Julie Duncan – Journalism educator
16/10/52 - 21/2/05
Former
University of South Australia journalism lecturer and Walkley Award winner,
Julie Duncan, died last month following a tenacious fight against cancer.
Julie began lecturing in journalism in 1979 at the South Australian College of Advanced Education, where she developed some of Australia’s earliest journalism courses. From 1986 until 1990, she was also editorial training and development manager at The Advertiser, at a time when its cadet training scheme was considered among the best in the country.
Julie convened and chaired the first national journalism education and training conference in 1987. She also wrote a three-year training course, The Front Page and Beyond, which has formed the basis for much of current journalism training in Australia.
In 1991, following the birth of her only child, Georgia, Julie came back to lecturing at the UniSA until returning to Tasmania in 2003.
Julie was an active member of the journalists’ union and was passionate about the involvement of women and indigenous Australians in the media. In 2003, she won a Walkley Award for her ‘outstanding contribution to journalism’.
Julie was an amazing combination of energy, talent and beauty who inspired her journalism colleagues at UniSA. She believed journalism was a way of life and instilled in her students a strong sense of values and pride. Julie firmly believed their contribution would benefit society.
Memorial services were held for Julie in Hobart, Adelaide and Sydney. She is survived by her husband Peter, daughter Georgia and stepsons, Macgregor and Jock.
Her passing is the end of an era.
“Forget the professions – journalism students really are the most challenging and intelligent at university … so many of them have been with me for life and during this last challenge … so many of them I love. How lucky is that!” Julie Duncan, 2005.
Associate Professor Ian Richards and Kathryn Bowd from the UniSA journalism program represented the University at a memorial service for former journalism staff member Julie Duncan in Wellington Square, North Adelaide, on Wednesday March 2.
Prof Richards spoke during the service, which was attended by about 300 people, and held following her funeral in Hobart on February 26.