Blog

A superb portrait of the Hon. Rod Matheson AM KC – one of the longest-serving Chairmen of the College Council in the history of St Mark’s – was unveiled in the College dining hall last week.

The portrait is by the eminent Australian artist Robert Hannaford AM, well known for his portraits of such figures as Sir Donald Bradman, Dame Joan Sutherland, Bob Hawke, and Paul Keating.

Rod Matheson was a student at St Mark’s from 1948 to 1951, while studying Arts and Law at the University of Adelaide. He joined the College Council in 1980, and served as Chairman from 1982 to 2000. For most of those years he also served as a judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia.

Rod Matheson’s 18 years of distinguished service as Chairman of the College Council made him one of the three longest-serving Chairmen in the history of the College, along with Sir Henry Newland (Chairman 1926-53) and Dr Gavin Walkley CBE (1961-82). Portraits of Sir Henry Newland and Gavin Walkley have hung in the College dining hall for many years.

As Chairman of the College Council, Rod Matheson presided over the admission of women students to St Mark’s, which he had strongly advocated, and encouraged three Masters of the College – the Rev’d Peter Thomson, Robin Ashwin, and Dr John Bannon AO – to put their names forward for the Mastership. His time as Chairman also saw – amongst much else – major building and renovation work in the College, strengthening of the College’s enrolments and finances, and formation of a system of College governance committees.

On his retirement as Chairman in 2000, Rod Matheson was described as “an excellent chairman, a strong communicator, always fully informed about all matters of the College”, and as a generous benefactor of the College. Appointed an Honorary Fellow of the College in 2000, he has remained an active supporter of the College over the years since.

In welcoming guests to the unveiling of the portrait, the Head of College, Professor Don Markwell AM, spoke warmly of Rod Matheson’s life, student days at St Mark’s, career in the law, and outstanding service to the College, as well as his “energy and enthusiasm” and “self-effacing modesty”.

He referred to the College’s debt both to Rod Matheson and to Mrs Léonie Matheson, and congratulated them on their 64^th wedding anniversary just days before. It was a “delight” also to welcome their four children and their partners “amongst such a glittering array of distinguished guests” (which included, amongst many others, former Chief Justice of South Australia, the Hon. John Doyle AC KC, and former NSW Supreme Court judge, the Hon. John Basten KC, who had been Rod Matheson’s articled clerk).

Before unveiling the portrait, the Chair of the College Board, Ms Linda Matthews, spoke of the Board’s decision to commission it “to pay tribute to the wonderful service Rod has given to the College”.

Speaking after the portrait was unveiled to enthusiastic applause, both Robert Hannaford and Rod Matheson spoke of their friendship going back a number of decades, including when Rod – as Chairman of the St Mark’s College Council – had commissioned Robert to paint three of the six Robert Hannaford portraits at St Mark’s (those of Dr Gavin Walkley, Professor Don Nicholas, and Dr John Bannon).

The portrait was painted over nine sittings, each of two to three hours’ duration. In the portrait, Rod Matheson is painted in the judge’s bench wig and scarlet gown that used to be worn in the criminal division of the Supreme Court. An interesting feature of the portrait is that he is also shown wearing his smart watch.

Robert Hannaford said that the “painting process” for Rod Matheson’s portrait was a “wonderful” and “enjoyable experience” in which the subject was “usually right” as a “critic” of the portrait as it was being painted.

The resulting portrait has been widely acclaimed with many superlatives, amongst which “magnificent” is perhaps the most frequent. The portrait hangs in the College dining hall on the wall behind the High Table, next to the portrait of Sir Henry Newland.

For Professor Markwell’s speech of welcome recounting Rod Matheson’s life, career, and service to St Mark’s and other organisations, click here.

The lead photograph shows the Hon. Rod Matheson AM KC speaking after the unveiling of his portrait (photo credit: Dr Angela Evans AM)

Professional photograph of Robert Hannaford AM’s portrait of Rod Matheson (photo credit: Joseph Häxan).

Board Chair Ms Linda Matthews with Rod Matheson immediately after the unveiling of the portrait (photo credit: Amelie Beltakis).

Robert Hannaford AM speaking after the unveiling (photo credit: Amelie Beltakis).

Rod and Léonie Matheson and their family after the unveiling (photo credit: Amelie Beltakis).

Mr Oliver Douglas (St Mark’s 2020-23) was yesterday announced as the Rhodes Scholar-elect for South Australia for 2024 – a brilliant achievement!

The Rhodes Scholarship will take Oliver to the University of Oxford next year to undertake postgraduate study in modern history.

The Rhodes Scholarship is one of the most prestigious awards in the world. Rhodes Scholars are chosen on the basis of excellence in intellect, character, leadership, and service. Oliver Douglas is St Mark’s College’s 30^th Rhodes Scholar since 1929.

Oliver joined St Mark’s in 2020 as a CAS Hawker Scholar, having completed his secondary education at St John’s Grammar School in Belair. He immediately threw himself into College life, showing his keen intellect in his Arts/Law studies at the University of Adelaide, and proving himself a force to be reckoned with on the sports field, winning College Club Colours for tennis and table tennis on several occasions and captaining both teams.

During his time at St Mark’s, Oliver has shown a deep and enduring commitment to service and leadership, serving the College and the wider community in a wide range of formal and informal ways. In his second year he served as President of the Charitable Foundation, the students’ community service organisation, which under his leadership expanded both its fundraising and volunteering activities. In his third year he served as Vice President of the College Club Committee and as President of the South Australian Association of University College Clubs (SAAUCC). Since then, Oliver has continued to serve the College Club, including initiating and leading a sub-committee to review the College Club Constitution.

Academically, Oliver is an outstanding, dedicated and determined student. In the final stages of his Honours year in History, Oliver has maintained outstanding grades and won numerous academic prizes. Within St Mark’s he has won the Jeremy & Timothy Pascoe Scholarship, awarded to an outstanding senior student, and the Don Laidlaw Prize, awarded to the most outstanding second year students. He has three times received the WF Wehrstedt Prize for the most outstanding student in the Arts and Humanities, as well as receiving the Harron Scholarship and numerous academic commendations. Academic prizes from the University of Adelaide include the John F. Kennedy Scholarship, Lynda Tapp Prize and Executive Dean’s Certificate.

Outside of St Mark’s, Oliver is deeply involved in a wide range of community activities. An elite level tennis player, he was the top-ranked under-18 male tennis player in South Australia in 2019, and reached an Australian ranking of 55 and a world ranking of 1054. An Army Reservist since 2019, last year Oliver was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Australian Army, receiving the Royal New South Wales Regiment Prize at his graduation dinner.

Oliver has served in a wide variety of leadership activities at the University of Adelaide, including serving as a Board Member of the Adelaide University Union and the Adelaide University Sport and Fitness Board, a Welfare Officer on the Student Representative Council, and Vice President of both the Adelaide University Entrepreneurs Club and the Adelaide University Table Tennis Club. He is also the Founding President of the St John’s Grammar School Old Scholars Association.

Not one to sit idle, Oliver has also pursued a range of research and professional development opportunities and internships. He has been an Assistant to Jack Batty MP, SA Shadow Assistant Minister for the Environment, since 2022, worked as an intern for the Centre of Democracy (Adelaide) and for St Mark’s on our Profiles of St Mark’s Women project, and prepared a foundational research report on Australian housing for the Susan McKinnon Foundation. This is just a taste of the many and varied activities Oliver has been involved with during his undergraduate years.

Pursing postgraduate study in history at the University of Oxford represents the natural next step in Oliver’s academic journey. We warmly congratulate him, wish him the very best for his next academic adventure, and look forward to watching his accomplishments over the years to come.

You can learn more about the Rhodes Scholarship here.

Inspired to begin your own academic journey? You can find out more about the CAS Hawker Scholarship Program here, as well as the A. Simpson & Sons Scholarship and Robin Ashwin Scholarship offered by St Mark’s College here.

Are you a St Mark’s Old Collegian who is also considering studying at Oxford or Cambridge? Details about the 2024 round of the Ivan Shearer Scholarship will be released soon.

Oliver Douglas with Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia, Chair of the Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee

Photos by @Photojo

We are deeply saddened by the death of Bob Cowan OAM, Honorary Fellow of St Mark’s College, who passed away peacefully last night, surrounded by his family.

The flags at St Mark’s are at half-mast as we honour his life and mourn his passing.

Our deepest sympathy to his children Tiffanie, Leigh, and Jeremy, and all Bob’s family.

Bob Cowan was passionate about supporting rural students to receive life-changing study opportunities, at St Mark’s and at other institutions. A warm and loving man, Bob Cowan led this life-changing work with enthusiasm, vigorous commitment, and remarkable generosity.

Over a quarter of a century, from 1995 to 2020, Bob Cowan and his late wife, Gayle Cowan OAM, supported hundreds of students from regional areas to be at St Mark’s through Cowan Grants which have totalled approximately $1 million. Both Bob and Gayle have been recognised as Governors of the St Mark’s College Foundation. We are deeply grateful.

May Bob Rest in Peace.

A Memorial Service for Bob will be held in the Carinya Chapel in the Mt Gambier Crematorium Complex on Friday 8 September at 11am. Following the service, Bob’s ashes will be interred with Gayle in the Rose Area at the Carinya Gardens Cemetery.

You can read more about Bob’s work in the announcement earlier this year of his appointment as an Honorary Fellow of St Mark’s College here.

Read our tribute to Gayle Cowan OAM here and about Bob and Gayle’s recognition in the Order of Australia earlier this year here.

Seven individuals who have made outstanding contributions in various ways to St Mark’s College have recently been appointed as Honorary Fellows by the College Board.

An Honorary Fellowship is the highest honour the College can bestow, and is awarded in recognition of individuals who have helped the College in very significant ways either by their work or their financial support.

The new Honorary Fellows are the first to be appointed since 2016. They are:

• • Mr Richard Burchnall – a member of College Council 1994-2018, member of College Board 2005-18, and Chairman of College Board and Council 2007-18. Read more here.
  • Mr Robert (Bob) Cowan OAM – the generous donor of grants to support hundreds of regional students to come to St Mark’s between 1995 and 2020. Read more here.
  • Professor Peter Edwards AM – Fourth Master of the College 1978-82, who oversaw the move to coeducation. Read more here.
  • Dr Angela Evans AM – an Old Collegian (St Mark’s 1982-84) who, amongst other contributions, was a member of College Council 2006-18, and member of College Board 2007-20, including Acting Chair in 2018. Read more here and here.
  • Mr Jeremy Pascoe – an Old Collegian (St Mark’s 1955-59) who, amongst many other contributions, has generously endowed a valuable scholarship for later-year student leaders (jointly with his brother Timothy). Read more here.
  • Dr Timothy Pascoe AM – an Old Collegian (St Mark’s 1957-61) who, with his brother Jeremy, has, amongst many other contributions, generously endowed a valuable scholarship for later-year student leaders. Read more here.
  • Dr Pamela Wall OAM – who jointly with her late husband, Dr Ian Wall AM, is the largest donor to the College in its history, including making possible the construction of a number of College buildings. Read more here.

Many congratulations to all of our new Honorary Fellows – and many thanks for all that they have contributed to the College and to our students!

There is a full list of the College’s Honorary Fellows here.

Image: Left to right, from top: Mr Richard Burchnall, Mr Bob Cowan OAM, Professor Peter Edwards AM, Dr Angela Evans AM, Mr Jeremy Pascoe, Dr Timothy Pascoe AM, Dr Pamela Wall OAM

In next week’s scholarship presentation ceremony, this year’s scholarship recipients will be acknowledged for their achievements and will have an opportunity to say thank you in person to some of the donors who are supporting them to be at St Mark’s.

Scholarships are a truly life-changing gift. In many cases, students would otherwise not have been able to afford to be at university and college in Adelaide, and in all cases the relief of financial stress makes a great difference to their ability to focus on their studies and to take advantage of the other opportunities which College provides. The need is real, and the impact of support is transformational.

Scholarships help to make St Mark’s accessible to students from diverse backgrounds who might not otherwise have been able to join our community. They also give us opportunities to encourage and celebrate excellence amongst our students.

Over recent months, dozens of St Mark’s students have been writing deeply moving letters of thanks for what they recognize as the life-changing opportunities they have been given through scholarships.

The letters of thanks pay inspiring testimony to the benefits that students see in being at St Mark’s, and reflect deep gratitude and, in many cases, a determination to provide similar opportunities for future students when they are able to do so.

They also speak to the particular impact that the St Mark’s collegiate experience has had on them, reshaping their lives and their university experience, including through academic and wellbeing support and by helping them build friendships, expand their horizons, and grow in confidence.

The extracts below are just a sample of the very many letters of thanks which students have been writing.

“I am amazed each day by the countless positive interactions I am having at St Mark’s: simply by walking to breakfast in the morning, or sharing a smile with someone that I recognise from college, while at university. The academic support from peers, faculty and staff here is making a significant impact on my achievements, especially for someone who has been out of school for two years. Having grown up in economic hardship, and being independent for two years, your patronage provides me with significant emotional and financial relief and truly makes or breaks the reality of me being a student at St Mark’s College. Thank you for your belief in me.”

“Without college I wouldn’t be studying in Adelaide and wouldn’t be the person I am today. Unfortunately, my family circumstances mean that they cannot financially support me so on their behalf I would like to say thank you as without this scholarship I wouldn’t be residing in Adelaide. One promise I hope to keep is to donate back a portion of money when I leave St Mark’s to help someone else in need just like I am. I hope that by doing so it creates a regenerative generous cycle whereby the recipient of my scholarship one day will do the same for someone else. So, for your generosity I cannot thank you enough!”

“To say that myself and my family are grateful for this scholarship is an understatement. My summer holiday job in hospitality was largely affected by the flood, which resulted in me earning less money than I had aimed for, to cover university and educational expenses. I feel extremely lucky and humbled to have been one of the students selected for a scholarship and will always be thankful to be a part of a college which exhibits such generosity.”

“The past three years at St Mark’s College have been remarkable. Despite the many challenges posed by the pandemic, my university years have been full of memorable experiences and personal growth. I have remarked previously that St Mark’s academic support program, culture of scholarship and world-class mentors were essential to my tertiary success, and that remains true. However, I also recognise that the enriching conversations, contests of ideas and unique perspectives that are part and parcel of Collegiate life, have also been invaluable. To live at St Mark’s is to receive a broad education in life. St Mark’s College is a truly special institution and it is why I strive to make the most of the academic opportunities available and give back to the community.”

“My family have been under a substantial amount of financial pressure and, quite genuinely, this scholarship has presented me with the opportunity to stay at St Mark’s. Going in to 2023 it was looking unlikely that I would be able to return for another year, having to face the fact that I would be unable to spend another year in an environment I truly love, amongst the friends that mean the world to me. Thank you for granting me with an opportunity that would have otherwise been missed. I am beyond grateful for your contribution to my learning. I will ensure it doesn’t go amiss. “

“As I write this letter, I am currently in my sixth day of my St Mark’s journey and can attest to the culture that has been curated at the College, the sense of kindness and camaraderie, that being a part of St Mark’s for me already feels like so much more than just a college. Put simply, it already feels like home. I hope one day, whether that be 30, 40, 50, or 60 years from now, I will also have an opportunity to offer someone in my position the same opportunities as you have given me.”

“Without your help I would not be attending College this year. With the recent drought I was unable to receive financial assistance from my parents. As you can imagine, it is extremely stressful starting a new chapter of my life, let alone not knowing where I can afford to stay. I cannot find the words to express how much stress and anxiety you have taken away from this process.”

“St Mark’s College has given me the opportunity to change who I am and get out of the old habits I was stuck in while at home. College is the place where I can be who I want to be and where I can achieve anything I want. This is the place I now call home, living with many mates and surrounded by a number of helpful staff who are always looking out to help wherever they can. St Mark’s college has been the perfect place for me to live after making the big shift from a country town to the city. This scholarship will help relieve my stress  during the year. I can now focus more on my study, hopefully allowing me to increase my grades over the year. This scholarship will not only relieve stress from me but also my parents who are still supporting my 3 brothers. Once again, I cannot express enough how thankful I am for this scholarship and will forever be grateful.”

“I would not be the person I am today without the experiences and environment St Mark’s College provides; it makes me extremely proud to say that I am a collegian. The generosity of this prize facilitates my continuing time at college but also heavily lifts financial pressures from my dad, who solely supports myself and my other two siblings. Furthermore, this prize allows me to concentrate on my studies without having to commit to full time employment to afford the ever-increasing cost of living”

“My mum was unfortunately made redundant towards the end of last year, so when I was awarded this scholarship it was extremely stress-relieving.”

“I am overwhelmed with thanks for the understanding and support shown towards me for the past two years. I am so appreciative of the way in which my strengths, weaknesses, and disadvantages are accepted. Being in receipt of the Margaret and Harry Trust Scholarship has near well singlehandedly enabled me to spend yet another life changing year at St Mark’s College. St Mark’s College is my home, and always will be. I have had the best two years of my life at this institution, and never felt the amount of pride for myself and my surroundings, as in residence here. I feel supported and seen uniquely by every single member of faculty, leadership, and student at the College. To feel this support to such a degree is an incredibly rare and privilege thing that I will carry with me forever. I have grown more as a person, student, friend, and family member in the past twenty-four months than ever in my life. For this to be recognised, and my potential seen, exemplified in the award of this scholarship, is an incredibly heartfelt experience.

My daily life has an ironic duplicity of difficulty and ease. My difficulties lay in medical stress, and consequent financial burden, which I feel every day. My ease is found in the incredible life that I live, the amazing people I share it with, and the overall almost unbelievable lifestyle I maintain. This scholarship reduces my difficulties and increases my ease, so that I may continue to focus on the beautiful experiences provided to me by the College—whether it be the inspiring academics I get to meet, the firm support network for my wellbeing, the friends I am so privileged to live alongside every day, or even just the peace I experience every morning waking up to the incredible scenery of the College campus.”

If you would like to help change the lives of current or future students at St Mark’s, please give now through clicking here.