Mick Kornitschuk[27]: The one thing on which I was just ahead was that I started at CSL fourteen days before Struan. To begin with, I did not actually work with Struan but I knew a lot about him and his research. Between 1966 and 1984, I saw Struan around CSL quite a lot. As a CSL staff member, I knew exactly what he was doing and I knew exactly what was happening during the infamous 1980 restructure. I knew about the rubbish tin affair and the pins, and everything else that followed. But we all had a great admiration for Struan and what he stood for.

It was not until 1984 that I was moved into the antivenom production department and that's where I got to know Struan very well. It was great to walk into the cold room where we were preparing the first batches of funnel-web spider antivenom and Struan had his 'tag' on the fractionation columns. Staff were very proud of the fact that one of our own scientists was actually able to isolate/purify and put onto the market the first funnel-web spider antivenom. It was also great to pick up the newspaper and read about a young boy who was saved in New South Wales using our funnel-web spider antivenom. The antisera department also manufactured the 'first' batches of bullant and jumper ant venom extracts for Struan.

When Struan left CSL[28] and whenever he wanted something from CSL, instead of going to upper management he would come directly to me. At that time I was in charge [Antisera Manager] of the antivenom production facility, including all the production venoms that we were using. One day, just casually, I asked Struan why he was approaching me rather than going to higher management. I won't repeat what he said but I was very honoured to have Struan confide in me. Even from the Australian Venom Research Unit he was still interested in the antisera production methods, and how we were going with the funnel web spider antivenom production and whether we had any yield improvements.

I went to New Guinea to collect stone fish venom, and to Malaysia for seasnake venom. I travelled north to Cairns to speak to Nick Barnes, the son of Dr Barnes, and to purchase box-jellyfish venom.[29] Struan was very interested in all three venoms. My vision of Dr Struan Sutherland is always of an honourable man. He'd always talk manufacturing problems with the antivenom department and I needed someone to confide in and would always seek Struan's wisdom.

Ken Winkel: Thank-you very much Mick. Perhaps we could hear from Rodney Harris, also from CSL.

Rodney Harris[30]: I started work at CSL in 1971 and it wasn't until 1976 that I went for a promotion to work in Dr Sutherland's department. And fortunately I got that job. My early recollections of Struan were that he was always very approachable. I sometimes went down to their department to use the equipment and things like that. He'd always say hello and he was always very pleasant. It was my impression that you really mattered to him. He was always interested in people around the place. It didn't really matter who you were.

After I started working for him, he'd always pop in and ask how you were going, see how your work was. There were always funny animals coming past the desk. I remember there were times when he had his office locked, because he was storing snakes in there in jars and things like that. They were alive of course. And the cleaners couldn't get in there. I think Alan (Coulter) and myself were the last staff members of the research unit, before Struan actually moved into the other building and lost some of the original staff.

Ken Winkel: Perhaps Erin, or Robert.

Erin Lovering[31]: I came to work with Struan in the late 1970s at what turned out to be a very auspicious time. It was just before everything started to get very exciting. I was straight out of university. This was my first real job and it was certainly a great experience. Struan was a fantastic boss to work for. He cared for his staff. He cared for everyone in the organisation, perhaps not quite the upper management, but everyone else. He was kind of a mentor to me. He made me realize that the work that he was doing was very special and he cared about it for Australia. He wanted to make sure that we got the best possible treatment and care for patients. He was called at all hours of the day or night, and he always responded. He was a terrific bloke and a fantastic boss. I was very privileged to be there at the time of the funnel-web antivenom work.

Figure 5 Erin Lovering
Photograph courtesy of Ann Westmore

Robert Premier[32]: I started at CSL in 1977 and I guess I didn't actually work with Struan Sutherland until 1978. I worked on the adult diptheria and tetanus (ADT) vaccine which involved a lot of animal work. I slowly developed in vitro assays, based on enzyme immunoassays, and Struan took a lot of interest in that. They later used the technique for the snake venom detection kits. I didn't stay with Struan a heck of a long time. I was one of the staff members who took off during his troublesome time. But my relationship with Struan started again in the late 1980s. They had him hidden away in some corner of CSL and my office was next to his so we used to get together for coffee, talk a lot, about hydroponics mainly, as I remember. So we developed a friendship relationship at that time. In 1992, I went off to do my PhD, encouraged by Struan, and I maintained a close relationship with him until 1996, working on jumper ant and bullant venoms when he moved to Melbourne University.

Witness to the History of Australian Medicine