It's not age that wearies them, but continual recreation: 45th Year Law School Tas Uni Graduation Reunion. Report: 10th March 2024

 An extremely courteous reception at the Uni law school, Sandy Bay lower campus, from Dean Prof Gino Dal Pont, with Bernard Cairns in attendance, and former governor, Kate Warner, was enjoyed by the group of approximately 20 of our year graduates.

Refreshing the memory with 'old' faces, and chatting around the wine and cheese provided by the Law School, was a relaxed affair, overlooking the Uni sports oval, and with outside temp in the order of 27 degrees.

Gino gave us an open and positive review of the Uni's apparent reversal of form on the dismantling of the Sandy Bay campus, and retraction of the previous push into the city.

Sceptics will view this as only a temporary reprieve, and we will need to keep a close monitor on the Machiavellian antics of the bureaucrats.

Current Uni students addressed us, detailing how our previously anarchic syndication the "Tas Uni Law Students Association" had morphed into a committee of 20, with formal portfolios and many methods of helping students survive what they described as an arduous learning course. No doubt.

As the sun tilted toward Mt Wellington, the wine ran out and so did we, some reserving their energy for the next event, others to the Metz for a further refreshment, and on to dining establishments.

Come Saturday 9th March, and temperatures forecast into the mid 30s, it was a slow day, and the group did what they could to get to the Ball and Chain restaurant on time, or in some cases, at all. A couple of grown men in our group thought it was the Astor we should be going to (Robert Noga - legend), and Bruce Levet seemed otherwise engaged in NSW. His absence amply compensated by late entrant, as we were blessed by the presence of Councillor Geoffrey Tremayne.

The Ball and Chain set up was relaxed, a long room to ourselves, ability to turn up or off the music, and a great range of dishes and wines. 

Speeches, limited to 3 minutes a piece (more or less) erupted after dinner, and the general tone was of the great privilege we had in our education, and also, more particularly, in the people we were surrounded by during those 4 or so years in the mid-late 1970s.

Particular reference was made, by way of exception, to a few of the lecturers, who seemed to run different agenda, self aggrandizement or fear tactics - but in reality, that was a lesson too.

For most of the educators, the comments we exceedingly positive, and great gratitude expressed for their resource, skill, knowledge, and willingness to impart. Particular mention for Sorna, whose good grace was again evident in his recent email to us.

In regard to our cohort, a number of speakers made express wishes of good health to Jim Cousland, and voted thanks for his generosity with his knowledge, and pressure and power in exerting some degree of control over the way the faculty interacted with us.

Good humour was the theme, and laughs all around, as the evening progressed. 

But now, I'm off to Frogmore Creek for lunch. See you there.

 Obituary

Derek Roebuck obituary

This article is more than 3 years old

Susanna Hoe

Tue 26 May 2020 23.25 AEST

My husband Derek Roebuck, who has died aged 85 of heart failure, started his professional life as a solicitor in Stalybridge and Manchester in the 1960s, but soon accepted a teaching post at the University of Wellington, New Zealand.

In 1968, he moved to the University of Tasmania, where he was professor of law for 10 years, and also dean. He was active in anti-Vietnam war politics, and was among those in Angola monitoring the trial of mercenaries, resulting in The Whores of War (1977), written with Wilfred Burchett.

His appointment as Amnesty International’s head of research in 1979 was controversial because of his leftwing politics. Derek and I met there while I was campaign co-ordinator in the British section, and were married in 1981

The following year, we moved from London to a five-year posting in Papua New Guinea, where Derek was again professor and dean of the UPNG Law School and also practised as a criminal defence barrister.

In 1987 Derek was appointed to set up a new law school in Hong Kong at the City Polytechnic, later City University. He remained there for 10 years as professor and sometimes dean, practising, too, as duty lawyer in the magistrates courts. Those years allowed him regularly to play cricket which, with opera, were his abiding pleasures.

Derek Roebuck during a cricket match in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, arbitration – dispute resolution outside the law courts – entered his life, and he set up a department teaching it. The subject gained further traction when Neil Kaplan, the founder of the Arbitration Centre, asked him to write a historical introduction to his own arbitration study. Derek was hooked.

Already the author of 40 legal titles, his 10-volume history of arbitration and mediation, starting with Ancient Greek Arbitration, was to dominate the last 22 years of his life in Oxford, for 10 years of which he also edited the journal of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. The final volume he was able to write, with two co-authors –English Arbitration and Mediation in the Long Eighteenth Century – was published in November last year by the small publishing house we set up to publish our work.

Derek was born in Stalybridge, Cheshire (now part of Greater Manchester), the son of John Roebuck, a postman, and Jessie (nee Thorpe), a former bookbinder. From a local school, he gained a scholarship to Manchester grammar school, and then to Hertford College, Oxford, where he studied first classics and then law.

Soon after graduation he married Peggy Mounkley and they had three children, Derek, Paul and Lucy. The marriage ended in divorce. Derek is survived by me, his children and two grandchildren, Christopher and Anna.

45th - Remember When We Were Young?

 Not harping on the age thing, but it is a justification to reflect. I thought I remembered a song by that title, and thought I heard it/the band at the Blues Fest in Byron Bay last year. Some of that is correct.

We used to never say never
Used to think we live for ever
Flying free beneath the sun

Days go running and hiding
The weeks are going slippin and sliding
Years leave quicker every time they come
Remember when we were young

Or the other version by 'Chain': https://open.spotify.com/track/6QePwarqM4GBRtGkapdh88?si=8b034d47f5cd4de1

or: https://youtu.be/XTvzzgk_jEY

Anyway, progress has been exceptional for the planning for the 45th Reunion, with steering committee lunch last week rolling the throughts of each into a draft plan. Additionally, I called in on the Dean at the Law School in the lower campus, Sandy Bay, and was very well received by Prof Gino dal Pont.

We've resolved on a Friday 3pm, 8th March 2024 refresher at the Law School, and informal address by the Dean, and questions and answer session on the 'State of Play' with the University and what happens to law students when they enter and ultimately depart (law school, profession, alternative careers, etc).

Gino will then give us a tour of facilities, which I thought about: remember when the Vice-Chancellor opened or re-opened the law faculty 5 years, ago - when he must have had on his mind that he was endeavouring to finish plans to move the faculty into the city! What a curious way to run a ball room!

Refreshments after, courtesy of the Dean, and free evening Friday.

Saturday, dinner, I'll consolidate plans in the next week and send out formal invitations with request for response and confirmation you are going to attend.

For Sunday, I've been wrestling with the simplicity of a BBQ at the Waterworks, and then Belinda Bingham (Webster) suggested 'Frogmore Creek Winery' on the way to Richmond - great for a Sunday lunch and lazy afternoon. So I'll investigate with them what they can do for us.

Meanwhile, Leigh Sealy found his photos of the last 'gig in the sky' - and I'll re-post them below.

Talk soon.

Interesting times. For good reason the Law School commissioned or received this portrait of character, advocate and barrister, John Kable QC, who died young, but made a mark. Now, within a generation, it is unacceptable and to appease perceived views, has been removed

Prof Emeritus Don Chalmers leading the chorus with 'Rule Britannica' - What a kind gentleman, and great help in the last reunion. He now sits aside our Governor Barb Baker on the big sandstone pile near the Tasman Bridge

Recognise the faces and heads? Lovely people

Something called a moot court. I reckon we would have enjoyed a few more moots back then.

Warwick Smith: a few years in parliament, and one gravitates to the pedestal. I see former Associate Judge Stephen Holt , being overlooked by Tom Holmes, with Michael McHugh, Joan Roberts, and Debra Rigby - with Noges in white

Striptease? Must have been one of the younger students at the re-opening of the faculty building after the floods in 2018

Sealy the photographer: one might wonder. I suspect the Vice Chancellor is reading his notes up front

Father Michael Tate, Kate the Governor at the time, and David Ashton-Lewis - preparing for further work in Fiji

A re-production of the old 1978 photo with same people and places, but in 2019

40th Year Tas Uni Law School class of 78/9 reunion 2019

Well that was the Great Gig in the Sky - as Pink Floyd put it when they performed at the Space Ball run by Willy McCarthy back in 1978, in the upstairs ref. Well, that's what it seemed like through the blue haze.

Thanks to Don Church for spinning around and taking these images for posterity.

 Warwick Smith, Pete Mann and the Dean - Tim McCormack. His speech was a beauty, enthusiastically delivered and generously expressing gratitude to faculty and students for not grumbling whilst the library and facilities were out of action.

 Deb Rigby and Wayne Briscoe

 Belinda Bingham and Maria Dwyer, the David Ashton-Lewis

 Tim "Stork" Williams and "the Noges" Robert Noga

 Sitting back in the lecture theatre, with The Don Prof Chalmers, Governor Kate Warner

 Downstairs in the library, sans books and students. Reopened by the Vice Chancellor.

 The redone 1978 photo, us as we sat then, with a few missing

 "Touched up" with a bit more light into the shady sections

 Filling up the spaces and us with new life, and cousins, uncles and aunts

 Much to laugh about

 Directing traffic

 The Haz Harry Rigney, the Whale Leigh Sealy

 Looks like the CIA in town. Mike McHugh, Warwick and Bill McCarthy flew in flew out, no paperwork, no passports

 Late for lectures "Scotty won't start without us"

 That Noga: puts a smile on your face: Rob Noga, Phil Kimber, Geoff Tremayne

 His Honour, next Chief Justice of Fiji, come the revolution

 The pointy finger, illustrating in thin air the changes in the building, and faculty

 David, Harry, Stephen Holt, Jim Morris, Stork-the-Injured, and Maria

 Hard to hold our attention then, even more so now

 Tom Holmes there at the back

 The original photo, taken by Leigh Sealy, November 1978

 The little moot court, and free showbags from the Don. Wear the tie

 Looks like being in Church!

 Tom Holmes, Stephen Holt, Wayne Briscoe, Deb Rigby, Joan Roberts, Rob Noga

 Belinda, Warwick, Exec Dir of Law Soc Luke Rhienberger, Tim Williams, Ewan Stewart, Pete Mann, Tony Fitzgerald, someone partly obscured, and Kimber

 "Tatey" Michael Tate, Joan Roberts, Pete Mann

 Haz Rigney and Luke Rhienberger, with Tom Holmes

 About to burst into song

 Mike McHugh, The Governor, sidling up to the judge, with Tatey and a few new students

 Bill McCarthy, Steve Hold, Student Girl #1, and The Stern Leigh Sealy "nothing to laugh at there"

 Tim Williams, Phil Kimber, Rob Noga, Audrey Nills, Luke Rhienberger, Geoff Tremayne

 Ewan Stewart, Audrey's flaming red hair, Tim, and Noges

 The Governor Kate and Mike McHugh

 Wayne Briscoe down from Brisbane, and Noga over from Sandy Bay

 Directing traffic again "you sat there, so sit there again"

 Much to laugh about

 Double check and audit. Green pen.
Tamsin Solomon (Clarke), Maria Dwyer, Tony Fitzgerald, Audrey Mills, Wayne Briscoe, Peter Mann

 You know who you are by now

 Aud, Wokka and Pete

 The sword of damocles hanging over their heads

 Willy listening 'politely' whilst Kimber fails to enunciate any useful information

 At lunch at the Alan Bray Room at the Pickled Pear, the Uni Club

 Before the food fight

 Deb, Wayne, Noges, and Fitz

 Joan and Seals

 Bill and Leigh - "The Next Day" a horror movie by Spielberg: At the Astor Grill

 Rob Noga and Lynne Page

 Phil Kimber, Tamsin Clarke and Phil Clarke

 Fentonio el Kracio el Dornio Jones, Peter Mann

 Bill McCarthy, Fenton Jones, Pete Mann

 Around the bar: Phil K, "Suzie met Harry", Belinda and Audrey

 Tamsin, Noges, Phil Clarke and Leigh Sealy

 Mark "Sambo" Sansom, with Ewan Stewart

 Stephen Holt, Phil Kimber, Ewan Stewart, Mark Sansom, Debra Rigby

 Belinda, Wayne, Aud, Lynne, Roger Murray, Joan and Tony

 Suzie, Leigh, Haz and Jim

 The Tres Amigo

 Noges, Tom Holmes, Phil Clarke and Tamsin

If you got this far, you have a client waiting so get back to work! In summary:

The Weekend of the 21st July 2019 was the opportunity for the 40th year reunion of those graduates of 1978/9 of the Law Faculty of University of Tasmania to get together and celebrate such things as perseverance, perspicacity, achievement and survival. We hadn't realised that in such elapsed time a large share of our lives had been used up. There were over 30 of the 43 graduates able to reunite and share a Friday afternoon at the faculty, lunch at the Staff Club, and a Reunion dinner at the Astor Grill.

The trigger for my memory was a photo hanging on my office wall, of the students, taken shortly after their last exam in November 1978, and just before we were 'shouted' lunch by the National Bank's University manager, at the Wrest Point Casino. This annual final year celebration lunch was a precursor to our exit into society, and a training ground for learned behaviour under trying conditions.

A year ago (June 2018) I picked the names of those I could remember from the photo, searched the internet for their address, and emailed them a consultative paper on joining in on a reunion, which I promoted for mid 2019.

As was mentioned in the speech by Leigh Sealy SC at the dinner, "we wanted to ask xxx[another former student] to arrange the reunion because we hoped he would, but he declined, and we asked Phillip Kimber because we hoped he would decline, but he agreed"! And so it came to be that I progressed the reunion. 

The gathering was not about any one individual, but rather about a sense that we had all been very privileged. In many respects, we were surrounded by exceptionally talented and energetic people. Faculty staff, tutors, later to become professors - and including in their number; Muthucumaraswamy Sornarajah, John Blackwood, Don Chalmers, Her Excellency Kate Warner, Ken Mackey, Michael Stokes, Michael Tate, Max Atkinson, the great gentleman Michael Scott, Prof Derek Roebuck.

From that year of students, spread throughout Australia, and some back to Island States and other continental countries, we were blessed with opportunity to hone our legal skills and take some of the responsibility for affairs of people and state.

We reflected, at the reunion, on the absence, due to death, of a not insignificant number of our cohort: Brian Dutton, Graham McCabe, Tina Twivey, Dennis McCormack, Libby James. Also, the fragility of life and the expectancy that our number will be less at the 50th reunion in 2029.

Extending over 3 days (ending with brunch at Seagrass restaurant on Sunday 21st July) the mood was festive and reflective, concerned and generous. Genuine concern for the health and personal circumstances of people, in many instances, who had not rekindled friendship for 20, 30 or 40 years.

There is a cohesive bond between past students/graduates of our University. The people as individuals themselves hold the bond, their time together in some intensity over 3 or 4 years, decades ago, having forged it. 

We were grateful to hear from the Vice Chancellor Rufus Black about his Council's and his plans for the University, from the Deputy Chancellor Harvey Gibson of his overview of developments and opportunities, and from Dean Tim McCormack of his work in trying times with the Uni Law Library washed away - and the resourcefulness and positive attitude of students and faculty during this last year.

We were left with the clear knowledge our Law Faculty is vibrant and set on a course for another 100 years at least of providing education to enable our citizens the opportunity to contribute to their society. We are grateful for the courtesy and welcoming the present Law School faculty and University administration provided.

Phil Kimber - Years of 1975-78/9