.uwa.edu.au

Reconnect with CurrieWe at Currie Hall would love to hear from past residents.

Whether it be dropping us a line to tell us what you have

been up to since leaving the hall, volunteering as a student

mentor or letting us know you are interested in attending

any future alumni events.

Contact Marie Knights at mknights@curriehall.uwa.edu.au

or on +61 8 6488 8336.

Ground breaks on Currie Hall ExpansionA significant step was taken towards Currie Hall’s expansion with Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson officially breaking ground on Stage One of the development on Tuesday 9 November, 2010.

Currie Hall Principal Chris Massey welcomed guests to the celebration. In attendance were members of the UWA Executive, including Gaye McMath, Executive Director of Finances and Resources, Currie Hall Council members and staff, past and present Residents’ Club committee members, Resident Advisors and other Heads of Colleges.

Indigenous elder Noel Morich provided a very warm welcome to country, sharing stories about the history of the land on which Currie Hall is situated. The Vice-Chancellor spoke on his passion for college living and the benefits it brings to UWA students. He also expressed his great pleasure that the expansion of the hall’s facilities will mean that more students will be able to receive these benefits.

Architect Kevin Palassis explained the design of the project and meeting the challenges of keeping the buildings on a human scale while remaining sympathetic to the existing architecture. Guests then celebrated with afternoon tea while taking the opportunity to closely examine the plans.

Above: UWA Council members Mr George McCullagh and Mr Kelly Smith Front cover: 2010 Res Club President Joshua Tussler, Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson and Principal Chris Massey

Vice-Chancellor’s Dinner takes on a 1950s theme Wednesday 4 September was a return to the early days of Rock and Roll as Currie Hall celebrated the start of second semester. Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson was the special guest at the dinner which was named in his honour.

Professor Robson’s address on the University and the benefits of residential life was appreciated by all present, including American Study Abroad student Amanda Barnett. Amanda said that Professor Robson’s address had resonated with her and made her realise how proud she was to attend such a prestigious university.

Other guests at the dinner included Currie Hall Council members Professor Cheryl Praeger, Ms Rowan Maclean, George McCullagh and Mr Kelly Smith. Residents and staff appreciated Council members and their partners taking time out of their busy schedules to join us on this important occasion.

The evening started with a surprise arrival – a 1955 Cadillac (white not pink!) which drove into the Currie Hall barbecue area. For the next two hours, it was besieged by Fifties lookalikes wanting their photos taken by resident photographer Janan Loh. MC Daniel Blanket used his dulcet tones to grab the audience’s attention and Junya Hanayama performed a comedic piano piece that thrilled the crowd.

From left: Ms Rowan Maclean, Adj/Prof John Henstridge, Professor Cheryl Praeger, Mr George McCullagh, Ms Robyn Wilson, Professor Alan Robson, Ms Jane Massey, Mr Chris Massey and Mr Kelly Smith

An important part of the Vice-Chancellor’s dinner was the presentation of forty-four Academic Awards to Currie Hall’s highest achievers in first semester. The recipients of these awards were invited to attend a special academic dinner in October with representatives from their faculties at UWA.

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Alumni Cocktails a hit

The evening of Monday 23 August saw Currie Hall host its first official alumni event in several years. Held in the Blue Room, the cocktail function attracted over 150 guests. Attendees were alumni from the entire history of the Hall including a very strong contingent from the University Hostel days as well as more recent graduates. Also present were several past presidents, John Hopkins (1972), Peter Hollins (1979) and Craig Woodhead (1988).

Over wine and hors d’oeuvres guests took a trip down memory lane, viewing an historic photo display and enjoying tours of the Hall buildings and the corridors that were once their home. Guests also had the opportunity to look at the future of the hall with the latest plans for the Hall’s expansion on display.

Kath Jordan, Denis Cuneen, Robert Gauntlett & Helena Gauntlett (nee. Jordan) Jemma Groen, Ankit Asarpota, Chris Massey, Jeff Palm & Mark Wallace

Principal’s noteThe response to the first ever edition of Currie Connect has been incredible. I have been particularly pleased to find that copies have been circulated beyond the original recipient list, proving that networks of ex-Haller’s remain as strong as ever.

The alumni cocktail party held 23 August in the Blue Room brought me face to face with many of you and was a wonderful opportunity to hear first hand what the Hall means to its alumni. It is with great pleasure that I found that many of you would like to be involved with the Hall and its residents.

2011 gives the Hall much to look forward to, including celebrating the 50th anniversary of the naming of the Hall and the completion of stage one of a 100 bed expansion. Funded equally by UWA and by Currie Hall the 24 new rooms are eagerly awaited.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the Hall’s alumni a happy and safe festive season and look forward to hearing from you in the New Year. Chris Massey with Staff Prize winner Tanya Rebhan

Principal Chris Massey and other staff in attendance were pleasantly surprised to hear about an impressive number of marriages that had taken place between former residents as well of families where several generations have been residents of the hall.

University Hostel alumni Topsy Fischer wrote after the event to say ‘The Currie Hall Alumni Cocktail Party on Monday was such a happy occasion – I don’t think the Hostel/U.W.C. of the 50s stopped talking all night, whilst hoping the current Currie Hall residents had as much fun as we did.’

This sentiment was clearly shared by other guests. Although the finishing time for the event was scheduled for 8pm, many stayed on considerably later enjoying the company of old friends.

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Originally from the rural Northern Territory, Kezia Purick attended Currie Hall from 1976 to 1979 and undertook a Bachelor of Commerce.

On leaving UWA and Currie Hall, Kezia’s first professional appointment was with the Northern Territory Chamber of Commerce, charged with establishing its first office in Alice Springs. Kezia then undertook a number of roles in public relations and marketing and in 1991 was appointed CEO of the Northern Territory Minerals Council.

In her 16 years in this role, Kezia was instrumental in bringing the industry to the forefront of public policy debate and expanding services and membership. During this time Kezia participated in various Northern Territory and Commonwealth advisory committees covering uranium and royalties and exploration programmes. Kezia also appeared and made submissions to various Commonwealth and Northern Territory Parliamentary standing and sessional committees.

In 2008 Kezia ran for the Northern Territory Parliament and defeated the Labour incumbent with approximately 58% of the vote. Kezia’s rural seat of Goyder encompasses Virginia, Bees Creek, Humpty Doo, Noonamah, Lambells Lagoon and Fogg Dam areas. Kezia was also appointed Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

Kezia has held the shadow portfolios for lands, planning, mines and primary industries, fisheries, economic development, major projects, trade, statehood and women affairs and is a member

Alumni Profile

Kezia Purick (centre) with friends in the Northern Territory Parliament

Ms Kezia Purick MLA Member for Goyder and Deputy Leader of the Opposition

The University of Western Australia has launched a new networking website that will enable its graduates to develop greater professional and social links with the University and its alumni.

Developed exclusively for UWA, alumniConnect is a professional and social networking site that has taken advantage of emerging technologies to bring together more than 60,000 graduates worldwide – all within a safe and secure online environment.

alumniConnect is free of charge and allows graduates to stay connected to their friends, get connected at reunions and stay tuned to UWA news and events. As a registered alumniConnect member, you will be able to:

• create your personal profile;

• search for other graduates in the alumni directory;

• develop your own groups and networks based upon your interests, location or other commonality;

• submit and signup for events, see who else has registered;

• search for jobs and direct your career;

• upload and share photos within your group;

• build custom content from a wide range of feeds and online tools such as YouTube, Google, Flickr and many more.

alumniConnect also has its very own Currie Hall group, exclusively for former residents of the Hall.

If you like the sound of extending your UWA connections and getting access to members-only features and benefits all in one place, then contact the alumniConnect Team at alumniconnect@uwa.edu.au with your full name and your UWA degree (including your last year of study).

Join UWA’s alumniConnect

of the Legal and Constitutional Standing Committee and Statehood Steering Committee.

The past 20 years of Kezia’s career have seen her involved in many business groups, advisory councils including work health, consumer affairs, education and local government. In addition to this she is currently a director of the Charles Darwin University Foundation.

A long term resident of the NT, Kezia currently resides on 10 acres shared with four dogs which she has adopted as well as chickens and a large fridge for the storage of her favourite West Australian wine. She is active in her community, working with community groups including Fred’s Pass and Royal Darwin Show Societies.

Kezia holds very fold memories of her time at Currie Hall and is proud to claim the title of the first ever female to win the spaghetti eating contest, holding onto her trophy until its physical deterioration (rusted with seeping black ooze) necessitated its disposal.

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Volunteers neededCurrie Hall is seeking alumni who would be able to share their experiences in leadership as guest speakers for the Hall’s Leadership Program.

The Hall is also looking for alumni who are a position to offer work experience placements or internships to current students.

If you are able to help, please contact Marie Knights at mknights@curriehall.uwa.edu.au

Ralph Pervan Scholarship awarded to Bonnie Hargreaves

The 2010 Ralph Pervan Scholarship was awarded to first year Agricultural Science student Bonnie Hargreaves. Originally from Binningup in Western Australia’s south west coastal region, Bonnie was selected from a strong field of submissions because of her academic potential, citizenship and leadership qualities.

Unusually for an Agricultural Science student, Bonnie is not from a farming background. A camp run by Primary Industry Centre for Science Education (PICSE) was Bonnie’s first introduction to both Agricultural Science and Currie Hall. The experience was formative and with the support of her parents, Bonnie moved into Currie Hall at the beginning of 2010.

The scholarship awarded to Bonnie was created to honour the memory of Dr Ralph Pervan, a distinguished and well loved member of the Hall. Before his untimely death he was the first Commissioner for Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs in Western Australia. A man of wide academic and humanitarian interests, he worked for unity and understanding between people of different cultural backgrounds.

Winning the scholarship has helped considerably to alleviate the financial burden Bonnie’s parents face in supporting her and her siblings education. Bonnie is very grateful that the scholarship will make it more affordable for her younger brother and sister to experience the many advantages of location, community and friends she has enjoyed at the Hall.

While looking forward to the opportunities of travel and employment her studies will enable, Bonnie will always have a special place in her heart for her time with her Currie Hall family.

Scholarship winner Bonnie Hargreaves

Currie Hall resident helps understanding of Islam in international relationsCurrie Hall resident and PhD student Wahyu Wicaksana is examining commonly held assumptions as to the role of Islam in Indonesia’s international relations. In doing so he hopes to aid understanding of actions the world’s most populace Muslim nation in the international sphere including the sensitive area of terrorism.

The winner of a prestigious AusAID scholarship, Wahyu arrived at Currie Hall from his native Bali in January 2008. Having a visual impairment and being new to Australia, Wahyu required accommodation which allowed for both support and independence in order to undertake his studies. Currie Hall met these requirements and has since then been Wahyu’s home away from home.

When set the challenge by his supervisor to ‘create new knowledge’, and through this process completing his PhD entirely through research, Wahyu looked to the body of international relations research covering his native Indonesia. He found that many assumptions governing peoples’ understanding were not supported by academic research. This was particularly the case in international relations between Indonesia and Pakistan.

The most commonly held assumption that Islam was the key determinant in international relations between the self-declared Islamic state of Pakistan and Indonesia was supported by very little research. In examining relations between the two nations Wahyu has found significant evidence of non-religious interests, primarily economic and cultural, as key determinants in international relations.

This evidence contradicts Samuel Huntington’s 1993 assertion that the principal conflicts in world politics would be neither caused by foreign policy nor other material interests, but civilizations. This assertion, that cultures, including religions, forming civilizations would shape global politics today, leads many to believe that ‘the clash of civilizations’ is an unavoidable outcome.

Wahyu’s research has found evidence that relations between the Indonesia and Pakistan are driven by non-religious interests in a wide range of areas. Surprisingly, even militant Islamic groups have clearly demonstrated economic and political aims aside from their religious

aims, with the professed religious ideals and actions of the groups often incongruent.

As a University lecturer at the University of Airlangga in Surabaya, (Indonesia’s second largest city) Wahyu will be lecturing to future leaders, diplomats and military staff at the post graduate level. He hopes his research will contribute to a re-think of the academic and government approach to international relations, bringing about greater understanding of the true extent of the role of Islam in the international sphere.

Wahyu Wicaksana with Student Services Manager Janet Linn

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Memories of the non-academic varietyCamouflaged Car

I walked to my car one morning (it was parked in the rear car park this time) and there was a new tree where my car had been the night before. It didn’t take me long to realise that someone (wonder who?) had stripped most of the trees in the surrounding area totally bare and put them all around my car which was completely camouflaged. Inventive!

Magical Car

I walked out to the rear car park one morning to find that my car had magically managed to re-park itself on the footpath. At least it wasn’t dressed up!

Boys and their Blocks

My room at D Set faced the front car park and was on the ground floor. In the weeks previous to this incident, a new limestone wall was being built near D Set and a lot of limestone blocks were lying around on the ground. I woke up one morning, opened my door (inwards of course) to go to the loo, to find a new limestone wall outside my door with a huge plastic frog sitting on top. The wall went almost as high as the top of the door and there was no way I could move any of the blocks. I was completely blocked in and busting. A few loud screams later and D1 and D2 (Engineering students – surprise surprise!) appeared at the gap between my door and the wall. After falling about laughing (I could only assume they were falling about because I couldn’t see anything but they were definitely laughing), the ‘gentlemen’ eventually took pity on me and removed enough of the blocks so that I could at least run to the loo. Cunning!

the empress’ Clothes

I was in the shower one morning at D Set and was thinking about my day ahead (I hadn’t been living in D Set very long therefore I hadn’t realised the need to lock the shower door). When I got out of the shower however, I realised that all of my clothes (every single scrap), plus the towels and bath mat had been stealthily removed from the bathroom. I could only guess at who the culprits were at that point, but I knew without a shred of doubt that making it to my room door with my decency intact was impossible. Luckily I had a brain wave and I took the shower curtain off the railing and covered myself as best I could (why did it have to be a white one?) and made a mad dash out of the bathroom. D1 and D2 were sitting on the floor outside my room grinning from ear to ear, holding a camera. However they hadn’t bargained on the ingenuity of a desperate psych student and howls of complaints met my curtained appearance. Ingenious!

A Sight for Sore eyes

I was having another shower one morning (I had learnt by now to lock the door) and once I was dressed, I walked out of the bathroom and headed for my room. D2 called out my name so I stupidly turned to look. D2 was standing in the kitchen, stark naked except for a mop placed strategically in front of some important bits. However when said culprit decided to start jigging and dancing about, bits of mop flew everywhere and previously covered bits no longer remained enshrouded. An eye opener!

As all Hall alumni know the activities engaged in by students while not studying are often those remembered long after course work has been forgotten. Currie Connect would like to dedicate a section of each publication to these memories, kicking off with this submission from 1970s resident Julia Mackay (now Mackay-Koelen).

I moved into Currie Hall in Term Two of my first year at UWA (1977). I first lived in B House but moved into D Set during my second year and I stayed there until I completed my Bachelor of Psychology in 1980. I drove a small, Honda Life – a compact car with a two-stroke engine that often unfairly got called a ‘sewing machine’ or a ‘lawn mower’.

Hungry Car

I often went running along the beach in the morning which involved driving my car to Cottesloe and I sometimes ran with another CH resident called Heather. One morning, Heather and I set out for the car park at the front of the main building where I sometimes parked my car. Not far from the car park I realised that my car was missing. Thinking that I must have parked it in the back car park, I raced to the rear of A House but there was no car. Heather and I discussed phoning the police but for some inexplicable reason I decided to go into the dining hall first. Heather came with me and as we walked into the entrance, lo and behold, there was my car in the middle of the dining hall, decorated with a full set of cutlery, serviettes, crockery and chairs. Once the shock wore off I realised the potential for a wonderful social psychology experiment and Heather and I sat down on one of the chairs to observe the looks on the faces of all the residents who turned up for breakfast!

The culprits (two of whom were regular culprits from D Set – D1 who had brown hair and D2 who had blonde hair) soon turned up to admire their handy work and they admitted that eight of them carried my car from the front car park into the dining hall during the night. Inspiring!

Julia Mackay-Koelen with the ‘lawn mower’

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De-Gustation

One year, D1 and D2 volunteered to organise the Currie Hall Annual Iron Man Competition. Kindly, they asked myself and my friend Lynn, also from D Set, to help create some truly awful dishes for the participants to consume. The Iron Man Competition was always held the day before the quadrangle was sanded for reasons that will become clear later.

The competition required participants to run to various stands placed around the quadrangle. At each stand, the participant had to consume the item and then do a particular exercise such as sit-ups, push-ups, burpees, star jumps etc. No-one was allowed to vomit or they were immediately disqualified. Some of the culinary delights that participants had to consume were: a glass filled with concentrated lime cordial and two raw eggs; a frozen meat pie; corn flakes covered in tomato sauce; a sandwich filled with vegemite, peanut butter, jam, marmalade and fish paste; ice-cream smothered in tomato sauce; warm beer and a raw onion. Once a participant completed all tasks they were not allowed for vomit for ten more minutes. The person who completed all tasks the fastest and lasted the longest at the end of the activities before throwing up won the competition. One year, D2 decided that an extra award should be included – the Longest Vomit Award. When a participant vomited, D2 would measure the distance from the person to the end of the vomit trail and the longest trail won the award. Being a congenial chap, D2 was determined to be fair to everyone so when one young man’s gunk ended up all over his jeans, D2 duly the measured the length of the vomit trail on his pants. Imaginative!

The quadrangle was sanded the next day. Best fertiliser ever.

My name is Nora, and the end of this semester marks the fifth year that I’ve lived in Currie Hall. I first came here in January 2006 for Taylors College; I didn’t know where Currie Hall was or how it looked like, so I went to the International Centre over at the university and asked the

front desk how to get here. The guy who attended me was quite old, and he had a very thick Aussie accent. He tried to give me directions, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying! He gave up at the third attempt and asked me, “Are you going to be studying in UWA?”

With all the enthusiasm I had in me, I said, “Yes, when I finish college!” He then pulled a serious face, and said to me, “Well, you’re going to have a tough time.” He did burst my bubble for that day but five years later, I could say I’m doing just fine.

I’ve always heard people say that you should get more out of university, and not just a degree. I suppose I found that extra bit in Currie Hall. I came in as a Taylors freshie, became fresher rep the year after; cultural officer for the next two years and residential advisor last semester. Although I’ve always wished my workload would have spared me more time to be around, I’m fully content with all the experiences and support that I’ve gained throughout my stay.

Looking back, I have good memories from rivercruise, global café, international night, currie-okie, leadership training, intercollege soccer, abseiling, prosh – I’ve been here for five years, the list would never end. However, I’ll tell you one thing. Next year when I’m alone, eating cereal for dinner because I don’t have time to cook; I’ll be wishing that I had a table of people to sit with. Over meal times, I’ve had the most amusing conversations, met a lot of interesting people, learnt useful and useless things, and more.

Currie Hall wouldn’t be what it is without the people who live in it – the people that you see everyday, people who you’re scared to talk to and the people who are scared to talk to you. You also get the people who run the place, who try to make things better and the people who make things work.

So if I had to choose my favorite thing about Currie; it’s the sense that you are never truly alone. Because I like coming back from studio at 2 in the morning and find that there are people studying in the dining hall. I like not being scared of going to events because there’s always going to be someone to talk to. Or maybe that’s just me; and architecture has made me a bit more solitary than I intended to.

Nonetheless, I’m glad to say that Currie Hall has done a really good job in improving its services and facilities over the years. I’m looking at new carpets, new floors, decent couches to watch the flat screen tv, a music room, a refurbished library – things were really different “back then”. I also think events like Global Café – which is also pretty new – has allowed for more integration between people of different background and cultures. I used to sit at the Taylors table in the corner near the bins. The Asians would all be on one side, and everyone else on the other.

It’s these little things that matter to me and it is kind of overwhelming to stand here tonight and reflect on how Currie Hall has evolved; and how I’ve evolved. For that, I am truly grateful for being given the chance to ever experience the life of living in college.

Share your memoriesIf you would like to submit your memories of the non-academic variety to be published in the next edition of Currie Connect please email Marie Knights, at mknights@curriehall.uwa.edu.au

Currie Haller’s sanding the quadrangle

2010 Graduate’s speechBy Nora Khalid

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Contact UsCurrie HallThe University of Western AustraliaMailbag M426 35 Stirling HighwayCrawley WA 6009 Australia

Tel: +61 8 6488 8336Fax: +61 8 9388 1224Email: chadmin@uwa.edu.auWeb: www.currie.uwa.edu.auWe welcome contributions, photos, feedback and anecdotes. Please send to chadmin@uwa.edu.au or mail to the address above.

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Alumni updateOur first edition of Currie Connect generated an impressive response from ex-residents keen to get in touch with old friends and share information about their lives since their time at the Hall.

Long serving staff members retireTwo of Currie Hall’s longest serving staff members, Jan Allen and Jean Rupert, have retired. After many years of dedicated and professional service the familiar faces for so many Currie Hall residents are off to enjoy their well deserved retirement, with plans for travel, relaxation and family time. We thank them for their service and wish them all the very best!

Herbert newlandHerbert was a resident at Currie Hall from 1969-1974 and tutored in economics. He graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Economics and a Diploma of Education. Since leaving the Hall, Herbert has pursued a career in teaching mathematics and economics around the world. Places he has taught include Canberra, Munich, and Vienna and for the last 6 years Switzerland.

Jack BarnettJack was a resident at Currie Hall between 1993 and 1997 and writes that he is forever grateful to his parents for allowing him to stay at the Hall as it really helped him settle into life in Perth. Jack has worked for Rio Tinto for over 12 years in both Western Australia and Queensland. He is married with a 3 year old son and another addition on the way.

Melissa o’neill (nee Jewell)Melissa was a resident at Currie Hall from 1993-1999 also acting as a tutor/residential advisor during her residence. Melissa graduated in Medicine and then undertook specialist training in obstetrics and gynacology. She is now working as an obstetrician in private practice and in a fertility (IVF) clinic, both of which she very much enjoys. Melissa is married to Lee O’Neill who also resided at Currie Hall and they have two sons.

ian Kneebone Ian was a resident at Currie Hall in 1987. Ian is now working as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist for the National Health Service in the UK. He is also a Visiting Reader (Associate Professor) at the University of Surrey. He married Laura (nee Challiss) from Harare, Zimbabwe in Bin Tan Indonesia in April this year.

robert o. CookRobert writes that things have really changed since he resided at the University Hostel in 1946, and that ‘despite bearing little resemblance to the Hostel as it was, Currie Connect brought back many happy memories’. Robert kindly posted in a copy of a photograph of the first Men’s Management Committee and notes that due to the vast majority of the committee being ex-servicemen the hostel was run on ‘rather military lines’ with ‘more than one type of court martial for disorderly conduct!’.

ian Massey Ian (no relation to the current Principal) was resident at Currie Hall in 1974-1975 and since then has pursued a career in business. Since 2007 he has been living and working in the South West and loving it. He married in 1982 and met his wife Jackie at Oxford. Those interested in reconnecting with Ian can do so via Linkedin.com.

Lennox MullerLennox was a resident at Currie Hall in 1963, he was awarded his degree BSc (Hons) in 1968. After working for 10 years in Aboriginal Affairs in Darwin, Lennox purchased a farm in Innisfail in Queensland and collected plants from various provinces of Indonesia. Recently moving to Townsville, Lennox writes that he has lived a full and interesting life and that Currie Connect stirred many memories of a fulfilling University career and of inspirational staff and fellow students.

Alan reid Alan has worked in China since 1985 in a number of roles including as the Minister Commercial and Senior Trade Commissioner at the Australian Embassy in Beijing. Alan is currently an owner and co-Managing Director of Intercedent (Beijing) Limited as well as director of a number of privately held companies.

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