A Friendship Forged at Monash Law School
Every week, a retired law professor in Singapore and a former student in Melbourne exchange emails and speak by phone. Their conversations range across literature, world events, theology and law. They critique each other’s writing, discuss books and ideas, and continue a dialogue that began more than four decades ago in the halls of Monash Law.
For Professor Peter Ellinger and Greg Tucker, what started as a supervisor-student relationship in 1982 has become an enduring friendship grounded in intellectual curiosity and a shared love of ideas.
Greg Tucker: Our first meeting came when I enrolled in the Master of Laws program at Monash. Peter, then Professor of Banking Law, supervised my minor thesis on electronic banking and privacy law. It was a subject at the frontier of legal thinking and one that would shape my future career.
Peter’s influence extended well beyond the completion of a thesis. My developing interest in banking law led me to academic life and, ultimately, to becoming Head of the Department of Banking and Finance at Monash University in 1996. It also contributed to my appointments as a consultant to the OECD in Paris between 1988 and 1995, where another important professional association began through work on privacy issues.
Life, however, has a habit of separating even the closest professional connections. For many years, Peter and I drifted apart.
Then, in 2018, after stepping down as the inaugural CEO of Maurice Blackburn Lawyers following twelve years in the role, I decided to reconnect with people who had profoundly influenced my life. Peter was among the first.
By then, Peter had retired from the National University of Singapore as an Emeritus Professor. Freed from the demands of practice and academia, he had devoted himself increasingly to writing and reflection.
What began as exchanges about world events, favourite authors and movies soon became something deeper. We shared essays and stories, critiqued each other’s work and discussed books and ideas. Peter, then already in his late eighties, was writing most days — producing short stories, novellas and published works.
During the COVID years, our conversations became even more frequent. Weekly calls turned into twice-weekly discussions and, in an unexpected creative venture, we collaborated on a play about a dysfunctional family living through lockdown. In a time of global isolation, friendship itself became a source of companionship and support.
Today, that exchange continues. Peter has celebrated the publication of two books with World Scientific, launched in Singapore on his ninetieth and ninety-second birthdays, while continuing to write short stories and scholarly reflections. He has a blog where he has placed much of his writing and continues to add to this treasure trove .
My wife and I have visited Peter so far on six occasions in Singapore, enjoying meals together and meeting Peter’s friends.
Those who know Peter would describe him as a person of exceptional modesty and quiet intellect. Beneath his gentle manner lies one of the great legal thinkers of his generation — someone able to shed light on the complexities of the common law.
His interests have always stretched beyond the law. A collector of antiques and fine porcelain, a lover of literature and a man of letters, Peter has spent a lifetime seeking beauty, truth and elegance, whether in art, writing or legal reasoning. In many ways, he has pursued the lifelong ambition of being an archaeologist, relentlessly searching for hidden treasures and revealing them to others.
For me, our friendship is one of life’s great gifts. It stands as a reminder that universities can do more than educate; they can create connections that endure for a lifetime.
More than forty years after we first met at Monash Law, the conversation continues.
Professor Peter Ellinger: In 1976 I was appointed to a Chair of Law at Monash University. During my first few years, the Dean was Gerrard Nash (Gerry). He was a warm hearted and highly effective administrator, who worked hard to raise the standards of Monash to the utmost. He encouraged the development of our courses in Banking and Financial Law and supported the introduction of new courses in this area.
Shortly after arriving in Melbourne, my wife and I acquired a fine house in Vermont South. The driving time from there to the University was just 15 to 20 minutes. The teaching and administrative loads were quite heavy, but I found the working environment pleasant. The first chapters of my book, entitled Modern Banking Law, were written during this period.
Gerry was succeeded by Bob Baxt. Under his leadership the Faculty continued to go from strength to strength. Bob was an innovator. The centre of Commercial Law was launched during his first few years as Dean and I recall that he branched out into Law and Economics. I believe that, in this area, Monash pioneered a field which later on became the cornerstone of legal education. The conjoint degree of Law and Economics laid, in my opinion, the basis for the MBA currently conducted in many leading universities.
During my years at Monash I conducted courses on Banking Law and related areas. In due course, we launched LL.M. courses on commercial law. Greg Tucker took two of them. I came to know him quite well during this period. After completing these courses he wrote an impressive Masters Dissertation on EFTPOSTs. Guiding him was a pleasure and I am pleased to relate that he passed with flying colours.
In 1986 I returned to Singapore — my late wife’s hometown. In the National University of Singapore’s Law Faculty I continued to concentrate on courses in banking law and credit and security and, after retiring, joined a leading local law firm (Rajah & Tann).
My friendship with Greg was further cemented during my years in Singapore. I was impressed with his fine progress in Melbourne’s academia and his standing in the legal world. He stops in Singapore regularly on his business trip to Europe and the United Kingdom.
After my full retirement, I wrote creative works, such as novels, novellas and short stories. They are on my blog. Greg has commented on many of them and I have commented on his own writings, which are great.
I believe that our friendship is one of the major achievements of my days at Monash.