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The
Rt Hon Sir Ninian Stephen
and Dr Eric Wigglesworth
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At
a dinner on 13 August, 1998, the Foundation paid tribute to two
men who had been at the helm of the organisation for many years
- Dr Eric Wigglesworth as Executive Director since the Foundation's
inception in 1979 and the Rt Hon Sir Ninian Stephen as Chairman
since 1992. The dinner was attended by past and present Board
members and guests included Sir Zelman and Lady Cowen, Sir William
and Lady Vines, Lady Bunting, Lady Hughes and Mrs Heather Henderson.
The
principal speaker was Mr Bob White who spoke of the immense task
that confronted Dr Eric Wigglesworth as the founding Executive
Director of what was then "The Sir Robert Menzies National Foundation for
Health, Fitness and Physical Achievement". Sir Edward Hughes,
as Chairman, had established four standing committees as
well as a network of committees in each State and Territory.
The task given to Eric Wigglesworth was to make this substantial
and complex network function. He achieved this with only
the help of a small staff whom he inspired with his enthusiasm,
dedication and unfailing sense of humour.
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One
of his early tasks was to find a suitable home for the Foundation.
In Mr White's words: "The development and ultimate acceptance
of the proposal to lease Clarendon Terrace - combined with the
endless and tiresome details of extensive refurbishment so as
to preserve the heritage - provide testimony to Eric's patience
and persistence to secure the perfect result."
Mr White also paid tribute to Dr Wigglesworth's involvement with
the Menzies scholarship scheme. However, it was the Foundation's
conference and workshop program which satisfied another of
Dr Wigglesworth's visions and demonstrated "his ability to organise and stage conferences
and workshops so as to achieve worthwhile outcomes." The
most notable were the first National Conference in 1980 from
which the Foundation agreed to fund the first Menzies Regional
Workshop in Darwin. This ultimately culminated in the creation
of the Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin. Similarly,
a workshop held in Hobart in 1987 recommended the establishment
of the Menzies Centre for Population Health Research within
the University of Tasmania. Both centres have gone on to
achieve excellent results and an international status.
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Professor
John Mathews, Director of Menzies School in Darwin and Professor
Terry Dwyer, Director of the Menzies Centre in Hobart, both thanked
and acknowledged Dr Wigglesworth's important role in the creation
of their centres and his ongoing support and friendship. Professor
Dwyer also paid tribute to Dr Wigglesworth's efforts in developing
a series of public health "think tank" activities. He commented
that "Eric was always at the centre of these if ostensibly 'behind
the scenes'. These activities gave the Menzies Foundation a very
solid reputation in the Australian public health and medical community".
It
is indeed fitting that, since his retirement, Dr Eric Wigglesworth's
work in public health and occupational health and safety has been
duly recognised: the University of Tasmania has awarded him the
Honorary Degree of Doctor of Medicine and he has also been appointed
an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Accident Research Centre
of Monash University.
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Professor
Don McNicol,
Vice-Chancellor and
Principal of the University of
Tasmania, congratulates Dr Eric Wigglesworth
on his admission to the Honorary Degree of
Doctor of Medicine
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In
honouring Sir Ninian Stephen, Mr White spoke of Sir Ninian's distinguished
career - his list of honours, his progress to the High Court, his
accession to the office of Governor-General - and the Foundation's
good fortune that he should agree to become its Chairman in 1992
following the retirement of Sir William Vines. Sir Ninian had had
a long association with the Foundation. During his term as Governor-General
he officially opened the Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin
in 1984; the Second Menzies National Conference in Melbourne in
1985; and the Menzies Centre for Population Health Research in Hobart
in 1988. On that last occasion, he once again showed his enthusiastic
support and encouragement for the work of the Foundation:
"This
occasion marks another milestone along the trail that the Sir
Robert Menzies Foundation is so energetically blazing towards
its goal of a healthier Australian community and, through the
spread of knowledge and the results of research, a healthier world
community. Sir Robert Menzies placed great value on academic excellence
and his contribution to tertiary education in Australia was as
outstanding as it has proved enduring... He would have been delighted
to have, as another memorial to his memory, this Centre, which
will be both a focus for excellence and an example effort in its
attainment."
In
his tribute Mr White spoke of the Socrates qualities belonging
to a judge - to hear courteously; to answer wisely; to consider
soberly; to decide impartially. "I have," he said "had many contacts with
Sir Ninian and more recently I served as his deputy, including those
years when he shouldered heavy responsibilities abroad. For me, it
has been a rare privilege to serve with him, but above all, his Chairmanship
has added lustre to the Foundation, it has given us clout, and it
has provided inspiration to the Executive, to the Board and to the
Alumni".
At
the conclusion of the dinner, Sir Ninian and Dr Wigglesworth became
the first recipients of a new Menzies medallion. The medallion was
struck in 1969 by Andor Meszaros in honour of Sir Robert Menzies
and the Foundation expresses its gratitude to the Meszaros family
for the use of the die.
Sir
Ninian and Dr Wigglesworth were also honoured with Life Membership
of the Foundation in recognition of their lengthy and honourable
service to the Foundation.
(Annual Report
1998)
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