香君澳洲老師的來信 by Bill Butcher

Dear Friends,

Elsa first came to Australian academic life as a commerce student in the beginning of 1993. In my business law class of that year, she shone as a gentle, quiet spirit who could, seemingly from nowhere, pierce academic and unwieldy bubbles with that disarming intellect and charm.  It will surprise no one that, while she did well in her study, the world of business did not touch her mind or her heart. Elsa was always meant for the humanities and while we were sorry to lose her, it was with delight that we saw her choose the study of art at the University of Sydney.  It was a path that matched her perfectly, with its beauty, its intellectual challenges and its social importance.  In Elsa’s early Sydney Uni days, her dear friend Chin and I found ourselves in unfamiliar territory as we struggled with our proof reading of her work on Margaret Preston and on the place of Kuhn’s paradigm in art, carried along only by Elsa’s teasing and warmth and cups of tea .  Margaret Preston was new to us then, but she has always had a place in our hearts since. 

From there, Elsa went on to do fabulous things.  It was with immense pride that I learned of her achievements, through emails or her occasional visits to Sydney, but such was her way that it is only now, upon reading what many of you have written here, that I see just how wonderful those achievements were.  That was her way, of course, always modest and always quiet about herself, ever behind that joyful wit and radiant, mischievous smile. 

Now, a brilliant light has gone out in our world. It is an awful loss, deeply felt, but I am grateful and blessed to have been Elsa’s friend. 

My heartfelt sympathy to Kevin and Candy, and my best wishes to all,                                        

Bill

Bill Butcher | Associate Head of School (Education) | School of Taxation & Business Law

Australian School of Business | The University of New South Wales