Day 16: Satellite 3 x 2

One of the best things I've done in my career was leave the University of Sydney in 2010 to take up a Future Fellowship at the University of New South Wales. While I had built lifelong friendships at Sydney, by this time many of these people had left the Department, and in the eyes of the power-holders who remained, I was destined to be forever viewed as a naive PhD student. No matter what I accomplished academically in the decade between completing my PhD and leaving Usyd - including competitive grants, publications, international prizes and visiting appointments - none of it seemed to count. Having two babies only added to their confusion. Sadly, as many of my female colleagues (and some of my male ones as well) can attest, this is an all too familiar scenario in the University sector.

Lou and Andy at my AHRCentre book launch, 2015

It was so liberating then to be able to start afresh at UNSW. Although USyd and UNSW are less than 10kms apart, there is very little cross over between the two, with institutional rivalry rather than collaboration the modus operandi.  Fortunately for me, Deb (Brennan) had already made the move across to Kensington a couple of years earlier, and had prepared the welcome mat for me. Indeed, she and the wonderful Murray Goot hosted a soiree one afternoon to introduce me to a few key UNSW people. One of those people was the inspirational Andy Durbach.  I already knew about Andy by reputation: about her fearlessness as a human rights lawyer, advocate, and scholar and as an outstanding Director of the Australian Human Rights Centre in the UNSW Law Faculty.  I was thrilled to now be on the same campus as her.

Andy during the Uppington trial 

Before becoming an academic, Andy had worked as a human rights lawyer in Australia and in South Africa. As a brave young lawyer during the apartheid regime in South Africa, Andy took on the system and won in the case of the Uppington 25. Andy successfully defended people who had been wrongly convicted of murder, including 14 who had been on death row. The case has been well documented, including by Andy herself in her awe-inspiring book A Common Purpose, and an in equally wonderful film of the same name that was awarded the audience prize at the Sydney film festival.

Geoffrey Robertson QC says of the book - "This is a passionate and profound account of struggling for justice in the dangerous dying days of apartheid. . . Andrea Durbach is one of a small band of truly brave lawyers who saved black lives at the peril of messing up their own. A moving an insightful human rights story."


This part of Andy's story is captured beautifully in this article about the matchstick boat made and named in her honour by those she defended while they were in prison.  Never shying away from a challenge, Andy is currently working with Good Pitch Australia, using the Hunting Ground film to raise awareness about and to change Australia-wide university policy on addressing sexual violence on campus. It too is an up-hill battle.

I know Andy will hate me drawing attention to all this incredible work she's done - she's so modest - but her impact on the world is too important not to.

After connecting at Deb and Murray's house in 2010, Andy warmly welcomed me into the AHRCentre family, and we quickly became fast friends. Although Andy knew me for only a matter of months, she generously supported me through my first round of breast cancer treatment. In 2012 together with fabulous colleagues Sarah Williams, Andrew Byrnes, Beth Goldblatt, and Rose Grey, we ran a successful conference on the International Criminal Court, which bought to Sydney all the principals of the ICC, along with international civil society actors and the incredible Eve Ensler. It was during this time that Andy and I really bonded, and when I learnt about her wicked sense of humour; we haven't stopped laughing since.



Three years ago, Andy, Sarah and I were awarded an Australian Research Council grant to work on a project defining transformative reparations for victims of conflict related sexual violence. We're putting the final touches to the project now. As part of this research we've had the opportunity to publish co-authored articles, run workshops, and best of all, travel together.  In 2015 Andy and I were invited to present at Ulster University's Transitional Justice Centre Summer School. The TJI is run by another wonderful human rights warrior, Fionnuala Ni Aolin, and it was here that we met international prosecutor Maxine Marcus, both of who have become close colleagues. 

Andy and Lou, Mandela Mural, Falls Road Belfast, 2015

In this photo we are standing in front of one of the many political murals in Belfast, aptly featuring Nelson Mandela. The next mural along, just discernible in this shot, was also significant for me - featuring Bobbie Sands and the hunger strikers from Maze Prison in the 1980s, whose horrific fates (and Thatcher's heartlessness) I'd tracked closely as a research assistant while doing my PhD.





Hard to see, but in this Belfast photo, I'm wearing the earrings of the day - a pair of multi-hue blue earrings, with crystals and beads. They were purchased during my most recent visit to Satellite (but they are definitely not my last Satellite pair to display!). Getting into the swing of things, Andy visited me today wearing the Satellite earrings I'd bought for her to celebrate her professorship. (Andy has an amazing earring collection too, but not having her ears pierced her hunt is more challenging). Our hair is greyer and shorter than when we were in Belfast, but I think it suits us both! 

Day 16 started well with a walk around Sydney park with Rob and Molly dog. Then Andy arrived with a care package of organic goodies including a delicious ginger drink and chocolate. Gratitude! After a good catch up, she and I settled into a few hours of long overdue work. It was a great distraction. This afternoon, Andy drove me to the Kinghorn Centre where I enjoyed the most relaxing massage, working to shift the lymphatic fluid build up from the first infusion and preparing me for the next one. Mum, who was a palliative care massage therapist, would be so pleased so see the expansion of these oncology massage specialists. All in all, a lovely day.