News Archive

Three Rhodes Scholars, two graduates from the 1920s and - not a partridge in a pear tree - but visitors from Italy were all commemorated when the third section of the Graduates Walk was opened recently.

There are now 395 pavers in the path that will eventually encircle the Oak Lawn with the names of UWA graduates.

A 1977 graduate, Ornella Tana, read about the Walk in the local newspaper, the Post, when her brother took a copy to her home in Italy two years ago. That issue featured her grandson Sachin on the cover.  It also ran a story about the Graduates' Walk and Ornella decided she wanted to be part of it. She flew out from Italy to see her paver in place.

The outgoing Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Bill Louden's father Henry features in the new section, along with Lorna Dickson and Margaret Swan, who graduated in the 1920s.

Three Members of the Order of Australia, Winthrop Professor Cheryl Praeger, Lesley Parker and Richard John Vaughan have their pavers in the same section as three Rhodes Scholars, Bernard Lochtenberg, Bronte Adams and Michael Rennie.

Three generations of the Casey family are represented in the newest part of the walk.  The last Dr Val Casey enrolled at UWA after she had brought up her children.  She graduated with a BA in 1986 and a PhD on Shakespeare's emblems in 1996.  Pavers for her sons Simon and Tim and grandson Sean are in the path next to Dr Casey's.

The Graduates' Walk raises money for the Centenary Trust for Women, of which Dr Casey was a loyal member.

There is still space in the path for more graduates. If you are interested, please contact Marita Gardener in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at [email protected] or on 6488 4207.