Meiklejohn

Graham Meiklejohn, of Brisbane, was presented with a BH Neumann Award at the Quay West Hotel, Brisbane, on Tuesday 30 October, 2012.

Graham receives his Award from Professor Peter Taylor, Executive Director of the Australian Mathematics Trust.

Citation

Graham went to Coorparoo State School and Cavendish Road State High School, where he found teachers to inspire and interest in maths, and apparently other things – it seems to have been a happy time. Some of his teachers later became colleagues after he graduated from Kelvin Grove College of Advanced Education.

Sport was also a strong part of Graham’s school life, having won a state competition at cricket and playing Australian football despite being in a rugby league family.

Two years out of school Graham already received a Certificate of Teaching and was posted to Mt Gravatt State School where he stayed for five years.

He married Max, they moved to the northside and Graham got a posting to Ferny Hills State School, much closer to home. He spent 9 years there and during the Whitlam years there was encouragement for teachers to continue tertiary studies. Graham chose every mathematics option in his studies and from 1974 to 1988 he completed a Diploma, Bachelor of Education and Master of Education (Primary Mathematics) courses.

These studies helped to shape the next phase of his career when he was invited to form part of the curriculum development team which designed and developed the Years 1 to 10 Mathematics Syllabus and supporting materials. This was the first syllabus in Queensland to prepare a program of study across primary and secondary schools. Other members of the team were Neville Grace and Barry Salmon who became close work colleagues.

Through his work in the team and through later years, Graham would learn about the Australian Mathematics Competition from Neville who was State Director for many years and passed the baton to him after his retirement in 2001.

Through the early 1990s, Neville and Graham would become Senior Education Officers (for Secondary and Primary Mathematics respectively) and they would work together on a range of projects both in Queensland and abroad (The Kingdom of Tonga). As opportunities arose, especially in the primary area, Graham was seconded to other projects and wrote numeracy materials for Queensland’s Year 2 Diagnostic Net and also for the National Numeracy Benchmarks for Years 3, 5 and 7.

Graham developed a strong connection with the Queensland Years 3, 5 and 7 Testing Programs, wrote the initial framework for item development and reporting, and for some time took part in the panels responsible for item selection.

In 1999 Graham accepted the position as Principal Project Officer within the Queensland School Curriculum Council. His task was to manage the design and development of a new Years 1 to 10 Mathematics Syllabus based around learning outcomes. This task was completed in February 2003 when the syllabus was approved and work on the supporting materials began.

In June 2003, Graham accepted an offer of early retirement from Education Queensland from whom he had been seconded since 1995 and became involved in a number of part-time roles, one of which is assisting Lutheran schools in Queensland to implement the newly approved syllabus, and consulting for the Tongan government.

Graham has continued his role as State Director (Queensland) also since then.

In noting his qualification for this BH Neumann Award, I note not only his work with the Australian Mathematics Trust but also his significant contributions to mathematics education in Queensland.

Peter Taylor

30 October 2012

Graham with family at the presentation, from left daughter Christie, Miles Hindle (fiance of Sheyne), wife Maxine, daughter Sheyne, son Andrew and daughter in law Paula Acheson.

Graham with long-time colleague Neville Grace, his predecessor as AMC State Director for Queensland.