FROM a childhood playing on Wendouree\u2019s mullock heaps, to leading the University of Ballarat as pro vice-chancellor of academics, Dr Frank Hurley has plenty of stories to tell.<\/p>\n
His memoir, Look Back on Languour: The memoir of a hurkle-durkle Australian male<\/em>, will be launched next week by former Victorian premier Steve Bracks at the Ballaarat Mechanics Institute.<\/p>\n Dr Hurley said his experiences, beliefs and values as an \u201ceveryman,\u201d and the places of his life, are examined through his \u2018own\u2019 curious lens.<\/p>\n \u201cThe central theme is, how much to do you own your own life?\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve got four sections, and the name of each resonates with that word, \u2018own.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cI was brought up in a strongly Catholic family, so I\u2019ve got the section, \u2018god\u2019s own.\u2019 There\u2019s \u2018testoster-own,\u2019 \u2018bread al-own\u2019 representing going to work to earn a living, and the last part, the \u2018twilight z-own\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr Hurley lived on Howitt Street as a child, attended St Columba\u2019s Parish School, and St Patrick\u2019s College, before his family moved to Melbourne, and he became a high school teacher.<\/p>\n Returning to Ballarat with his own family in the 70s, he\u2019s been back in his hometown for nearly 50 years where was a lecturer in politics and history, and a senior academic involved in the evolution of the University of Ballarat and the establishment of its city-based Arts Academy.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the Ballarat community, I\u2019ve been a prominent participant in social, political, cultural and educational affairs as a media commentator, writer, speaker and member of a wide range of committees and organisations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n As stalwart advocate for the BMI for 30 years, as well as its past president and secretary, Dr Hurley played a key part in getting the historic Sturt Street building restored.<\/p>\n The memoir launch will be held on Friday, 14 April, 5pm to 6.30pm. Register via 5331 3042 and the book will be for sale with proceeds donated to the BMI.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" FROM a childhood playing on Wendouree\u2019s mullock heaps, to leading the University of Ballarat as pro vice-chancellor of academics, Dr Frank Hurley has plenty of stories to tell. His memoir, Look Back on Languour: The memoir of a hurkle-durkle Australian male, will be launched next week by former Victorian premier Steve Bracks at the Ballaarat […]<\/p>\n