Downes

Judith Downes receives her BH Neumann Award from Professor Neumann at a function at the Riverwalk Hotel in Melbourne on 08 December 1996.

Citation

Tonight's award, to Judith Downes, honours a very unique contribution to the advancement of mathematical enrichment in Australia.

This comes in two parts. First was a hands-on role in developing enrichment classes in Victoria. After having, as I am told, achieved one of the highest 1st Class Honours in Mathematics ever at Monash University she played a major part in developing enrichment classes for Victorian high school students (ie: students wishing to extend their mathematical knowledge).

She became associated with the Australian Mathematical Olympiad Committee, and while the record books show that she was not quite the first Victorian State Director, she took over in 1983 and really established the Victorian System as we know it, staying until 1988.

By this time she was changing career, to one of Accountancy. But she was not finished in her contribution. In 1991 she became treasurer of AMOC, playing a dominant role in establishing AMOC's survival during later times when such funding ceased.

It was at this time that various forces suggested the value in merging AMOC with the AMF (which runs the AMC) to form the Australian Mathematics Trust.

The negotiations, as they always are in such mergers, were extremely difficult. Judith (with Prof Preston) was one of AMOC's two negotiators and ensured that AMOC had equal status within the newly merged entity.

I might add that these negotiations led to a complicated structure, but the fact that there has been only one minor amendment to a complicated Trust Deed shows that the job was indeed well done.

Judith was able to stay on for a few more years to ensure that the Trust was on a strong footing.

Peter Taylor

08 December 1996