15 Aug 2016
An afternoon with the Governor of Victoria
The Doherty Institute’s PhD students were recently invited to join Her Excellency the Honourable Linda Dessau AM, Governor of Victoria for lunch at Government House.
Godfrey Group PhD student Hui-Fern Koay reflects on an afternoon with Governor Dessau.
A few of weeks ago, I received a personalised invitation to a lunch reception with Her Excellency the Honourable Linda Dessau AM, Governor of Victoria.
Fast forward to the big day, all suited up along with my fellow Doherty Institute PhD students, we found ourselves gathered in the distinguished Government House located in the heart of the Royal Botanic Gardens.
The luncheon began with official proceedings in the State Drawing Room, where Governor Dessau welcomed us with an opening address, sharing her enthusiasm and recognition of the world-leading research Victoria commands.
Governor Dessau acknowledged our role as students of one of the leading institutes, and the importance of the research we are currently involved in and will be taking on in the future. It was warm and witty when she concluded by saying she was pleased to provide us with some sustenance in the form of lunch, at the very least!
The Doherty Institute's postgraduate representative, Gina Pollock, returned the address by thanking the Governor for her hospitality and interest in us and our future work in academic research.
Lunch was served after the speeches, during which Governor Dessau was introduced to the students accompanied by Doherty Institute Director, Professor Sharon Lewin.
We each had the opportunity to meet her and chat briefly about everything from our backgrounds, our research questions, the state-of-the-art facilities used for research around Melbourne and the different lab groups at the Doherty Institute.
I found she maintained a commanding presence, yet she was incredibly approachable and her eagerness to get an insight to our work really came through.
On top of this, we were also treated to a rare glimpse inside the building and grounds of the historic Government House. The distinguished Billiard Room was open for viewing, which notably featured a wall decorated with portraits of all previous Governors, plus the menu of a luncheon that hosted the Queen once-upon-a-time.
The State Wing we were in also boasts a majestic ballroom, and a few of us were quite taken with the stunning conservatory.
The one resounding highlight from the event was the Governor’s interest and attentiveness across the multitude of research areas we collectively undertake. This was evident through her efforts to meet and learn about as many of us as possible in the brief time we had.
We were particularly proud to be hosted by the first female Governor of Victoria, who is an inspiration to many of us. It was a real demonstration of the State's and her personal support, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that to receive this type of recognition is really motivating.
We hope that this is the beginning of a long relationship between the Governor and our Institute and we will be very much looking forward to meeting her again in the future.