……who has climbed a few Everests himself

Mr Chancellor, Ladies and gentleman, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to those graduating today. Today is the culmination of a number of years of hard work, sacrifice and dedication and I know how proud your own family members and colleagues will be. You are also now, life time members of the Massey University Alumni.Life, as we all well know, is a series of challenges - large and small and with its peaks and troughs, along the way. Way back in 1975 I had been appointed Chairman of an Organizing Committee to send a New Zealand Himalayan Expedition to climb the formidable north face of a mountain called 'Jannu'. It was probably the biggest expedition from New Zealand to ever climb in the Himalayas. Sir Edmund Hillary was patron of the expedition and the team contained some of the country's most notable climbers, including Graeme Dingle - but it was also to be a very expensive exercise. Not ever having had any experience of mountaineering, I tried to be innovative in our approach towards the organization of such an event, particularly in the area of fund raising. Along the way, I even declined the offer of a weekend ascent of Mount Cook. I have a fear of heights.While there was some financial contribution from the team members, we commissioned a medallion for the expedition which was sold through all branches of the Bank of New South Wales (now Westpac), we had a national raffle organised for us, we ran fashion shows as fund raisers (we even got members of the team to appear in dinner suits for the first time ever) and persuaded Television One, for a fee, to send along a crew to cover the expedition for a documentary - it was all a great deal of hard work.Due to terrible weather and treacherous climbing conditions the team did not reach the summit - a couple of the team had to be flown out with minor frostbite, but we got them back all unscathed, but not at all that keen to return for more. Graeme Dingle also wrote a book'Wall of Shadows'which raised a few more dollars. After the expedition I was presented with a copy of the book with a message in it from Sir Edmund Hillary: 'To Bruce Ullrich.who has climbed a few Everests himself'.

Mr Chancellor, Ladies and gentleman, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to those graduating today. Today is the culmination of a number of years of hard work, sacrifice and dedication and I know how proud your own family members and colleagues will be. You are also now, life time members of the Massey University Alumni.Life, as we all well know, is a series of challenges - large and small and with its peaks and troughs, along the way.