University Support

Anne Gribbin and Robyn Brown from the Development and Alumni Office have been working with the Party, providing specialist fundraising advice, strategic planning, relationship management of donors, and donor research. Their combined development skills and fundraising experience have seen them raise in excess of $100 million from a range of higher educational and not-for-profit sectors, over a period of 15 years.

Chris Chong

Chris Chong began his long and profitable association with the University over fifty years ago, when he came to Adelaide as a Colombo Scholar. Since then, Chris has maintained a constant link to the University, founding the West Malaysia Alumni Chapter and serving as its President for a number of years, organising the Australian Universities International Alumni Conventions, and acting as the International Member of the Alumni Association Board, as well as participating in the Heritage Foundation Working Party.

"We should try to instil into the young generation that they should remember the University, the community they work in, in short, our society. We should put back in as much, if not more, as we get out of it," says Chris.

Greg Crafter

"Being a member of the Working Party is my way of repaying the University for what it has given me, and it is also a contribution that I can make that will be a benefit to future generations of South Australians," says Greg Crafter.

Greg has a strong connection to the University of Adelaide. Not only is he a University of Adelaide law graduate, he served as Chairman of the University's Alumni Association for more than five years, and is a long-time member of the University's Council. As the Minister of Education in South Australia from 1985-1992, Greg maintained a close relationship with the University.

"Our heritage buildings are a vital part of the heritage of South Australia," says Greg. "But they're also living buildings. They're buildings we want to see continue as an important part of our teaching and learning."

John Kiosoglous

John Kiosoglous (MBE) is a devoted advocate for education, ethnic and legal causes. His involvement with the Heritage Foundation continues a strong tradition of community leadership, for which he was a South Australian finalist for the 2004 Senior Australian of the Year. John has filled a range of positions in local government, education and multicultural affairs, and was a practising lawyer for over 40 years, including 30 years as a magistrate and a senior member of the Australian Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Today, he commits his skills to furthering causes such as the Heritage Foundation.

"Our role is not only to raise money, but also to make the general Australian community aware of the existence of such heritage buildings and their preservation. Being a former student, as well as having two children who graduated from the University of Adelaide, the cause is personal. I'm committed to the preservation of its heritage buildings for future generations to enjoy. Their loss would be irreplaceable."

Pamela Martin

"Our heritage buildings are the heart of the University and as such, they require constant maintenance to keep them usable and relevant," says Pamela Martin. "They demonstrate to us the vision of our forefathers and demand from us vision for the future. They are also a focus for the whole of the community of South Australia and as such provide tangible links between town and gown."

Working as a Commercial Solicitor in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Pamela brings specialist advice, skills and links to Government--as well as enthusiasm and a strong sense of purpose--to her role in the Working Party. Pamela has been involved with the University of Adelaide as a graduate, a tutor and a Member of Council before taking up the challenge of the Heritage Foundation.

Andrew Strickland

"The Heritage Foundation is a practical way for the University of Adelaide's community to contribute in a specific, demonstrable and ongoing way to both the fabric of the University and its vital role in education," says Andrew Strickland.

Andrew's career in State and Commonwealth senior management, coupled with his experience teaching at a number of universities, gives him a unique insight into university funding. He sees the Foundation as a way to free up funds for the University's core tasks of learning, teaching and research.

"I am concerned in these days of diminishing federal funds that the University has the resources to continue to play a significant role in the development of human resources in this State, and more widely in Australia and the region," says Andrew. "It is vital that the University continues to give students and researchers the opportunity to push the boundaries of intellectual inquiry."

Ian Wilson

The Hon Ian Wilson (AM) spent 24 years in Federal Parliament as the Member for Sturt, including time as Minister for the Environment and Home Affairs, when he signed off the World Heritage listing of the Great Barrier Reef, and saw the beginning of the National Heritage List with the publication of The Heritage of Australia, events that further inspired his enthusiastic support for heritage issues.

As an Adelaide law graduate and the University's 1955 Rhodes Scholar, it was natural for Ian to link his interest in heritage to his alma mater. "The University's heritage buildings are icons of the city and the state, and draw people to Adelaide" says Ian. "It's important for us to establish a way to preserve these buildings which is fair, and ensures that the whole community can enjoy and use these buildings, today and in the future."