Scotch College

84th Annual Dinner

The 84th Annual Dinner of the Association aims to maintain the fine traditions of those before.

This year’s Annual Dinner promises to be another wonderful evening of fellowship and fun. The Association is honoured that the Governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretser has accepted our invitation to be guest of honour. Professor de Kretser has had an outstanding career.

The Hon Dr Michael Wooldridge (’73) will maintain our tradition of appropriate and relevant Old Boys proposing the toast to the guests. Michael is sure to do this with wit and warmth. The school Principal, Mr Tom Batty, and school Captain, Nathan Su, will also make addresses to the Old Boy community, and these are not to be missed.

If you haven’t been to an OSCA Annual Dinner, or if you haven’t been for a while, I encourage you to rally your classmates and attend. The 84th Annual Dinner of the Association will aim to maintain the fine traditions of those before.

The Annual Dinner is one of some 40 events that the Association convenes each year. We are mindful that in order to engage as many former students of the school as possible, we need to offer a wide variety of events and activities. From the Annual Dinner to a branch function at Metung; from the Head of the River luncheon to the OSCA golf day, we hope that there is something that might be of interest to you. The Association is currently in its 96th year and our thoughts are turning to celebratory events for 2013, our centenary.

While we will spend some of our energies reflecting on the past through the commissions of a centenary history and a number of celebratory events, we are mindful that we need to be planning for the future. We need to understand the needs of the school and the needs of the modern Old Boy, and ensure that the Association’s activities are as relevant to the members of the Class of 1948 as they are to members of the Class of 2008.

I hope to see you at one of our events soon. GS

Annual Dinner of the Association

Friday 29 May 2009

Professor David de Kretser, AC

Governor of Victoria

Professor David de Kretser was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and migrated to Australia in 1949. He was educated at Camberwell Grammar School and Melbourne and Monash Universities. His academic career bridged medicine and anatomy, and he held positions at Monash University as Professor and Chairman of Anatomy, Founding Director of the Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development and Associate Dean for Biotechnology Development. His research into reproductive biology, infertility and endocrinology has been recognised nationally and internationally. With support from the Federal Government, he initiated a highly successful program of community and professional education in male reproductive health called Andrology Australia. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2001 and a Companion in the Order of Australia in 2006, and received the Centenary Medal in 2003. Professor de Kretser and his wife Jan have four sons and five grandchildren. Professor de Kretser assumed office as the 28th Governor of Victoria on 7 April 2006.

The Hon Dr Michael Wooldridge

Dr Michael Wooldridge (’73) attended Melbourne and Monash Universities and has bachelors’ degrees in science and medicine and a master of business administration. He also has honorary doctorates of law and science. From 1987 until 2001 he was a Member of Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, and was Minister for Health and Family Services from 1997 until 1998, and Minister for Health and Aged Care from 1998 to 2001. He is currently Chairman of Neurosciences Australia, the Cooperative Research Centre in Oral Health Science, Dia-B Tech Ltd and Australian Property Custodian Holdings. He is a board member of Australian Pharmaceutical Industries, Cosgate Ltd, the centre for Eye Research Australia, the Pharmacy College Foundation at Monash University, the Monash Medical Research Advisory Board and Aspen Health Care. He is a professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine at Monash University, and an associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Melbourne. He is also Principal of Michael Wooldridge and Associates, a consulting firm. His interests are real tennis, reading and wine (in that order!). His son Edward left Scotch in 2008.