Daramalan College Alumni, achievement with the Daramalan MSC spirit.
Over the years, the Daramalan Alumni Facebook page chronicles some of the ex-student achievements. We have posted quite a number of these stories – a tribute to the MSC spirit in education.
Justice Jeremy Kirk
After 20 years practising as a barrister in Sydney, ex-Dara lad Jeremy Kirk from 1987, (brother of Tim “Clonakilla” fame) will be sworn in as a judge to serve in the NSW Supreme Court, the highest Court in the state. He will sit in the Court of Appeal, described by the Attorney General Mark Speakman as, “the strongest state or territory appellate court in Australia”. Well, what more can you say, except huge congratulations Justice Kirk.
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Brenda Croft from 1981, currently a leading First Nations artist and scholar from the ANU, has been awarded the Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser Chair of Australian Studies at Harvard University for the 2023-2024 academic year. Yep, THAT Harvard, America’s oldest and most prestigious University. The award will see her as the inaugural First Nations woman to take up the role. Impressive!
Brenda is from the Gurindji/Malngin/Mudburra peoples from the Northern Territory, with Anglo-Australian/ Chinese/German/Irish heritage. Her new role will see her teaching and researching between the Department of History of Art and Architecture, and the Department of Art, Film, and Visual Studies, while also engaging with colleagues in the Harvard University Native American Program.
Brenda recently completed her PhD and is now Professor Croft at the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences. The Dean of the College, Professor Rae Frances stated, "We are especially proud to be represented by such a talented Indigenous scholar whose work will do much to communicate the rich culture and history of Australian First Nations people to a US audience.
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Recognised in the Australia Day Honours List, Professor Kiaran Kirk (1979), appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his significant service to science education and research. Kiaran, brother of Tim Kirk (1984) of Clonakilla fame, is Dean of the ANU’s College of Science with his primary research interest being the biology of the malaria parasite.
A long way from his interests at school which included Jazz/Rock music and Debating, with his team winning the 1979 Inter-Schools Debating Trophy. Kiaran even took home a new watch for his efforts. 43 years later he has an Order of Australia medal to go next to that watch on the mantlepiece.
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An amazing achievement by our 1987 graduate Michael Laffan, whose book "Under Empire" won the General History Prize in the 2023 NSW Premier's History Award (a bit late but still amazing!). The General History Prize is given to a major work of non-fiction, on international history that is of national or international significance. The book tells about shifting perceptions of Muslims in Indian Ocean empires from the Dutch to the British, Ottomans and, at the close, Japanese.
Michael is currently Paula Chow Professor of International and Regional Studies; Professor of History; Director of the Center for Collaborative History at Princeton University.
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Award-winning wildlife scientist and 2006 Daramalan College Alumna, Dr Vanessa Pirotta, hosted the 2023 Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science at Parliament House. Guests from across the Australian science, research, technology and education community attended the presentation dinner and Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia and the Hon Ed Husic, Minister for Industry and Science announced the recipients.
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