Scotch College
Great Scot - What they're doing now... December 2003
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James has had a rather atypical upbringing for most young people, but one that is common to a few Old Boys from Scotch. From a very early age, James showed a great talent for music, in piano and clarinet. Some of the repertoire highlights in James' early music career include playing Piano Concertos of Mozart, Beethoven, Saint Saens and Rachmaninov with the Scotch Orchestra, as well as the Weber Clarinet Concerto. In his final year at Scotch, James was awarded $20,000 through the ABC Young Performers Awards, and went to study with Rita Reichman in Philadelphia in the United States. His daily study regime with Ms Reichman was gruelling and he says, perhaps the most intense period of his life. James returned to Australia in 1988 and following the decision for his family to move to the UK, gave a farewell concert at Scotch. James then studied in London at the Royal Academy of Music for undergraduate and post-graduate degrees with Frank Wibaut and Christopher Elton. Typically for musicians, James entered many competitions and in 1991, played in the Queen Elisabeth Hall final of the Royal Overseas League Competition, and in addition to winning the piano final, won best overseas musician prize, and 3 awards as best Australian Pianist. Life in London gave James exposure to hearing and attending masterclasses with many of the best musicians in the world including Andras Schiff, Tamas Vasary, Menahem Pressler and playing chamber music regularly with Amadeus Trio (now the renowned Amadeus Quartet). In 1992, James married Sue Green (a soprano), following the completion of his post-graduate studies. They moved to Cambridge, where most of James' time was spent studying repertoire, and teaching at St Johns and Kings College choir schools from 1993 to 2001. James moved back to Melbourne July 2001, closely followed by his family (wife and four children - Tom, Lucy, Olivia and Ophelia), dog and furniture. James remarks that it was much easier to get the dog into Australia than his wife and children - 6 weeks versus 6 months! He started teaching piano with four students at Scotch four days after arriving back in Australia, and now teaches two days per week, and enjoys an active performing career. James has been offered full time work with other schools, but as musicians know, it is difficult to balance teaching with practice schedules for a performing career, and feels strongly committed to his current situation at Scotch. James recently gave a recital at Scotch including works of Scarlatti, Chopin and Rachmaninov. He performs regularly and can be contacted for upcoming concerts through the Music Department at Scotch.
Maziar Nikpour ('92) above has recently received an Australian Research Council Post-doctoral Fellowship to carry out research in a field of his choice. This is a very prestigious Fellowship and Maziar will no doubt research an area related to Electrical Engineering, a field he studied at Melbourne University (combined with a Science Degree) from 1993 until 1997. This Fellowship comes after Maziar won the Melbourne University Chancellor's Medal. Maziar currently works in the Electrical Engineering Department at Melbourne University where he focuses on problems in applied mathematics that relate to the telecommunications industry. He plans to spend some time overseas in 2004. John Mathews ('01) is currently studying Marine Biology at Flinders University in Adelaide. John is engaged to Sheena McLean and will marry on 17 January 2004. Brett Aisen ('86) is managing a company called Polo Citrus making biodegradable dust suppression products. Phil Roberts ('62) is a historian and writer and has agreed to undertake the challenging project of writing a history of the first 140 years of what is now Ballarat and Clarendon College. Phil was Principal of Lake Bolac High School. He was also Acting Principal of Wendouree Secondary College and Assistant Principal of Ballarat Secondary College. Phil also taught in England and, as an International Teaching Fellow, taught Social Education in Denver in the United States of America. Ben Jesse ('94) is working in London for an Event Management company. The business looks after sponsorship for Wembley Stadium, The London Eye and many other football stadiums. Lachie Armstrong ('95) completed a Masters of Finance at Monash university after studying Banking and Finance/Accounting at Monash University in Caulfield. He is now based in Switzerland with a small company called GTRADE system. Tim Johnston ('88) will be studying a Dip. Ed. in 2004 and is looking to head back to England to teach in four years time. Edward Holdaway ('85) is married to HK and has two children, Andrew (7 years old) and David (one and a half years). He is a Senior Economist at the Australian Tax Office based in Canberra. Andrew Braid ('62) was a vet in Kyama in NSW for 17 years and now lives in Canberra where he works at the CSIRO and spends a few days a week at a local veterinary practice. He has two children, Christopher (thirty years) and Kate (28 years). Andrew's father Ian ('32) went to Scotch at the Hawthorn campus and his grandfather Charles Candy went to Scotch at the East Melbourne campus. Tony Whittaker ('81) has spent five years in Canberra as a Chemistry Stream Leader at the Therapeutic Goods Administrator (TGA). John Pascoe ('68) is currently Head of the Senior School at Radford School in Canberra. David Fitter ('94) is based in Sydney where he plays rugby union for the Brumbies. David was a member of the School's 1994 Rugby Premiership team.
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Dr David Darby ('74) has just designed a new test for the early detection of dementia. The new computerised memory test can detect signs of Alzheimer's disease up to five years earlier than the current tests. The performance-based test measures memory and reaction times using a card game similar to computerised solitaire. The test collects 700 observations on the users cognitive ability, and analysis of results provide a benchmark for mapping any future deterioration. The 15 minute test is called Coghealth, costs about $60 to $80 and is available through GPs. Reverend Graham Bartley ('78) has just commenced a new position as chaplain at Scotch Oakburn College in Launceston. Don Moyes ('50) recently caught up with John Kollosche ('56) in Rye in England. Don was touring with the Crusaders cricket team (his 6th tour) and opened the bowling against a Dutch over 40s XI and took one wicket before an ex West Indies player took to his offerings! Don is presently recovering from a broken wrist and we wish him a speedy recovery. Nick Bond ('86) currently works for AVA Property Valuers with two other partners. He has been there for three years specialising in commercial property evaluations. Nick is married to Emma and they are expecting their first child in April of next year.
Brian Bult ('56) - Brian and his wife Dorothy have been living in Perth since 1970. They have two sons, Tim and Malcolm. Both went to Scotch College in Perth, and both are married and also living in Perth. There are 5 grand children. Brian was on the Scotch College, Perth, School Council for 11 years (1978 - 89). He had a long and distinguished career as an engineer, but is now retired. His main interests are now golf and classic cars. His outstanding classic car passion is for Jaguar classics, especially restoring them! He spent many years restoring a 1958 Jaguar XK 150 Roadster convertible, brought in from Omaha, Nebraska, USA, in 1989 in a very run down condition: rusted out, not running, and missing some parts! Brian chased this model down as only 1600 were made and very few came to Australia. The restoration required the complete body removal and its total rebuild, and the rebuild of the chassis, motor, gear-box, and every nut and bolt to completely restore the whole car strictly to its original condition. This was achieved over a period of 8 years with some assistance, including welding by son Tim. This exciting, bright red convertible is a very special achievement, and has won numerous special awards, including :Premier Class Concours d'elegance National Jaguar Rally 1998; Various Premier Class competitions in Western Australia. In late 2001, Brian and the XK 150 completed the Jaguar Commemorative Run from Darwin to Alice Springs and then to Adelaide. A post rally tour took them around Tasmania, back to Melbourne, then along the Great Ocean Road back to Adelaide. While in Melbourne Brian visited Scotch - hence the dramatic photo of the red XK in front of the Chapel.
Charles Davison ('02) above is completing his GAP year with an extensive business and study programme in China. Organised via a New York based educational programme known as EducAsian, Charles has studied at Qingdao Ocean University, Beijing University and finally at Shanghai Jiaotong University. The programme is completed with one week's work experience in Hong Kong. Topics studied include Mandarin Chinese, Chinese Business Practices, and History and Culture. Prior to departing for China, Charles completed his private pilot's licence at Civil Flying School, Moorabbin. In 2004 he will commence his Commerce Degree at Deakin University.
Congratulations to a dedicated health professional Andrew Kaye ('68) above who is the James Stewart Professor of Surgery and Head of the Department of Surgery at the University of Melbourne. He is also the Royal Melbourne Hospital's Chairman of Surgery and the Director of the Melbourne Neuroscience Centre. His work has led to new insights into the biology of brain tumours, trying to identify the genetic abnormalities that cause them, and developing biological therapies to treat them. He is also responsible for the development of new surgical techniques and established the benefit of excising brain tumours to prolong life. Professor Kaye's work has brought about great advances in brain tumour research, and in the treatment of patients. As the 2003 winner of the prestigious Ronald L. Bittner award given by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons for outstanding contributions to neurosurgery, Professor Kaye has become the first southern hemisphere recipient of the award, and possibly the first outside North America. Professor Stephen Davis ('66), Director of Neurology at the RMH and at the University of Melbourne, has worked closely with Professor Kaye for many years, and has described him in an article in Melbourne Health Matters as a "unique individual with the talent and leadership skills to make major discoveries in the laboratory and to be able to translate these discoveries in clinical trials, to directly benefit patients with this common type of cancer." He tributed Professor Kaye for assembling an impressive team at the hospital and university, as a world leader in his field and highly sought-after international speaker on brain tumour research. The work of his department has focused not only on brain tumour research, but also on clinical trials and treatment of patients. Brain tumours are the most prevalent cancers occurring in children, and cancer is responsible for one third of all deaths in Australia.
Great Scot
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Updated: Tuesday 12 August 2008 © Scotch College 2008