Chancellor Robert Hope Memorial Prize officially presented

Dec 17, 2004

Mrs June Hope, the wife of the late first Chancellor at UOW, Justice Robert Hope, AC, CMG, presented the inaugural Chancellor Robert Hope Memorial Prize at today's (Friday December 17) Law/Informatics graduation ceremony.

Mrs Hope presented the University's most prestigious award to commerce/law graduand, Yayaa Tsamenyi.

The $10,000 award of the Council of the University of Wollongong is made on the recommendation of a committee chaired by the University Chancellor, Mr Michael Codd, AC. Mrs Hope presented the Justice Hope Medal as part of the overall award today.

Justice Hope was one of Australia's most prominent legal practitioners. He was a QC and former NSW Court of Appeal judge who headed two landmark royal commissions into Australia's security and intelligent services. He was also Chairman of the NSW Law Reform Commission, served as President of the Australian Council of Civil Liberties and was Foundation Chairman of the NSW Heritage Council.

He contributed much to Australia's public, intellectual and cultural life and became the first Chancellor of the new autonomous University of Wollongong in 1975. He stayed for 22 years retiring only in 1997. Justice Hope died in 1999 at the age of 80.

Yayaa, who now works at Blake Dawson Waldron Lawyers as a law clerk, has been actively involved in a range of community activities in NSW and she has not forgotten her country of origin, Ghana. She has already volunteered as an English teacher and medical assistant in her family's home village of Mafi Zongo.

To view 2004 Summer Graduation photos visit: Graduation Website