 For me, Sir Ronald Wilson was a very considerable part of why Murdoch University became the second university in Western Australia with a law school.
He was a promoter of the idea of a law school at Murdoch, in the mid to late 1980s, the middle period of his Chancellorship of Murdoch University. He helped drive the 1989 fundraising campaign for the Law Library. With the Chief Justice of Western Australia, he was the patron of the second fundraising campaign for the School that, in 2004, helped give it a Law Building . Over the School's first 16 years, he took a strong interest in the way it evolved. He lent his name to the Ronald Wilson Prize in Law, established in 1993 for a Murdoch Law graduand who "best combines distinguished academic performance in Law units with qualities of character, leadership and all-round contribution to the life of Murdoch University ".
However, this bare account cannot do justice to the way Sir Ronald (I could never bring myself to do as he wished, simply call him "Ron") invested himself in what became the School of Law at Murdoch University . He very much wanted a law school for the University he was proud to serve as Chancellor, and he gave generously of his time, his enthusiasm, his optimism and his counsel to make the school happen. He chaired the selection committee for its Foundation Professor, and followed up with me, as the person selected, to provide the then Law Programme with strong support and counsel as the Programme made its early way, to become the School of Law .
He was an astonishingly active and galvanising leader of the Law Library Fundraising Campaign. He helped set and then saw exceeded what seemed very difficult goals for the Campaign, at a time when such campaigns were very unusual in Australian universities. His delight with the success of the Law Library that resulted was infectious. He was proud to be associated with the much later fundraising campaign that helped give the School of Law a superb new set of facilities for its teaching and public service.
Sir Ronald participated in the life of the School in many other ways. He was a ready source of continuing advice to me as the School of Law 's first Dean. He made sure he was able to come to most of the School's notable events ‑ including those associated with the establishment of its law clinic, SCALES, as well as the School's prize ceremonies and many of its graduations. He was at many of the special seminars the School organised to feature the work of its staff and of visitors to the School. All of this extended well beyond the end of his term as Chancellor of the University, and through times when there were huge demands on his time from the work he did for the Australian community.
The School was delighted when Sir Ronald agreed to lend his name and his generous support to the Ronald Wilson Prize in Law, one of the first prizes the School established. The qualifications for the Prize were worked out in close consultation with him. They reflect his passionate commitments to the promotion of academic excellence, and of character, leadership and the making of a significant contribution to the Murdoch University community. He was a keen presenter of the Prize to almost all of those awarded it in his lifetime.
The Prize formally records the commitments I have described. In many more ways the School of Law benefited from his action on those commitments. I consider myself very fortunate to have known Sir Ronald when and as I did.
Ralph Simmonds
Emeritus Professor of Law, Murdoch University
October 2005 |
