A friend remembers

John Mullarvey made an enormous contribution to higher education policy and direction. By Gerard Sutton. For me it all started 20 years ago when a youngish Frank Hambly appointed a young John Mullarvey to the Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee (AVCC), now Universities Australia (UA). In 1989 John was stolen from the Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and Training at the height of the implementation of the Dawkins reforms to the higher education sector. Imagine what happens when a gamekeeper becomes a poacher – and there has never been a poacher like John. Some of us funding the poaching operations wanted two white hens and two black hens, others wanted four white hens, others four black hens, and even others didn’t want any bloody hens but a couple of geese. That was always the challenge faced by the AVCC and is still faced by UA. Those early years in the AVCC were critical for John’s professional development. Frank Hambly’s respected stature and urbane style allowed him to steer but never destroy John’s more direct style. John’s style did not please everybody, but as I recount the university sector’s progress, disappointments certainly and, yes, successes over the last 20 years, I can’t think of anyone that could have delivered more for the sector than John in his various roles. He was indeed the doyen of poachers. There are countless initiatives that John played a major role in, that led to positive outcomes for the university sector. • The establishment and corporate governance and management of the Australian Academic and Research network (AARNet), the genesis of the internet in Australia. AARNet was initiated by Australian universities and the CSIRO and established in 1990 under the AVCC umbrella. In 1999 AARNet became a separate company. • The establishment of DVCs’ groups to inform the work of the AVCC – research (from 1988), academic (from 1993) and international (from 1998). • The establishment of an agreement with the Copyright Agency Ltd that simplified and clarified the university sector’s legal and financial obligations. • Publicly recognised for effectiveness in steering the members of the AVCC through the government’s 2003 higher education review process. John was ranked as the third most influential individual influencing the higher education agenda by the Australian Financial Review in 2003. In this capacity he was instrumental in negotiation of significant, constructive policy and legislative changes. • Again cited as one of the top five most influential players in higher education (AFR, 2004) for his ability to negotiate acceptable outcomes for the sector and provide effective guidance for the 38 members of the AVCC during an intense period of advocacy for the passage of the new higher education legislation. John’s role in the internationalisation of the Australian university sector, particularly his dealings with government in matters such as the ESOS Act, have not been given the profile they deserve. Education is after all Australia’s third largest export. John achieved these outcomes and many others despite having to deal with 10 AVCC presidents and 10 education ministers. I never did get to ask John which group caused him most heartache but I know he would have no hesitation in answering that it was the former. Perhaps even more challenging were the 132 vice-chancellors whom he worked with, although I would have taken great delight in pointing out to him that it was really only 38 at any one time. Our friendship deepened when I joined the board of the AVCC in 1999 and during my term as deputy president and president. This period allowed me to observe first-hand his extraordinary energy, drive and commitment to the university sector – way beyond what could reasonably be expected. He was indeed larger than life, as many have commented, and it was this that led to so many of those positive outcomes for the sector. He was persistent and focused on outcomes, but despite popular folklore, he was able to use charm and subtlety when required. Not so subtle was his use of the description that he was but a humble servant of the vice-chancellors. It was commonly used by John when his view had not prevailed, and it carried the same connotation as the use of the term “courageous decision” in the Yes Minister series. At the celebration of John’s life on 18 February, attended by hundreds of people whose lives he had touched, the common themes in the eulogies were acknowledging a person of great warmth and generosity, significant achievements and remembered by those who were privileged to have known him with respect and affection. Could any of us ask for more? Professor Gerard Sutton is vice-chancellor of the University of Wollongong.