de Mestre

Professor Neville de Mestre receiving his BH Neumann Award from Professor BH Neumann at a function held at Bond University on 27 March 1995.

Neviile de Mestre with Professor Neumann, his Vice-Chancellor Professor Harry Messell (right) and Dean Professor Peter Poole (left) after the presentation.

Citation

Neville de Mestre is an outstanding recipient of the Bernhard Neumann Award. His activities include

1. Mathematics Centres: Founded the ACT Maths Centre in March 1977. This is a library of mathematical tasks which children work on in pairs, sharing their ideas and the associated mathematical language. This later closed and had its tasks all transferred to the National Science and Technology Centre and incorporated in the Questacon Travelling Maths Centre which visits regions all over Australia.
2. Australian Mathematics Competition (the largest event in Australia with over 500 000 entries annually). Since the early days, Neville founded a moderator group at the RMC Duntroon. Not only does this group still survive but Neville, with John Baker, has set up a moderator group at Bond also. I can personally testify to the special value of the groups, when compared with individual moderation, as significantly contributing to the integrity of the AMC paper.
3. In-Service for teachers: Neville has developed in-service courses for high school teachers on the topic "Mathematics and Sport" which is given regularly at many centres around Australia.
4. Textbook: Neville, with Professor Ernie Tuck, wrote the first high school text which introduced chaos theory, population dynamics and computer experiements.
5. Mathematics Exhibits: Neville is probably Australia's leading expert on mathematics exhibits.
6. The "Magic of Maths" Show: Neville has developed this show which features arithmetic, algebra, topology, patterns, number theory and mathematical modelling. This show has been performed at the USQ summer school for girls in maths and science as well as Bond University Open Days and numerous Queensland high schools.
7. Radio and Television: Neville has twice been interviewed by Robyn Williams on "The Science Show" and advised on the production of "The Innovators".
8. Australian Mathematics Teacher: Neville is now on the editorial panel and writes a regular feature called "Discovery".
9. Publications: Neville has always been a major inspirational figure among his academic colleagues, even when not charged with formal responsibility of being head of his department.

Peter Taylor

27 March 1995