Graduation photo/filming highlight opportunity: Official presentation of Chancellor Robert Hope Memorial Prize

Dec 16, 2004

**Graduation photo/filming highlight opportunity

Official presentation of Chancellor Robert Hope Memorial Prize

A special photo/filming opportunity will take place tomorrow (Friday 17 December) at the University of Wollongong graduation ceremonies when Mrs June Hope, the wife of the late first Chancellor at UOW, Justice Robert Hope, AC, CMG, presents the inaugural Chancellor Robert Hope Memorial Prize.

Mrs Hope will present 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 will present the Justice Hope Medal as part of the overall award tomorrow. It will be made during the Informatics/Law graduation ceremony.

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.

Media please note:

The best photo/filming opportunity time would be between 2.15pm and 2.30pm tomorrow outside the main doors of the University Hall -- just before the official procession goes into the University Hall. Mrs June Hope, Yayaa Tsamenyi and the Chancellor, Mr Michael Codd, AC, will all be present in this 15-minute timeframe. The medal to be presented to Yayaa will be on show as well.

For more information, contact:

media@uow.edu.au
University of Wollongong
Ph: (02) 4221 5942; fax (02) 4221 3128