Scotch College

Scotch in the Arts

And the award goes to ...

David McNicoll ('32), left) has received the Australian Press Council's inaugural medal. Appointed editor-in-chief of Australian Consolidated Press on his 39th birthday, David turned 85 last December. A stroke forced his retirement as a columnist for The Bulletin, concluding an extraordinary 67-year career in journalism. David performed in Scotch's 140th anniversary concert in 1991, and we hope he will be well enough to make the pilgrimage from Sydney for next year's festivities.

Stuart Purves ('62), director of Australian Galleries in Melbourne and Sydney, has been unanimously elected president of the Australian Commercial Galleries Association. Joked Stuart, "That either means they all wanted me or no one wanted the job". We wish him well in helping steer Australia towards his vision of a "great cultural nation".

Popular Old Boy artist Bob Wade ('49) has become the first Australian to be awarded membership of the American Watercolor Society in its 133-year history. His induction took place in April in New York. An avid golfer, Bob's paintings hang in some of the world's most prestigious golf courses, including St Andrew's in Scotland and Royal Melbourne. Among his many other awards are the Cornelissen Award of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours in London in 1983 and the Grand Prix International in France in 1998. But Bob is equally proud of his three gold medals for watercolour at the Camberwell Rotary Art Show in 1981, 1985 and 1987. The artist says of his vocation, "It's like a mistress you cannot leave. It's always a mystery. Each painting is like a new challenge".

Congratulations also to Andrew Myer ('79), the new chairman of the Melbourne International Film Festival; and to Chris Warner ('68), who was appointed the Australian Film Commission's Director of Film Development and Marketing earlier.

Pen to paper

Gordon Fitchett ('70) is gaining increased recognition for his highly distinctive art. Graduating from Swinburne with a diploma of graphic design, he has exhibited at the Barry Stern Gallery in Sydney since 1983 and at the Ken Field Memorial Art Exhibition at Scotch in 1997. His work has been published regularly in leading newspapers and magazines, and he has illustrated two very successful children's books, Cinderella and The Twelve Princesses.

Adrian Osborne ('87) has been drawing acclaimed caricatures at private and corporate events around the nation since 1992. With the ability to render a portrait in under two minutes (a skill he admits was honed in many maths classes and as an editor of Satura), he has established himself as one of the "fastest felt-tips" in the business. For bookings and enquiries, contact Adrian at Splatoons on 0413 311 744, or visit the studio online at www.splatoons.com.au.

Other publications by or about Old Boys are Not a Bad Drop: Brown Brothers (the story of the famous family of Milawa vignerons) by veteran journalist Keith Dunstan, and Crisis Control, an authoritative guide to crisis management by Ross Campbell ('58). We trust that the subjects of the first book have no need of the second!

Pratts' showbiz!

Like many other institutions, Scotch has been extraordinarily fortunate to benefit from Richard and Jeanne Pratt's philanthropy to the arts. In return, we are delighted to give some publicity to the second season of one of their initiatives, The Production Company. Call Me Madam has already been staged, but you are assured of a very nice night's entertainment at Gypsy (12, 14 and 15 July) and Guys & Dolls (16, 18 and 19 August), both at the State Theatre. A leaflet is enclosed with this issue. We hope to develop an ongoing relationship with The Production Company when The James Forbes Academy is complete. In the meantime, I warmly recommend both shows.

Finally, we wish Ric Birch and his team ('61) every success with the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Having famously made his mark at Scotch (on the quadrangle lawns, to be exact), Ric will no doubt again wow the world with two memorable spectacles.

Campbell McComas