Mottershead

Citation

A BH Neumann Award was presented to Lorraine Mottershead at The Scarth Room, University House, ANU, Canberra, on Saturday 31 May 2003.

Lorraine receives her award from Professor Peter Taylor, Executive Director of the Trust.

Lorraine with her son David Grant Mottershead after the presentation.

Citation

It would be fair to say that Lorraine's claim to a BH Neumann award would be justified alone on her sustained service since 1992 to the work of the Problems Committee of the Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians, to which she has been a rich contributor, not just in the supply of ideas, but also in the work of developing and editing the problems, especially those selected for use.

However, typical of most winners, Lorraine also has a rich and varied career in the whole field of mathematics teaching, particularly with her interest in visual presentation and publication of quality material, and with a personal interest in working with students to develop their knowledge.

Lorraine was born in Kurri Kurri during the war to a Scottish father and an Aussie schoolteacher mother. Her early life was spent at Woonona, Bringagee (a remote siding in the M.I.A.) and in the bush at North Manly. It was here that the influence of her mother, struggling to overcome many hardships, made her appreciate the simple things in life - the love of nature, colours, patterns and art. This probably also influenced her love of geometry at school. The formative Primary years were spent at Manly West School, followed by five "pioneering" years at Narrabeen Girls High, with school representation in hockey and cricket!

Although her ambition was to be a surgeon, Biology became a more appealing option for her, with Leaving Certificate success came a scholarship and teacher training in Biology and Mathematics.

First appointed to Burwood Girls High in 1961 to teach senior Biology (classes with over 50 students being common), Lorraine's life course was altered dramatically by the introduction of the Wyndham Scheme, where in Mathematics 10% of the Syllabus wasdesignated to a Balance-of-the-Course component. Teachers were given freedom to investigate any topics of interest - to themselves or the students! Quickly realising the great opportunity to "experiment", to teach "differently" and to motivate and challenge students, Lorraine integrated her pet subjects (P.E., Biology, Mathematics, Art and Language) into Friday afternoon fun which "disguised" the underlying mathematics skills.

So began a lifelong passion for the magic of mathematics. Claiming modestly to be a "slow learner" she sympathised with those who struggled and was complimented for her teaching strategies, skills and patience with problem learners.

Thus followed hundreds of fordigraph stencils that became the framework of her earliest enrichment books, Kaleidoscope, Mosaic, Metamorphosis, and Spirolaterals. Inspector Peg Playford encouraged her to send articles to a teachers' journal, the Bulletin. Besides playing first grade hockey and basketball, any spare time was spent doodling with tessellations or polyominoes and devouring Martin Gardner's articles in the Scientific American - one of her first great influences. This whetted her thirst temporarily, broadened her horizons and fuelled her aim to persevere with different learning and teaching methods.

In 1966 Lorraine was appointed Acting Mathematics Master to Beacon Hill High School, after which Lorraine married and a son David Grant was born in 1968. With an adventurous spirit, the family spent 5 colourful and cultural years in Penang, Malaysia (teaching English, Mathematics, Science, Geography and Social Studies and being Supervisor of Girls) before returning home.

Then followed 11 years teaching at Manly Girls High School where she was promoted in 1975 to a Special Master (List 2), held a copper/art exhibition in 1973, was asked to write an article for Cleo entitled "What is a Nice Girl Like You Doing Counting on her Fingers?" and was involved in making an ABC film on mathematics.

A wide variety of opportunities emerged including experience as Form Mistress, spurred on by a very innovative Principal. Lorraine was involved in devising resources and trialling such things as a Reading-Across-the-Curriculum Program, Transition Education, a Multicultural Program, Language in Mathematics, Personal Development and Slow Learner Programs, promoting Girls-in-Mathematics/Science courses and the individualised Scottish Module Mathematics (exclusive to only 5 NSW schools). The latter was in kit form and had many hands-on materials, group work and individualised instruction. As a result, Lorraine attended and helped organise many in-service courses, as well as regional and state conferences, eventually being a founding member of local committees such as the Personal Development Group, the North Sydney Regional Mathematics Association (Vice-President) and the NSR K-12 Committee, before joining the MANSW Executive for 4 years.

Involvement in writing a senior Syllabus course in the late 1970s enabled Lorraine to contribute to the writing of resource books and textbooks (the MathsWorld and MathsWorks series). She has recently passed the production of 50 books and has over one million books "out there, somewhere", both in Australia and overseas.

Appointed to Mackellar Girls High School in 1985, Lorraine's main contribution was in setting up the PandA Scheme (Progress and Achievement), an ongoing, discipline-welfare blueprint for entire years and selected "problem" students in Years 9, 10and 11. It had a peer-support component.

After her husband's death in 1988, she made some life changes and concentrated full-time on books and keeping fit. In 1992, with the hope of meeting Benoit Mandelbrot, she attended ICME 7 in Québec, Canada. Here, by chance, she shared an (underground!) coffee break with Peter O'Halloran which changed her future once again.

Peter convinced her she could contribute something to his "vision" and so she was recruited to his newest "embryonic" committee, the Challenge. (At the same Conference Paul Scott recruited her as an editor for the Australian Mathematics Teacher.)

Besides a love of music, art, theatre, cryptic crosswords, sport, swimming, photography, cappuccinos, massages and quiet times, she displays typical Virgo characteristics - determined, stubborn, analytical, meticulous, sensitive, patient and a hard-worker who is dedicated to caring and sharing.

Lorraine's future dreams include becoming more computer literate, to discover something, to give her 100th blood donation, to activate any latent talents, to paint portraits, to see more of this wonderful world (with someone!) and to keep healthy, contented and active until the age of 88 (or the next palindromic number after that!).

Lorraine, you have certainly added extra dimensions to the life of those of us on the Challenge Committee who are with you tonight to share this moment.

It is a very great pleasure to present this award.

Peter Taylor

31 May 2003