Maurice Henderson '80

Written on the 22 May 2018 by Old Collegians Association

Maurice Henderson '80

Excerpt from 2004 Rostrevor Magazine

Red & Black is always on the lookout for news on old scholars and in the case of Maurice Henderson ('80) we did not have to look any further than the front cover of the 2003-2004 Adelaide White Pages Directory. Red & Black caught up with Maurice to find out what has happened in his life since leaving Rostrevor. Maurice attended Rostrevor as a boarder from Whyalla and is the nephew of (Br) Gerry Henderson who was Head of the Junior School in the late 60s.

From the cover of 2002/2003 White Pages: Maurice Henderson.

I went to Teacher's College on leaving Rostrevor to study Physical Education. I discovered that perhaps teaching was not the career for me but my interest in surf lifesaving was to open up some new doors. During my time at College I was selected in the Australian Lifesaving Team and attended the World Lifesaving Championships in Canada in 1985. After spending a short time working for the Royal Lifesaving Society, I went to work full time for Red Cross where I spent 5 years working in their Fundraising Department.

After this I moved to The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Research Foundation, where I have been the Executive Director for the past II years. Last year I achieved the accreditation as Fellow of the Association of Health Care Philanthropy (the first non-North American to achieve this certification). I am also a Fellow of the Fundraising Institute-Australia (FIA), The Australian Institute of Management (AIM), and The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

From the 1980 Annual American Field Scholarship Winners.
Left to right: G McGough, 
M Henderson, M Kinnear.

In my role as Executive Director of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Research Foundation the major responsibilities in the job are to fund research at the QEH, commercialise intellectual property and market the research that takes place at the hospital.

Currently at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital there are approximately 120 full-time researchers and 80 higher degree students. As well as funding many of the students, the Research Foundation provides funding for equipment and infrastructure as well as lobbying both State and Federal Governments for increased support for medical research.

The phone book cover story is one of 'if you don ' t ask, you don't get'. One of the things I have to do is to promote the research at the QEH for the wider community with a very small budget (all the funds are spent on research). I was on the telephone about a year ago looking at the phone book and saw on it the Land Care logo. This set me thinking so after many phone calls to Telstra Sensis and others, l finally found that the covers on all the phone books Australia-wide are looked after by a PR company in Melbourne. Over a period of six months, we sent them a number of proposals and had numerous phone conversations. The brief for the photo was 'The spirit of the Community'. Our concept had been the support of the community in assisting the researching at the QEH to find the answers to the ailments and illnesses that afflict our community.

From the 1980 Annual -  Water Polo Open A.
(left to right) Back Row: T Ryan, J Goulding, D Eiler. A Dunne
Front Row: R Morelli, D Richardson, M Lewis, M Henderson, N Jordan.

One of the things that the Research Foundation does is to fund scholarships. We had had two Occupational therapy students over the summer of 2002/03 working on horticulture and health, and looking at the new hospital gardens that were being designed. The picture that was finally taken bear; little resemblance to what was proposed It was to be the researchers with an elderly patient in the gardens, however as things go the gardens were not ready and the photo had to be taken.

We received two hours' notice that the photo was to be taken, and as such only had the plants on the back of a Ute and me there in casual clothes with my wife's gardening gloves and the two students. Co-incidentally, the landscape gardening company that won the contract to do the gardens around the new building was Impact Landscaping. owned by old scholar - Chris Wake.

The final photo was shot in 20-minutes out of 5 rolls of film, and is supposed to depict the role of the community in health showing the Basil Hetzel Research Building alongside the new hospital wards with the young researchers making a difference through the research Foundation (me).

From the 1980 Annual: Football First XVII (left to right)
Back Row: D Lewis, S Abraham, 
M Henderson, B Stanley, S Nicholas
Front Row: S Dignan, M Dignan, M Fioravanti, N Byrne, D O'Driscoll, J Goulding
Third Row: C Higgins, P Slawinski, A O'Connor, G O'Halloran, N Lisk, A Honner, L Harrison
Second Row: Br J Moylan, D Boots, R Fletcher, D Tomlinson, D Wark, 
G Klemm, Mr. J Bailey, Mr. A Sargent.
Front Row: A Guidera, M Rogers, P Bowler, J Rush (Capt.), P Woolford. M O'Brien, S Odorcic. Ground: P O'Halloran.

Maurice has served Rostrevor well since leaving school. He was on the Rostrevor foundation Board in the mid-90s, was a Vice-President of the ROCA and is a life member of the ROCA.

Maurice enjoyed Agricultural Science the most while at Rostrevor as he jokingly explains it helped supplement his diet as a boarder  He won the Yr.11 Ag Science Prize and informs that the license number for the beehives at the Agricultural Block uses the letters MGR which were taken from Maurice, David Henderson's (Penola) nickname and Paul Ryan from Pt Lincoln Maurice was a Prefect in 1980.

From the 1980 Annual - Hockey Frist XI (left to right)
Back Row: P Bourke, R Stocco, M Henderson, M Harding
Front Row: D Austin, G McGough, S Nicholas, S Stutwin, I McManus

There are a few Rostrevor acquaintances that Maurice has kept in touch with. Mark Simpson ('79) lives about 100 meters away and is teaching at Sacred Heart. Tim Boylen('BO) is running his own publishing company and has as one of his flagships, the AHA Journal. Maurice married Lois Grosser from Corny Point in 1992. He is related to the Kenny's from the YP and the Henderson's from the West Coast.

When pressed to recollect teaching staff, he remembers Br Webb fondly although he suspects he is a little less volatile than he was in those days. Also, he bears no ill will to Br Moylan who 'gated' him for 10 weeks for a 2 a.m. return to the Boarding House.

From the 1980 Annual - Headmaster and Prefects. (left to right)
Back Row: M Henderson, 
N Anderson.
Middle Row: P McGinn, A Saunders, G Klemm (Senior Boarding Prefect), R Fletcher, D Murphy, M Kinnear. 

Front Row: A Patupas, B Stanley, J Owens (Head Prefect), Br JP Marks (Headmaster), P Deegan (Deputy Head Prefect), A Dunne. S Allocca.

The ROCA congratulates Maurice on his fundraising work in assisting the QEH to be at the forefront of world research in some critical areas.

 

 

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Author:Old Collegians Association

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