A heartfelt affinity, half a century on

At their milestone reunion, UNSW’s Wool and Pastoral Sciences Class of 1968 fondly celebrated a kinship that has endured for more than five decades.

Front row (L to R): Mick Tierney, Sue Wyber, Professor Pat McMahon, Keith White, Alan Trounson
Back row (L to R): Michael Last, John Ayres, Ron Connors, Alf Salter, John Lowe, Max Petruchenia, Graham Eagleton

It is 1968 and a group poses for their graduation photo; their four-year Wool and Pastoral Sciences (WAPS) degree at UNSW’s Faculty of Science has come to a triumphant close. Proudly attired in black gowns and mortarboards, they are fresh-faced young adults ready to take on the world. In addition to the title they’ve accomplished alongside one another, they share something special: a deep familial friendship.

Theirs is a bond born of mutual experiences, within a small class, at a formative time of their lives. They stand together, all facing in the same direction, not knowing exactly how their paths will diverge after the camera shutter clicks…

Fast forward to the evening of Tuesday 15th May 2018 and the group has reconvened for their 50-year reunion. While many have stayed in touch over the years and attended catch-up luncheons, this is the first time they have formally gathered, with partners in tow – but you’d hardly know time had passed. The venue is the Royal Automobile Club of Australia in Sydney’s CBD, and the packed room is brimming with conversation and warmth.

In his welcoming speech, reunion co-organiser Alf Salter acknowledges the tremendous effort everyone has made to get together, given commitments and geographic constraints. He also pays respects to those who unfortunately could not be present: Nick Ellwood, and the late Peter Jennings who sadly passed away while on a mountaineering expedition in Patagonia soon after graduating.

The UNSW Wool and Pastoral Science class of 1968 relives their graduation photo, with an empty chair to represent the late Pat McMahon, Foundation Professor and Head of the School of Wool Technology.

UNSW’s Faculty of Science has seen many changes over the past five decades, having evolved to meet the changing landscape of Australian society and driving forces in science. In stark contrast to its ’68 alumni cohort, the degree in Wool and Pastoral Sciences has subsequently dissolved. Commenting on the climate that engendered these changes, reunion co-organiser Graham Eagleton says:

“In the old days, Australia was the wool on the sheep's back. That's no longer the case. Already, as we were graduating, we started to sense that change. So that's probably why we ended up in so many different areas. You could see that wool was no longer going to be the economic lever.”

“We had such a diverse group,” Dr Michael (“Mick”) Tierney OAM adds, “Not too many of us have actually finished up doing much in wool and pastoral science.”

Their careers and lifepaths have indeed been varied, with many notable accomplishments among them including Mick Tierney’s Order of Australia award in 2016 for outstanding service to rugby league as well as to dairy and beef cattle production, and the ground-breaking discoveries of Professor Alan Trounson, an internationally acclaimed pioneer of both IVF and stem cell research.

This distinguished cohort also includes Professor Susan Serjeantson AO, celebrated for her significant contribution to our understanding of molecular genetics and for improving the outcomes of organ transplantation, and Emeritus Professor Jim Pratley who collaborated to write the seminal textbook on agronomy (the science of soil management and crop production).

All 1968 WAPS graduates (and their partners) gathered at the Royal Automobile Club of Australia, Sydney.

Graham, whose eclectic career spans across research and teaching, reflects on the dynamics of their year group with friend Alf, who owns The Truffle & Wine Co., the largest truffière in the Southern Hemisphere.

“We were fortunate in the School of Wool and Pastoral Sciences as it was pretty small and obscure,” Graham says, “and small groups do get on better. We stuck together… I look around tonight and I recognise everyone.”

“We were almost like family,” adds Alf. “Several of us would go up to the library every night, we would swap notes, share a cab or a bus… We had four years together and they were very formative years. So, some of these people I haven’t seen in 50 years and you go up and say, ‘Hey, how’re you going?’ It’s as if it was yesterday.”

Keen to organise an alumni reunion event? UNSW’s Alumni & Engagement team are here to help! Contact alumni@unsw.edu.au for more information.