125 stories for 125 years

Centennial celebrations

In 1981 an extensive centenary program was organised to celebrate the college’s first 100 years. It included an appeal to create a centenary scholarship for postgraduates. Vic Feehan wrote a booklet on the college’s history and a commemorative pre-stamped envelope was issued by Australia Post. The Premier of Victoria, Rupert Hamer, delivered the centenary address and presented the awards at the opening ceremony on 18 March. He unveiled a sculpture by Dr Lenton Parr AM, founding director and principal of the Victorian College of the Arts. Titled Acrux, after the brightest star in the Southern Cross, the sculpture was the gift of Pharmaceutical Defence Ltd and donated in memory of Ernest Braithwaite, its chairman for 22 years.

On 5 May 1981 the college awarded its own degrees for the first time. The Governor of Victoria, Sir Henry Winneke, delivered the address and the degrees were conferred by Thomas Lynden-Bell, president of the Victorian College of Pharmacy Ltd. The centenary ball was held in the Melbourne Town Hall and a week of seminars was held with local and overseas speakers, including Professor W.C. Bowman, University of Strathclyde; Professor Raymond Gosselin, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy; and Dean Howard Mossberg and Takeru Higuchi, both from the University of Kansas. A special grant of $3000 from the Victorian Government sponsored Takeru's visit.

There was a state reception for the centenary visitors, council members of the college and other guests. The grand finale of the celebrations was a banquet in the Great Hall of the National Gallery of Victoria, with 400 guests dining under Leonard French’s jewel-like stained glass ceiling. Dean Frank Fish of the School of Pharmacy, University of London, gave the centenary oration at this function.

The Centenary Appeal, headed by Nigel Manning as chairman of the appeal committee and Geoff Vaughan as appeal director, raised an impressive $240,000. The Victorian Pharmacy Students’ Association donation was made in memory of Brett Davis, a third year student who died in the centenary year. A plaque in his memory was placed beside a plaque listing all the donors at the entrance of what was later named the Manning building.