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This week's meeting
Both Rotary speakers this week brought an unusual talent to the club – Rifle Shooting. Margaret Jack (right) was an A grade shooter and David Harris (left) is also said to be handy with a rifle.
Three years a Rotary member, MARGARET JACK told the meeting that, altogether, she had been at the Royal Melbourne Hospital as a physiotherapist for twelve years and then Epworth Hospital through a turbulent period of change of ownership and strong expansion.
“Originally, my work consisted in promoting the recovery of patients after major cardio- thoracic surgical interventions,’’ she said. `` Then, I was a private practitioner, with patients being referred to me”.
She remarked on her work at a Community Centre at Collingwood where social issues were paramount. As physiotherapy practices varied widely across the Australian states, she worked to fulfil the need to establish standards for accreditation.
Nowadays we learned that she is the Epworth Hospital’s chief of physiotherapy treatment at its various centres around Melbourne. Commenting on this, Margaret said “the practice of physiotherapy has changed dramatically with the advent of the major health funds, and the financial leverage they exert on hospitals, patients and professionals such as me”.
In her present position at Epworth, she co-ordinates all staffing, policies and purchasing. Since Epworth has acquired a score or so other hospitals including Bethesda, her work now involves weekly visits to the Epworth’s other facilities. Comparing European practice of physiotherapy with Australian, she remarked ‘in Europe the doctor prescribes the physio treatment to be administered. In Australia, we are trained as generalists, and we determine what treatment is needed to get the patient back on their feet”, she said. This difference led to accreditation difficulties for foreign-trained staff.
Margaret was a leader in establishing the clinical relationship between the teaching of physiotherapy and La Trobe University.
Speaking personally, Margaret said “I was born and raised in Coburg, the daughter of a foundry owner, and raised with two sisters and a brother. It was while I was a student that I became an A Grade Rifle Shooter!”
Twenty four year Rotary member DAVID HARRIS:
“I was born in MacKay”, he said, “just after the Pacific War to parents both of whom were from MacKay”. At high school in Brisbane, David enjoyed both Rugby and Rifle Shooting. Then it was on to the University of Queensland where he studied Chemical Engineering. After graduating in Chem. Eng, he was off to Yarrawonga Munitions Works. It was in this river town, that David was introduced to his first service club – APEX.
We gathered that, as the social life in Yarrawonga was not exactly sizzling, David and pals drove down to Carlton (Melbourne) on weekends to slake their thirst and to socialize. It was there that our David met and married a charming nurse by name of Judy, then practicing midwifery. Their first son Stephen was born at Yarrawonga and District Hospital.
Now came the Harris family’s first big move – to the La Trobe Valley where David took a job at Maryvale Pulp Mill (precursor to paper). Now came a special assignment – the detailed inspection for flaws in the tubing of the huge boiler, a demanding intricate job that disclosed a fault that could have led to boiler failure. The family increased by one when second son was born in Traralgon.
Next big move for the Harris family was to Appleton, Wisconsin in mid-west United States, nearby to the Great Lakes. Again, the assignment was to the huge pulp mill there. And their third son Peter was born there.
Now it was a move – about as far west as possible from Wisconsin – to Perth WA where David was to manage a Paper Mill. Recognising his special talents, his employer AMCOR assigned him to the Technology R&D Division specialising in heat management, and environmental control.
Come 1992 it was back to the USA, now to McKinley Paper in Georgia for a demanding job of 80 hour weeks. Alas, a serious car crash in Georgia in 1992 put David in hospital intensive care and a long convalescence. In 2004 he moved west to Albuquerque New Mexico, with the family to design a new mill and 80 hour weeks resumed.
Finally in 2006, after 22 years with AMCOR, David established his own consulting business “Clean Tech” specialising in heat and mass balance optimisation in all kinds of chemical works, and now including heat flow in building structures.
And of course, David was our dynamic President of RC Balwyn 2002!
What an extraordinary array of talent we have in our Club!
Owen Tassicker
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