Monash Law turns 50
Far right Professor Bryan Horrigan with distinguished guests at the Gala Dinner.
The Grand Hyatt Melbourne came to life on Saturday night as the Law Faculty celebrated its 50th anniversary with a Gala Dinner.
There was much joy and exuberance among the 400-plus attendees as those from the first and subsequent decades reacquainted themselves with old classmates and fellow alumni from the faculty.
The MC for the night was ABC broadcaster and Monash alumnus Jon Faine, whose wit and honesty captivated the ballroom. He shared many Monash memories and also donated to the live auction his Fan of the High Court of Australia T-shirt, which he wore as a law student activist at the 1980 opening of Australia’s High Court building.
Also present for the celebrations were Chief Justice Marilyn Warren AC and Chief Justice Robert French AC, who spoke fondly about their time at Monash. Justice French also shared his interpretation of the history of the law faculty, as he launched Pericleans, Plumbers and Practitioners, the First Fifty Years of the Monash Law School, with authors Fay Woodhouse and Peter Yule.
Monash alumnus Will Fowles conducted the live auction with great humour; the proceeds will fund scholarships for Indigenous students. Among the auction lots were some rare Wolfgang Sievers photographs depicting the early Clayton campus donated by Julian Burnside AO QC, an Aboriginal artwork donated by Michelle Possum Nungurrayi, and some original Chesterfield furniture, donated by the Monash Law Library. Other items auctioned included a lunch with Jon Faine at the Essoign club.
In the spirit of the evening, original Law alumnus Mr Jack Hammond donated a cassette and disk recording of the infamous 1976 Campbell McComas hoax lecture, which was attended by many and remembered by all. This last-minute auction inclusion added an extra and unexpected amount to the Faculty’s fundraising efforts.
The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Bryan Horrigan, spoke about the development of the Law School to date, and then officially closed the night with a toast. As they left, guests could enjoy slide shows from each of the decades in the foyer, and try to name their old classmates.
Further highlights from the night will be available shortly on the Law Faculty 50th Anniversary website, including photos from the evening and a link to the book sale.
Gala Dinner attendees in photo above are (L-R): Dr Christine Nixon, Jon Faine, Chief Justice Marilyn Warren, Chief Justice Robert French, Professor Marilyn Pittard, Professor Pauline Nestor, Professor Edwina Cornish, Professor Darrell Evans, Professor HP Lee, Joshua Frydenberg and Professor Bryan Horrigan.