The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute acknowledges the following Australian organisations for the major grants which support research at the Institute:
The Institute also acknowledges the major grant support from the following international organisations:
Some examples of the support we receive from the community
Bessie Mavis Gray- An inspirational life
You can imagine how delighted we were to receive a telephone call from Miss Yvonne Gray, who wished to donate funds from her late mother’s Estate to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. Miss Gray subsequently visited the Institute and met with our Director, Professor Suzanne Cory and General Manager, Maureen O’Keefe. Yvonne’s visit included a tour our laboratories and a chance to meet some of our eminent researchers, including Professor Don Metcalf. Miss Gray was delighted when we offered to establish a Permanent Fund in memory of her mother, Bessie Mavis Gray.
Bush beginnings
Bessie was an amazing lady. Born in 1903 in Eaglehawk, Victoria, she was the youngest of five children and spent a happy childhood there and on a farm near Ballarat. It was soon clear that Bessie’s sense of humour and fearlessness would hold her in good stead throughout her life. Often embarking on practical jokes, she apparently revelled in catching mice with which to tease her older sister.
While Bessie was still a child, the family moved to Albert Park and Yvonne recounts how her mother loved to pick wild mushrooms near the lake. Bessie later met her future husband, William, while attending a dance at the top of Collins Street. The dances were wonderful, formal occasions where men wore white gloves and ladies dressed in their fine ball gowns.
Bessie and William married in 1927 and moved to a house they had built for them in Box Hill, where they happily settled for over 30 years. They later moved to Surrey Hills, where they lived for 40 years. The highlight of their 72 years of marriage was the birth of their only child, Yvonne. It is Yvonne’s love of her mother and understanding of her wishes that has resulted in the generous donation to The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute.
A life of giving
With a faith nurtured from childhood, Bessie became deeply involved in the life of the church and was also active in the wider community including the CWA and organisations assisting the blind. Throughout her life, Bessie was a romantic at heart and had a love of poetry and literature, often noting down lines of poignancy to her including:
“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval” – Mark Twain
“To fear death is to pretend to know what is not known” – Orson Wells
The silver screen was also a great delight and Bessie loved movies such as “An Affair to Remember” and avidly followed the career of Cary Grant. She very much admired Nelson Mandela, Rolf Harris and the Methodist luminary, Irving Benson.
ften a source of advice and comfort, Bessie’s listening ear and wise advice won her many friends with whom she kept in touch. She made great efforts to keep the family in communication and when she moved to a retirement village with Yvonne, her friendly, open nature ensured many new friendships were forged.
The wonder of science
Throughout her life, Bessie’s indomitable spirit and gentle assertiveness shone through, coming to the fore when, at the age of 89, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She unequivocally insisted on an operation to “get it out”.
Thankfully the operation was a success and Bessie lived to be 104.
Yvonne reminisces about her mother’s wonder at the scientific advances during her lifetime. Bessie remembered as a girl the nightly arrival of the gas lamp lighter and travelling in a horse and buggy. Medical advances were a continual source of wonder. The fact she had a cataract removed and went home in a few hours made such a difference to her rather than the previous regime she remembered others embarking upon, whereby they were required to lie quietly for 14 days. Bessie’s interest led her to read and listen to some of the medical advances of The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute related by the then Director, Sir Gustav Nossal.
Miss Gray felt her mother would wish to make a meaningful difference with her Estate and decided it was better, rather than supporting a lot of charities, to provide an amount which would make a substantial difference to an organisation.
We are very grateful for Bessie’s legacy and Yvonne’s foresight and commitment to further medical research at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. Supporters such as Bessie and Yvonne are truly inspiring and light the way to a future that ensures better medical outcomes for men, women and children around the world and for the generations to come. We may never know the secret of Bessie’s longevity, but perhaps it is in part due to her love of life, her inquisitive nature that embraced change and to her inner strength tempered with a kindness, generosity and love of humanity.
Berwick Opportunity Shop
We were delighted to receive a donation of $20,000 from the Berwick Opportunity Shop. Carole Mayes, Secretary commented that this represented a lot of clothing sales. In fact, this year the shop has raised over $300,000 for the not for profit sector – a huge feat given a ‘large sale’ is classed as $5.
Previously, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute had received $4,000 per year from the Berwick Opportunity Shop, however, the committee decided during 2008 to consolidate their donation to research by giving to one organisation rather than a number and chose the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. As many of the ladies have been touched by breast cancer, the Opportunity Shop requested funds were directed to this area of research at the Institute.
We were further delighted when we were invited to present at their AGM in August 2008. Dr Samantha Oakes, one of our many young, dedicated researchers, gave the meeting an updated on advances in the area of breast stem cell research. In 2009 the ladies again donated $20,000 to the Institute. We are very grateful to everyone at the Berwick Opportunity Shop for all the hard work and commitment in raising funds for the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. Their donation makes a very real difference to our research.