MUVS Connect January 2015

Newsletter of the Melbourne

University Veterinary Society

Greetings
Welcome to 2015; it is already speeding by. Australia day
is a memory, Valentines day is just around the corner,
Chinese (Lunar) New Year is shortly thereafter and Easter
eggs and hot cross buns are in the supermarkets!
Happy Year of the Goat/Sheep!
Warm regards from Joseph Galbally (MUVS President)
and Bruce Parry (Professor Emeritus)
Email any contributions or comments for MUVS Connect
to Bruce Parry at brucewp@unimelb.edu.au
or to vet-alumni@unimelb.edu.au

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ValeMikeHarrison
MUVS notes with sadness the passing of Dr Michel Harrison (11 Feb 1942-25 Jan 2015).
Alumni were sent an email from the Deans office, outlining Mikes important contribution to
veterinary science and to the vet school, so we shall not chronicle it again in this issue. Suffice it
to say that he was a caring coordinator of farm work for first and second year students, and as a
respected mentor for international students for almost a decade (1998-2007), always vitally
interested in the professional development young veterinarians, ready to lend a sympathetic ear
and share a practice-based anecdote.

Mike was a devoted family man and our condolences are

extended to his wife Vicky and family.
His life was celebrated at a service in St Augustines
Anglican church on 30 January.
Thanks to Kevin Choy (2006) for the photo-montage.
If you have a thought or photo about Dr Harrison
that youd like to share in the next newsletter,
please email brucewp@unimelb.edu.au

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ReunionoftheClassof1974Fortyyearson!
David Moroney writes:
Fifty fresh faced youngsters eagerly started in 1970, 40 slightly the worse for wear graduated in
1974, and 20 grizzled veterans made it to the reunion in August 2014(about average). Some were
unable to come (Waz being busy with camels in Qatar) and a few couldnt be found, despite
Lindys dedicated detective work. Jack Arundel, Bruce Christie and Pat Wright, lecturers from
'74, graciously came along to see how their protges had turned out and to relive, in Pats case,
two years as KH warden. No water bombs were thrown this time!

Grads came from all states except NT, and Bruce Andison, now a human specialist, did the long
haul from Washington State. Seven brave partners came along to put faces to the names theyd
heard stories about, and see if they were true, or exaggerated. Ken Hinchcliff, the incumbent
Dean, and his wife Carole, provided a current link with the Vet School and were welcome guests.
Of the 20 grads attending, about half were either retired, or engaged in non-veterinary pursuits,
ranging from law, medicine, business and entrepreneurial pursuits through to politics. The
remainder were still actively practising or involved in veterinary research or teaching.
In deference to our advancing years (and inability to stay up late) and the desire not to drive
home in the dark, a lunch was organized at Dimmattina's Italian restaurant in Lygon St, Carlton.
We had a private room upstairs away from the general public (word must have spread about the
1970's Vet Balls!) and enjoyed a delicious lunch washed down with drinks from our private bar,
while catching up with the last 40 years. Many of us had not set eyes on each other since
graduation; fortunately most were externally recognizable (personalities never seem to change),
albeit in a slightly altered form, but not too shabby considering. All present considered the
reunion (despite some initial misgivings about coming) a success, so much so that a hard core of
about half stayed on for dinner downstairs to continue reminiscing about a unique 5 years of our
youth and the effects of 40 years hence.
Thank you to all who made the effort to come, especially Jack, Bruce, Pat and Ken.
See you all in 5 years.

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ReunionoftheClassof1984Thirtyyearson!
The graduating year of 1984 - or at least about
half of us - had a weekend of reunion and
reminiscing, updating and relaxing, in October
2014 at Tangalooma Resort, Moreton Island in
Queensland. Some had apartments, some hotel
rooms and some rented a house. We ate, drank,
swam, talked, snorkelled, paddled, golfed and
generally socialised and remembered when.....

Some had a hit of tennis, others fed a dolphin

and we all enjoyed ourselves a lot. So much so
in fact that we are having a second bite of the
cherry in Feb in Melbourne, where hopefully
a few who couldnt make it north will be
reunited too.
Contact Lisa Richards at writeljr@hotmail.com
for more details.

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GraduationDinner2014
The veterinary graduands of 2014 gathered at Leonda by the Yarra for their graduation dinner on
Thursday 11 December. As in recent times, the dinner was the night before the graduation
ceremony. It was a glittering event, with congratulations to the organisers, especially Gemma
Berkett and Lauren Foster.

It was an occasion to reflect on academic

achievements, the journey thusfar and the road ahead.
The Dean, Professor Ken Hinchcliff, introduced
the presenters and recipients of awards and explained
the areas that they covered.

Fiona Knox was Dux of the Class of 2014

and therefore recipient of the Australian
Veterinary Association (Victorian Division)
Prize, which was presented by Dr Trish Stewart.
Fiona is the 48th graduate to receive this award
and her name will be added to the honour board
in the Kendall Hall dining room.

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Matthew Munro received the Equine

Veterinarians Australia (EVA) Prize in Equine
Medicine and Surgery from Professor James
Gilkerson.
The prize is awarded to the top graduate in equine
medicine and surgery and comprises the most
recent three years of Bain-Fallon Proceedings from
the Annual Conference of the EVA.

Matt also received:

The Australian Small Animal
Veterinary Association (ASAVA)
Award for Clinical Proficiency from
ASAVA Committee member Dr Caitlin
Horwood-Skelton.
The prize recognises the graduate who
was top student in clinical rotations in
final year that relate to small animal
medicine and surgery, thus the most
outstanding student clinician, surgeon,
anaesthetist, radiologist and intensivist.
The Hills Prize in Small Animal Medicine from Dr Kate Stevens of Hills Pet Nutrition.
The prize acknowledges the graduate who obtained the highest marks in Dogs, Cats and
Miscellaneous Companion Animals in third year and the Small Animal Medicine clinical
rotations in fourth year. It was first awarded in 1993.
The Memorial Prize in Veterinary Surgery from Dr Stewart Ryan.
First awarded in 1967, the prize was donated to commemorate those veterinary graduates who
gave their lives in the two world wars. It recognises the graduate who, in the opinion of the
clinical staff, has demonstrated the most outstanding skills in surgery.
And the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) Student Award from Dr Trish Stewart,
President of the Victorian Division of the AVA.
This prize is to the graduate who, through their academic work and participation in student
affairs, is considered to be a future leader in the veterinary profession and the AVA. It consists of
a certificate and two years membership of the Association.

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Josephine Beck received the Australian and

New Zealand College of Veterinary
Scientists Epidemiology Chapter Prize from
Associate Professor Peter Mansell.
The award recognises the graduate who
demonstrated the best understanding of
epidemiology in written examination papers
in third year and/or in the fourth year annual
project.

Michelle Hall received

the VetPrac Vetlink Prize for Surgery,
presented by Dr Ilana Mendels.
This is a new prize, awarded to the graduate
with the highest achievement in the fourth
year annual research project on a surgical
topic.

Thomas Fluen was awarded the Hills

Buddy Prize in Small Animal Nutrition.
Buddy was one of the first guide dogs in the
U.S.A. When she developed renal failure, she
was one of the first dogs to be put onto a
special pet food formulated to manage canine
chronic renal failure. This was the beginning
of dietary management of disease in dogs and
cats.
The recipient of the prize has demonstrated
the best understanding of the importance of
nutrition in the overall management of disease
in dogs and cats. Tom received the award
from Dr Kate Stevens of Hills.

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Ruth Lindsay received the Deans Award for

Contribution to Animal Management
Programs in Indigenous Communities
from Associate Professor Liz Tudor.
Established in 2005, the award is made to the
graduate who has demonstrated excellence in,
and commitment to, animal management
programs in indigenous communities.

Jonathan Schaefer received the Jan Blackburn

Prize in Small Animal Intensive Medicine and
Critical Care.
This prize is donated by Mr and Mrs Blackburn in
memory of their daughter and was awarded by
Jans sister, Fiona OConnor. The prize
recognises the graduate who achieved the highest
mark in rotations in Emergency Medicine and
Critical Care

Leighton Burger received the IDEXX Prize

in Clinical Pathology from Emeritus Professor
Bruce Parry.
This prize was initiated by Dr Peter Lording,
who established Melbournes first large-scale
commercial clinical pathology lab (Central
Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory) in the 70s.
CVDL merged with IDEXX in the 90s. The
award is made to the graduate who demonstrated
greatest competency in the clinical pathology
components of third and fourth year.

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Samuel Morgan received the Mary
Wilson Prize in Beef Cattle Medicine
from Associate Professor Peter Mansell.
The prize recognises the graduate with the
most outstanding performance in studies
related to beef cattle. Mrs Mary Wilson,
with her husband Bill, ran a very successful
Angus Stud (Roseneath) at Lancefield.
Bill Wilson was a President of the Victorian
Graziers Association and was one of the
prominent people whose fundraising efforts
were instrumental in re-establishing the
Veterinary School at the University of
Melbourne in 1962.

Sam also received the Lyppard Australia Colin Basset Prize from Associate Professor
Michael Pyman.
The prize recognises the graduate with the
most outstanding ability in those studies
applicable to large animal veterinary practice.
It was named in honour of Dr Colin Basset
former principal of the Korumburra Veterinary
Practice, Member of the Veterinary Board of
Victoria, President of the Victorian Division
of the AVA, and President of the AEVA (now
EVA) who died in 1995.
Elsa Glanville received the Harry Worthington
Prize, which recognises the graduate who
achieved the highest result in the study of diseases
of either cattle or sheep. Harry was a graduate in
veterinary science from the University who served
in Egypt and Palestine with the 9th Light Horse
Brigade during World War I. He was an amateur
rider who won many picnic races around the
country, and established a Corriedale stud at
Deniliquin, where he also ran shorthorn cattle.
He died in 1942 and the prize was a bequest from
his wife in 1963. The presentation was made by
Associate Professor Michael Pyman.
Gayle Kothari was awarded the Payne Exhibition and the Centre for Veterinary Education
Prize for Clinical Competency in absentia.
The Payne Exhibition has been awarded since 1967 to the graduate who obtains the highest
aggregate marks in the clinical subjects of the final year of the veterinary science course.
The prize comes from an endowment to the University of Melbourne by Mr and Mrs J.W.
and Mr and Mrs A.E.T. Payne in 1915.

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The Centre for Veterinary Education Prize for Clinical Competency was first awarded in
1997 and is awarded on the basis of the aggregate marks for the clinical subjects of the third and
fourth years. The prize is educational products from the Centre for Veterinary Education to the
value of $1000.
A graduation dinner would be
incomplete without speeches.
Dr-to-be Matthew Munro,
former VSSV President, spoke
on behalf of the graduands
assembled, perhaps for the last
time in such a large social
gathering, and reminisced on
their time together over the past
4 or more years, the support of
their families and friends, and
the journey before them.

Associate Professor Liz Tudor, Associate Dean for

Curriculum, reflected the challenges that had faced
both students and staff over the past 4 years, as the
DVM program was rolled out, while simultaneously
there was teach out of the BVSc degree for a small,
but still important cohort of students.
It was obvious from the response of the Class of 2014
that they held Liz in great esteem, for the equanimity
and care that she unstintingly showed through this
historic time.
Both students and staff (teaching and administration)
are indebted to Liz for her leadership.
Associate Professor Peter Mansell was invited
(nay challenged) to reflect on the members of
the Class of 2014 and how they would each be
remembered in rhyming verse as has been his
want since time almost immemorial.
However, he conceded defeat; beaten by the
growing cohorts numbers, now hovering
around 120, and the diversity of names which
are now appearing on the list of graduates.
He confessed that he has thought of breaking
into song instead, but discovered that he could
neither sing nor strum a ukulele.
Nevertheless, he managed a spoken fond
farewell to the graduands of 2014.

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The dinner concluded with the Veterinarians Oath,

lead by Katherine Adriaanse
and toasts:
to family and friends by Gemma Berkett,
to the staff by Lauren Foster
and to the students
by Associate Professor Michael Pyman.

Of course there was one last group photo.

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Captured by proud family and friends!

Graduation2014
December saw the making of further history in the evolution of the veterinary school, with the
first graduation ceremony for the new Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences and the
awarding of the first (103) Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees. There were also 12 BVScs.
In addition:
Dr Patricia Ellis (BVSc 1968, MVSc 1973) was
awarded a Doctor of Veterinary Science (honoris
causa) in recognition of important contributions
to the Australian equine industry, especially in
biosecurity and quarantine, and to the veterinary
profession, through work with the AVA and its
equine special interest group.
Trish received an Order of Australia (AM) in June
2013 for work in these areas.

Dr Adrian Witham (2000) received

the 2014 Teaching Excellence Award
for his work on web-based learning
modalities, including development of
a virtual veterinary hospital and on-line
problem based clinical scenarios.
Adrian is also committed to the
acquisition of communication skills by
veterinary students and to provision of
continuing education for practising
veterinarians.

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Dr Vern Dove (2004) received the Recent Alumnus Achievement Award for work with marine
mammals, Dr Helen Jones (1968) received the DC Blood Professional Achievement Award for
work related to occupational health and safety, including maintenance of personal wellness, of
veterinarians, especially young graduates, and Dr Stewart Routledge (1973) received the KVF
Jubb Community Achievement Award for community-based activities in developing countries,
especially related to livestock health and farmer livelihoods.
Stewarts background story was printed in the last issue of MUVS Connect. The tales of Vern
and Helen appear later in this issue.
Dr Linda Beer (1994) was awarded a Master of Veterinary Science for studies on track injuries
in Greyhounds (and has enjoyed the research so much that she is embarking on a PhD, while
continuing to work for Greyhound Racing Victoria as their animal welfare officer).
Finally, there were 5 PhDs:
Bronwyn Clayton: for investigations into the differences in transmissibility of Nipah viruses
from Malaysia and Bangladesh
Jo Coombe (2007): for studies on the health and welfare of dairy cows in response to feeding
mixtures of pasture and grain
Harshanie Erandi Abeywardena Habarakadage: who used advanced molecular biology tools
to characterise cryptosporidia and giardia from water buffalo
Anoma Dilrukshi Hetti Arachchige: who investigated the feeding behaviour and social
interactions of dairy cows in pasture-based systems
Indu Somasundara Panicker: who studied protein expression in mycoplasmas and its
relationship to virulence of the organisms
The occasional address was delivered by Dr Bruce Car
(BVSc 1983, MVS 1985). Bruce reflected on his career
since graduating from the University of Melbourne and
the versatility of veterinary education. Although entering
the course with a rural background and anticipating a life
working in that sphere, the lad from Leongatha pursued a
career revolving around pathology (influenced largely by
Professor Jubb) and the pharmaceutical industry.
He now lives in New Jersey and is Vice President of
Pharmaceutical Optimization at the Bristol-Myers Squibb
Pharmaceutical Research Institute USA.
The valedictory speech was given by Dr Matthew
Munro, who also featured prominently in the honours at
the graduation dinner (mentioned above).

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UpcomingReunions
Only one that we know about at present is a reprise of the 1984 reunion held in Moreton Bay,
but this time occurring in Melbourne in February. See the reunion report earlier in this issue.
If YOU are thinking of organising a class reunion and need some help getting started, please
contact the Facultys Advancement Manager - Peter Moran at pgmoran@unimelb.edu.au
or vet-alumni@unimelb.edu.au

NewsfromtheU
Congratulations
Dennis Wormald (2010), currently a PhD student in the Faculty, has been awarded the RSPCA
Alan White Scholarship (valued at $8,364) for the funding of original research to improve the
welfare of animals in Australia.
Associate Professor Chris Whitton has been appointed a Scientific Editor with The Veterinary
Journal (UK).
Drs Abdul Jabbar, Ian Beveridge, Jane Vaughan and Angus Campbell received a grant of
$133,000 from the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation for a 3-year study
entitled Studies on gastrointestinal nematodes of alpacas
Dr Cristian Alvarez has been awarded $5,000 under the 2015-2016 Group of Eight Australia Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme for the project Microdiversity of Echinococcus
granulosus in Australia
Dr Christina Murray received a project grant of $29,394 for Recording of procedures in the
anatomy laboratory through remote control
Farewells
Ms Rowena Morrison, long time librarian at the Werribee branch, finished work at the
University in December, as did Mr Peter Cowling, Senior Technical Officer in (poultry)
microbiology at the Werribee laboratory.
SymposiumonVeterinaryLearningandTeaching
More than 110 people, including international key-note speakers, and delegates from Malaysia,
the Netherlands, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, as well as around Australia,
attended a two-day symposium on Innovative Learning and Teaching: the why and the how.
Thanks to the many members of MAVALT (Melbourne Academy for Veterinary and
Agricultural Learning and Teaching) who contributed to the meeting, it was deemed a great
success by those attending.
It is planned to make this symposium a regular event, with the next meeting focused on teaching
in agriculture, in December 2015 and the next veterinary-focused meeting in December 2016.

AlumniAchievementAwardees2014
In the December issue, we profiled Dr Stewart Routledge (1974), recipient of the KVF Jubb
Community Achievement Award. In the next issue, we shall feature Dr Vern Dove (2004),
who was the Recent Alumnus for 2014. So in this issue we look at the career of Dr Helen Jones
(1968), who received the DC Blood Professional Achievement Award.

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Helen Jones was in the second graduating class (1968) from the University of Melbourne
School of Veterinary Science, after it reopened in 1963. She then spent a year in the small animal
clinic at the Veterinary Clinical Centre in Werribee, before moving to Western Australia and
starting a family.
In 1974, Helen received an Australian Agricultural Research Fellowship to undertake research
into farmers attitudes to veterinarians, which resulted in her being the first postgraduate student
to graduate from Murdoch Universitys new Veterinary School. Her subseqent research on
occupational health and safety in veterinarians spurred her and WA colleagues, Brian McErlean
and Paul Davey, to run seminars on wellness for veterinarians, aimed at reducing stress,
depression and the risk of suicide.
Helen and her colleagues worked with the Veterinary
Benevolent Fund to initiate the Wellness Centre at the
Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) National
Conference in 2009 and has been running it for the past 5
years. At the Wellness Centre, conference delegates
participate in wellness testing, including stress
evaluation. Helen also set up an Art and Photography
Show within the Wellness Centre, to demonstrate that
veterinarians can and should have a balanced lifestyle.
Helen has convened two AVA National Conferences in
Perth and was Deputy Chair of Organising Committee for
the XXII World Veterinary Congress in Perth in 1983.
She was the first woman, as well as the first alumnus
from the reopened Melbourne Veterinary School, to be
elected National President of the AVA (in 1982) and is a
Fellow of the AVA. She received the AVA Presidents
Award for service to the profession/association in
2014.In the wider community, Helen has thrown herself
into the efforts to save the African rhinoceros from
extinction, running annual conservation tours to
Zimbabwe, and finding ways to support the veterinary
school there. She developed the Rotary community
markets at Canning Bridge (Perth) and was recently
named as her Clubs first Paul Harris Fellow, for her
work with Rotary International.
Since retiring as an Associate Professor in Public Health
at Curtin University in 2010, Helen has completed a
course run by the Australian Institute of Company
Directors. She is also writing a book about Australian
women veterinarians, which was started by the late Robin
Giesecke, for the Australian Veterinary History Society.
The book should be available on-line by mid-year.

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ColleaguesCorner
Julie Paris (1976) writes:
A few months ago, Bruce Parry asked me to write a few words about my veterinary career.
We both graduated in 1976, when only 10%
were female and there was a slight down-turn in
the Australian economy. Since I was very keen
to get straight into practice, I moved to WA
while there was still a shortage of vets in the
west. This was before Murdoch University
produced any graduates. I enjoyed 5 years there,
mainly in Perth, starting with Tom Edwards at
Wattle Grove Vet Hospital, a mixed practice on
the outskirts of Perth. Tom was a great mentor
and ensured that I understood what it meant to
be a professional, striving to provide the best
possible service to our clients and the animals
in our care.

Trekking in Nepal

After 3 years, I felt I needed more experience

before heading overseas, so switched to
working as a locum. Although this was a bit
stressful, it was a valuable experience, adapting
to different styles of practice.
I later travelled through Nepal, India, Pakistan
and Turkey before starting the next phase of my
career in the UK.

Nepalese teahouse
I was employed by the Peoples Dispensary for
Sick Animals (PDSA) for 18 months as a locum
vet, working all over England and Wales. These
clinics were located in disadvantaged areas
where vaccination and desexing rates were low.
The clinics were only permitted to treat sick or
injured animals; so no vaccinations, desexings or
other preventative medicine or surgery were
carried out, something which I found frustrating.
It was very sad to see dogs dying needlessly from
diseases such as distemper. Subsequently,

Scottish highlands with Syd, the JRT,

circa 1985

I returned to private practice in the UK for the next 7 years, mainly in scenic rural areas, which I
loved, before coming back to Melbourne in 1989 with my English husband Jonathan.
I missed England initially and took a couple of years to settle back into Australian-style small
animal practice. I started with locums, and then did longer stints at practices in Ashburton and
later Sandringham, with Stephen Coles. In 1997, I entered the next phase of my career, as a small
animal practice owner, in Port Melbourne. After about 20 years as an employee, it was a
challenging experience owning a small business.

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We sold our home to finance the

clinic, so for the first couple of years
we lived with our two young children,
cats and Jack Russell-cross in a small
flat above the practice.
I mainly learnt by trial and error,
initially making quite a few
managerial mistakes. In hindsight,
some basic training in management
would have been of great benefit.

Jonathan, Jeremy, Sophie and me

in Tassie in 2000

Im still working in Port Melbourne, and last year I was

approached by a talent scout as the Yellow Pages
were looking for small business owners to feature in a
series of TV advertisements. I was very surprised to get
through an audition and to be asked if the agency could
spend a morning filming at the clinic. I agreed, and
although it seemed slightly risky, I hoped I would be
able to represent the profession in a good light.

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On the day, I was surprised that our whole car park was filled with the film crews trucks,
including, much to the amusement of everyone at the clinic, one whole makeup truck just to
prepare me for the camera. Thankfully, I believe the end result did not embarrass either me or our
profession!
After 38 years in practice, I feel satisfied with the career path I chose, and still feel privileged to
work in a profession which I enjoy so much.

Wherearetheynow?
Ever wondered what became of one of your lecturers from a bygone era? Drop us a line and well
do our best to let you know -

JackArundel
Jack Arundel turned 90 in January and will be remembered
fondly by many former veterinary students. A consistent
theme in comments from students about Jack is that although
most (from his era) forget much of what they learned at vet
school, none of them forget parasitology, largely due to
Jacks enthusiastic teaching - and all of them know about
Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus (the longest name of
any veterinary parasite). A student survey (probably the first
such survey ever carried out by the Faculty) in the 1980s
placed Parasitology as the best taught subject of the course,
in significant part due to Jacks ability to engage students.
Jack started life as an industrial chemist but became
interested in veterinary science, taking up a Victorian
Government scholarship in 1947 and graduating from the
University of Sydney.
Subsequently he worked as a veterinary officer for
the Victorian Department of Agriculture in various
parts of the state before moving into research at the
Nicholas Institute for Medical and Veterinary
Research at Sassafras in the Dandenong Ranges.
In 1964, at the invitation of Professor Ken Jubb,
Jack joined the veterinary school to teach
parasitology and established the course from scratch,
initially based in Parkville and then, when facilities
were built at Werribee, he transferred most of his
activities there. Jack taught across the course from
basic parasitology to clinical parasitology. His earlier
life as a chemist resulted in a particular interest in
antiparasitic chemicals and in the publication of a
book on Veterinary Anthelminthics (among with
Jack, mulesing at the Nicholas
other numerous publications).
Institute
While many former students will be well aware of Jacks strong advocacy for Parasitology within
the curriculum, fewer may be aware of his equally strong advocacy, later in his career, for study
of diseases of wildlife. The following item on the Wildlife Disease Unit that he established (albeit

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temporarily) within the Faculty highlights his role in this less known area of research and
consultancy at the vet school, which has, in recent years, become much more significant. Jack
saw a role for veterinary involvement in wildlife health decades before it became a significant
concern of the profession generally and the following sketch of his activities provides some
background to the development of the interest in wildlife diseases at the Melbourne Vet School.
At his retirement, Jack was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Veterinary Science by the
University of Melbourne, a fitting reward for his contribution to the Faculty.
WILDLIFE RESEARCH IN THE FACULTY OF VETERINARY SCIENCE 1970-1988
Wildlife research within the Faculty was essentially initiated by J.H. (Jack) Arundel, who at the
time was one of the lecturers in parasitology. His interest was stimulated initially by requests
from Don White, then the Officer-in Charge of Serendip Sanctuary, near Lara, now part of Parks
Victoria, for help in the diagnosis of diseases affecting birds bred at the Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary was then engaged in breeding birds which were once common in Victoria but
are now rare, such as brolgas and magpie geese, but they were experiencing substantial losses.
Autopsies of birds showed that they were heavily infected with a spirurid nematode, Streptocara
incognita, which caused an ulcerative oesophagitis and prevented the birds from feeding. After
inspecting the breeding areas, management changes were suggested that prevented or at least
reduced the severity of the problem.
At about the same time, Keith Dempster, a
scientist from the Arthur Rylah Institute, then
part of the Fisheries and Wildlife Department
(now the Department of Environment) who
lived near Jack in Hawthorn approached Jack
with a problem they had concerning significant
numbers of eastern grey kangaroos dying in
northern Victoria along the Murray River
which at the time was in flood. The cause of
the mortality proved to be coccidiosis, the first
time that coccidiosis had been seen in wild
kangaroos. Both Jack Arundel and Karl
Harrigan already had extensive experience with
JB Woolcock, JH Arundel and IK Barker 1974 coccidiosis in chickens while Ian Barker, then a
PhD student at Werribee, had experience with
the coccidia of horses. The three of them published a detailed study of the outbreak and this
investigation initiated Ian Barkers longer term studies on the coccidia of marsupials.
Keith Dempster also asked for assistance with another mortality in grey kangaroos exhibiting
severe anaemia at Yan Yean, a water catchment area 30 km north of Melbourne. The presumed
diagnosis was malnutrition, but no autopsies had been carried out. At autopsy, it was evident that
the anaemia was caused by a blood-feeding nematode, Globocephaloides trifidospicularis, which
occurred in the duodenum, although large numbers of other nematodes were also present in the
stomach and caecum. The biologists found it hard to accept that small nematodes could cause
such serious disease (that winter, they had collected 300 bodies of kangaroos within the reserve)
and so a study was commenced at Yan Yean in which both adult and juvenile kangaroos were
collected every six weeks throughout the year and total worm counts carried out. The study
showed that the juvenile kangaroos picked up the nematodes in autumn and winter but that the
adults appeared to be immune. Eggs passed onto pasture appeared to survive to infect the next
crop of young the following year. As the problem was thought to stem primarily from a very high
population density of kangaroos, culling was advised, but the Department was fearful of an
adverse public reaction and failed to act. Subsequently, additional studies on this disease were

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carried out in other parts of Victoria. These studies were unfunded, but Jack was assisted by
Rosemary Harrigan (nee Black), the technical officer in Parasitology, by Karl Harrigan, then a
Lecturer in Pathology, and by two PhD students, Ian Barker, completing a study of the
pathogenesis of Trichostrongylus infections in sheep, and Ian Beveridge working on taeniid
cestodes. It may seem odd that that these studies were initiated by parasitologists, but at the time,
diseases of wildlife were scarcely on the veterinary radar. Ian Barker, arriving at Werribee in
1970 from the University of Guelph, Canada (a veterinary school with a strong history of wildlife
research) reminisces about the ridicule he received when suggesting that an outbreak of mortality
in a wild population of kangaroos should be investigated, since they were simply vermin.
Fortunately such attitudes have changed.
Other staff members of the Faculty, based in Parkville, also became interested in aspects of
wildlife at about this time. Judy Burrell, then Assistant Lecturer in Anatomy completed her
Masters degree on the anatomy of the kidney in kangaroos, while Drs Jeremy OShea and C.S.
Lee, both anatomy teachers, published studies on the vascular supply to the female reproductive
tract in brush-tailed possums. Mike Rickard, who taught parasitology in Parkville and Ian
Beveridge, collaborated with two colleagues in Tasmania, Barry Munday and Graham Gregory,
to work out the life cycle of a common tapeworm of the Tasmanian devil, Anoplotaenia dasyuri,
which they showed had an intermediate stage in the muscles of wallabies.
Another contributor to wildlife work was Brian Coman, then Officer in Charge of Vermin
Research in the state Lands Department and based at the Turnbull Research Institute in Frankston
(an institution which no longer exists). Brian had done a Masters degree on the feeding ecology
of foxes in Victoria and Jack had assisted him with studies on the parasites of foxes, in particular
trying to determine whether foxes were involved in the transmission of Taenia ovis in Victoria.
Brians skills as a marksman were subsequently utilised (=parasitised) on numerous occasions by
the wildlife unit. Brian subsequently undertook a PhD at Werribee on taeniid cestodes unrelated
to wildlife, but continued to act informally as a shooter for the unit for some years.
By this time, Jack had realised the potential that existed for
studies of diseases in wild animals and obtained a grant of
money from the Federal Government to establish a specific
Wildlife Disease Unit within the Faculty. The Whitlam
government in 1973 set aside funds for new initiatives
within universities, which they saw as somewhat hidebound,
and Jack was able to access this fund for what was truly a
new initiative within the Faculty and within the country.
He decided that it would be necessary to have a pathologist
as the leader of the unit, but also a parasitologist as most of
the diseases which had been encountered by that date were
due to parasites. These positions were offered to two
graduates with experience in the field but neither of them
was able to accept the positions.

Jack in Guelph, 1974

The positions were finally filled by Ian Barker as the pathologist and Ian Beveridge as the
parasitologist, both of whom were within six months of completing their PhDs at Werribee and
who were interested in wildlife work. Karl Harrigan, then a Lecturer in Avian Diseases, was also
heavily involved in with the activities of the wildlife unit. Although the funding lasted for only
18 months, it was possible to undertake a number of projects as well as to provide a diagnostic
service. Diagnostic activities revealed a number of novel disorders such as white muscle disease
in captive sugar gliders and swamp wallabies as well as coccidiosis in echidnas, all of which
appeared in subsequent publications from the unit.

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Karl Harrigan led the investigations into
massive die-offs in juvenile ibis and pelicans
in the Western District of Victoria implicating
nutritional factors in the former and a fluke
belonging to the genus Ascocotyle in the
latter.Mortality in swans in the same are was
found to be due to massive burdens of
nematodes and cestodes. Ian Barker and Ian
Beveridge also became involved with
biologists (Tony Lee and Adrian Bradley) at
Monash University studying the annual male
mortality in the marsupial Antechinus agilis,
in which all the males die following a brief
mating period. It had been noted that prior to
the mortality, there was a dramatic increase in
the number of parasites (nematodes and
cestodes) in the males and the possibility this
caused the mortality was considered.

From left, Drs Spratt, Beveridge and Speare,

examining road-kill near Rockhampton, 1982
(one of many trips north by Ian looking at
specimens collected from the side of the road!)

A one-year joint study, showed that although nematode and cestode numbers did increase in
males prior to the mortality, there was extreme adrenocortical suppression and the primary causes
of death were more opportunistic, being due to listeriosis, an undescribed species of Babesia or
due to gastric haemorrhage. A new species of nematode was found burrowing in the stomach,
later named Capillaria rickardi (named after Mike Rickard), and it is possible that its burrowing
activity may have precipitated some of the gastric haemorrhages.
In 1974, Ian Barker returned to the veterinary
school at the University of Guelph, Canada, to take
up a lectureship in pathology and he was replaced
by another Canadian, Paul Presidente (at right).
Paul had completed his PhD on parasitic diseases
of deer in the USA and at the time, Jack had felt
that there was considerable potential for the deer
industry in Australia and that Pauls expertise on
deer would be valuable. Paul carried out a variety
of studies as well as diagnostic work. He published
a series of articles on deer in Australia as well as
articles (with Phil Durfee) on Leptospira balcanica
in possums, diseases of possums in wild
populations in northern New South Wales as well
as undertaking extensive studies on the common
liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, in marsupials.
In 1974, David Obendorf undertook a Bachelor of Animal Science degree within the unit,
beginning work on a lungworm parasite of Antechinus, but later switching to a detailed study of
the parasites of the bush rat. On a field trip to Queensland with Ian Beveridge and Paul Presidente
collecting parasites from kangaroos, David became interested in the unusual oesophageal
anatomy of some of the species of wallabies he dissected, and this subsequently became the topic
of his PhD thesis.

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David Obendorf (right) and Peter

Stevens with a lace monitor at
Bemm River

In the interim, Jack had been extremely busy attempting to find funding to keep the wildlife unit
functioning. A request to the Faculty for support was unsuccessful as was a request to the state
government, even though it had the enthusiastic backing of the Department of Fisheries and
Wildlife. He was however successful in obtaining Federal government funding for a project at
Kinchega National Park in western New South Wales. Formerly a sheep property, the park had
been dedicated as a reserve for several years and while the kangaroos in surrounding areas were
culled regularly, numbers in the park had increased dramatically leading to the possibility of
overpopulation and therefore the increased likelihood of disease transmission.
Jack hired Chris Belcher (on left at right)
as an assistant for the project in part because
it involved shooting samples of kangaroos
and Chris was an excellent marksman. For
the first year of the project, Jack and Chris
made trips to Kinchega every two months to
collect kangaroos. In the second year, Ian
Beveridge returned from a postdoctoral year
in Switzerland and Ian and Chris made the
bi-monthly trips. The project provided
extensive quantitative details on the parasites
of red kangaroos and provided extensive
collections for later studies on the individual
species present. It also allowed a detailed study of a species of hook-worm-like parasite,
occurring in the colon, Hypodontus macropi, that appeared to be potentially pathogenic.
During this same period, John Burton completed a PhD thesis on oral necrobacillosis or lumpy
jaw in kangaroos. John obtained much of his material from Melbourne Zoo with the help of the
zoo veterinarian, Ray Butler, but was also able to use material provided by the wildlife unit from
a variety of sources.
The project at Kinchega was expected to run for three years, but was terminated at the end of
1977 when the Fraser government, with John Howard as the treasurer, made large cuts to
scientific research across the country. Without any continuing funding, the unit effectively
closed. Ian Beveridge moved to a research position at James Cook University in Townsville and
Chris Belcher worked for the Department of Environment, eventually completing a PhD thesis on
the ecology of the tiger quoll.

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In spite of the lack of funding, wildlife research was continued. Karl Harrigan carried out general
diagnostic work on wild birds and Jack and Karl became involved in investigating causes of
mortality in little penguins around the state, but centred mainly on the penguin colony on Phillip
Island. Karl performed autopsies and Jack carried out total worm counts. They demonstrated that
substantial mortalities in chicks could be caused by a liver fluke, Mawsonotrema, while many of
the young dispersing penguins found dead on beaches in the west of the state as well as chicks
born late in the season essentially died from starvation. These results were subsequently
published and represent a major work on the diseases of penguins.

From Annual Report of Phillip Island Nature Parks 2006-2007

Although the wildlife unit had ceased to exist, the Faculty had developed a reputation for wildlife
work particularly through its extensive publications. As a consequence, Jack was invited to join
various committees. One was the Commonwealth Committee given the task of developing a code
of conduct for the shooting of kangaroos, to approve management practices for kangaroos in each
state and to set kangaroo quotas for those states whose practices had been approved. Jack and
David Obendorf were also invited to be involved in the preparation of plans for the recovery of
whales and dolphins.
An additional contribution made by Jack was to
establish a series of lectures for undergraduate
students on wildlife, at which attendance was
voluntary. In spite of them being voluntary,
attendance was high due to the interesting
nature of the topic as well as the fact that some
of the speakers, as well as being informative,
were highly entertaining. These lectures
persisted until Jacks retirement in 1988.
Wildlife disease research continues in the
Faculty to the current day and now lectures on
diseases of wildlife are part of the core
curriculum. However, much of this activity
was due to Jacks initiatives in the area and his
advocacy for the inclusion of wildlife in the
veterinary curriculum.

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WILDLIFE HEALTH SURVEILLANCE VICTORIA

In summer 1974-5, Drs Ian Barker and Peter Moore arranged for student Pam Whiteley to work
with Dr Ian Norman from Fisheries and Wildlife on blood parasites of ducks at Serendip, Lara.
Later Pam was appointed as Veterinarian at Healesville Sanctuary, did her masters at the US
National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, and worked at CSIRO AAHL and DEPI
Attwood.
In July 2008, Professor Ian Beveridge, Associate Professor Andrew Vizard and Pam Whiteley,
with support from the Hermon Slade Foundation, established Wildlife Health Surveillance
Victoria (WHSV) at the Faculty of Veterinary Science.

WHSV collaborates with the Victoria public, communities (LandCare, Wildlife Carers, Bird
observers, Field Naturalists etc) and government organisations to improve our understanding of
the normal patterns of morbidity and mortality in free ranging endemic populations of mammals,
birds, reptiles and amphibians. This baseline information is used to detect changed patterns of
wildlife diseases and identify factors involved. This is important because the health of wildlife,
our ecosystems, domestic animals and humans are all interconnected (One Health). We meet and
talk with regional groups, receive reports and investigate wildlife health events, are linked with
Wildlife Health Australia and are based in the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences.
WHSV undertakes approximately 100 wildlife health
investigations annually.
Veterinary students contribute to pathology studies and there
are opportunities for research projects.
Further information is available on the WHSV website
www.vet.unimelb.edu.au/wildlifehealthsurveillancevic/
Advice about funding opportunities is welcome.
Pam is also keen to establish contacts and to meet with regional
groups in Victoria.
Please contact Pam Whiteley pamw@unimelb.edu.au
or 0400 119 301 anytime.

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Melbourne University
Veterinary Society

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