Events that have taken place recently around Australia and internationally for UWA alumni.

2009

New York

The Harvard Club in New York was the venue for this year's USA Alumni Reunion Dinner. UWA alumni flew in from all parts of the United States to attend the function, catch up with some old friends and meet some new ones. In addition to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Alan Robson, the reunion was also attended by the Dean of Life and Physical Sciences, Winthrop Professor George Stewart; The Director of Development and Research Services, Dr Campbell Thomson, and Rhonda Flottman, Associate Director Science Futures Foundation. Over 50 alumni enjoyed a wonderful dinner and an entertaining presentation by the Vice Chancellor. Thanks must go to the hard working directors of the UWA alumni group who spent so much time spreading the word and encouraging people to attend.

London

Over 150 alumni and guests recently attended the  Alumni reunion in the magnificent surounds of Australia House in London. The wonderful turn out was thanks to the assistance of a very active committee for the Friends of UWA in UK and Europe. It was particularly pleasing to see so many new faces at this event, including some who had only recently relocated to the United Kingdom and who enjoyed the excellent networking opportunities the reunion provided. Attendees listened to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Alan Robson give an update on UWA's achievements and strategic direction and enjoyed a DVD of iconic UWA images.

Singapore

Eighty four UWA Singapore alumni attended a cocktail party at the Singapore Cricket Club on 3 September. Hosted by Professor George Stewart Dean of the Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences, the event was a wonderful opportunity for alumni to catch up with those who had graduated on the Crawley campus as well as in Singapore.

Other guests included representatives from the PSB Academy, Singapore Polytechnics and several other corporate supporters. Two staff from the Singapore Management University enjoyed the evening then the following day Professor Stewart signed an MOU with the SMU for a sailing program to be run out of Singapore and WA. This is a very exciting initiative for both universities and the first MOU for the Singapore Management University.

Alumni heard from Dr Stephen Choo, a Business School PhD graduate, who told of his journey from UWA to working in Singapore and how his life and work have developed since then. Following the speeches, alumni of all ages enjoyed a buffet in the beautiful surroundings of the Singapore Cricket Club and enjoyed networking with other alumni and their guests.

Sydney

The Sydney cocktail function this year drew a strong crowd to the Women's College, University of Sydney. In particular younger alumni enjoyed meeting and networking with the more established graduates. The guest speaker was Rob Campbell, UWA graduate and Executive Director of Screentime Pty Ltd which produced the the Underbelly television series. Mr Campbell entertained the group recounting campus life in 1968 and talked about the bias he has for hiring UWA alumni. He also acknowledged the invaluable network he has maintained from his uni days. Due to popular demand we have made the full transcript of Rob Campbell's speech available online.

Melbourne

More than 100 graduates attended the 2009 Melbourne reunion and Football match in May. The event was hugely successful, despite the West Coast Eagles' disappointing loss to Carlton, and everyone was keen for more such events.

Celebration of Annual Giving

Our very first Celebration of Annual Giving recently brought students and alumni together at Winthrop Hall to recognise the importance of educational philanthropy. More than 200 people joined the Vice Chancellor for a celebration to recognise the many people who have donated to the UWA Annual Fund. Contributions have been used to support the Hackett Foundation Alumni Honours Scholarships (one in each Faculty), the SWANS Scholarship program, refurbishment of the McGillivray Organ and installation of handrails around the campus. Next on the list is the re-paving of the area around the Reflection Pond - scheduled for November this year. Guest speaker UWA Law graduate, principal of Albion Capital Partners and Viaticus Capital and non-executive director of Iluka Resouces, Gavin Rezos, spoke passionately about his reasons for giving to education.

John Inverarity Cup

The John Inverarity XI continued its dominance in the annual Twenty20 cricket match when it defeated the Vice Chancellor’s XI by 23 runs.

More than 150 UWA alumni and friends saw the 2009 clash at James Oval on March 2.

The Vice-Chancellor’s XI, captained this year by the UWA CC Captain and former Western Warriors squad member, Andrew James, included members of UWA’s 1st Grade team. The John Inverarity XI included some current and former state players including batsman Ryan Campbell.

The competition began in 2001 when it was endorsed by then Premier Geoff Gallop and known as the Premier’s Cup. It changed to a Twenty20 format in 2005. The John Inverarity XI has won every match except in 2004 when the Vice Chancellor’s XI recorded its only victory.