OSCA
students in the Archaeology Department of the University of Sydney , where he is an Honorary Associate .
PROFESSOR JOHN SPENCE (’ 64 ), Richard Snell Professor of Physics at Arizona State University , USA , has been awarded the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences ’ 2021 Gregori Aminoff Prize ( jointly , with Professor Janos Hajdu of Uppsala University , Sweden , and Professor Henry Chapman , of the University of Hamburg , Germany ), ‘ for their fundamental contributions to the development of X-ray free electron laser-based structural biology ’. The academy awards the Gregori Aminoff Prize in crystallography every year . Crystallography is the study of atomic structures in solid materials , and is used in chemistry , biology , medicine , geology and materials science .
Just after midnight on 1 March 1942 Japanese naval forces sent Australia ’ s renowned cruiser , HMAS Perth , to the bottom of the Sunda Strait off the Javanese coast , with the loss of 353 lives . Together with the 328 survivors was Red Lead , the ship ’ s cat . ROLAND PERRY (’ 65 ) first heard about Red Lead as an eight year old , and now his 35th book , Red Lead , launched in October , tells the extraordinary story of the naval cat with nine lives which first fascinated him 66 years ago .
Book number 36 is hot on the paws of Red Lead . Shaman , the third in Roland ’ s ‘ Assassin ’ series , will be launched in February . Roland says Shaman is ‘ essentially a true story , which must be viewed under the category “ fiction ”; although it has a strong fact-base ’. It ’ s about uber-genius Australian geologist and inventor , Al Haut , whose special engine design threatens the multi-trillion dollar energy industry based on fossil fuels . More information : www . rolandperry . com . au .
MARTIN DAVIES (’ 67 ) is forever grateful to Head of Mathematics Ken Evans (’ 48 ) for guiding him to a new course in Mathematics and Philosophy at Monash University , which opened up a career pathway he had not previously contemplated . From Monash , Martin went to the University of Oxford for graduate study in philosophy and remained in the UK for 27 years , with academic positions at Essex , London and Oxford . After early work in logic and language , his research interests have been mainly at the interface of philosophy with psychology .
In 2000 , Martin took up a professorship at the Australian National University , returning to Oxford in 2006 as Wilde Professor of Mental Philosophy – a philosophy post in the Department of Experimental Psychology – and Fellow of Corpus Christi College ( where he was also responsible for the wine cellar ).
Since his retirement , Martin and his wife Anne have lived in Canberra , where he continues writing , particularly about belief formation and delusions , and enjoys having more time for gardening .
1970s
ABOVE , LEFT TO RIGHT : ANDREW ADAM (’ 78 ), JOHN SPENCE ( 64 ), ROLAND PERRY (’ 65 )
After finishing at Scotch , ANDREW ADAM (’ 78 ) completed a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art and continued to paint and exhibit until the 1990s . His priorities changed with the birth of his first daughter in 1994 followed two years later by a second daughter . During the 1990s he launched a direct market book business and worked in the communications industry . Then , in 1997 , Andrew and his wife Emma set up a publishing company , Brolly Books , which focuses on children ’ s books , and 23 years later the business is continuing to thrive .
Over the years Andrew and Emma have travelled extensively , returning to Italy many times , and they look forward to being able to travel again once the pandemic subsides . Andrew also enjoys listening to music , both at home and at live venues , has started painting again and tries to keep in contact with old friends .
DR ALASTAIR WOODARD (’ 78 ) jackarooed in central Queensland and NSW after Scotch , and then worked in the Physics Department at Scotch before gaining a Bachelor of Engineering ( Civil ) with honours at Swinburne University . He worked as a site engineer with Civil & Civic , and as a structural engineer with Trevor Huggard and Associates . After gaining a PhD from Monash , Alastair worked successively at the Timber Engineering Centre , Timber Promotion Council ( beginning as Education Consultant , then becoming General Manager and finally CEO ), and is a Director of TPC Solutions ( Australia ) Pty Ltd . Alastair and his wife , Sharon , have two children ( SCOTT (’ 08 ) and Jacqui ). They live at Mount Waverley .
Alastair was a boarder in School House , and he still keeps in regular contact with a group of ex-boarders from the Class of ‘ 78 ,
including HUGH COHEN , DAVE ROBERTS , MICHAEL ASHTON , RICHARD DOUGLAS and RICK PURVIS , and also CRAIG PURVIS (’ 80 ). Outside his family and work time , Alastair likes to keep fit and enjoys travel .
1980s
ANDREW SHEARER (’ 83 ) has been appointed Director-General of the Office of National Intelligence . Subject to the Governor-General ’ s agreement , Andrew will begin his new role this month , for a five-year term . Making the announcement of Andrew ’ s appointment , the Prime Minister , the Hon Scott Morrison MP , said : ‘ Mr Shearer has served Australia and its national interests domestically and overseas through a long and distinguished career in national security and intelligence .’ Since 2019 , Andrew has been Cabinet Secretary to the Commonwealth government .
Andrew was formerly Deputy Director of the Office of National Intelligence , and earlier he was a national security adviser to former Prime Ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott . Andrew has also worked as a senior adviser in the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC .
84 Great Scot Issue 161 – December 2020