Family pledge
The generational donation for teaching and research
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” Pericles
Often there is a compelling story or connection associated with a donor’s bequest – for Elizabeth Roberts and her sister Rosemary Roberts it was undoubtedly both.
When 94-year-old Elizabeth passed away, she bequeathed $1.5 million to The University of Queensland to fulfill a pledge made by their grandfather more than a century earlier.
The donation is the final chapter in an extraordinary story and connection between Queensland pioneer Robert Christison and UQ that dates back to 1909.
A successful pastoralist, Mr Christison made one of the earliest recorded donations to the University – a substantial gift of £1000 for the study of tropical, pastoral and agricultural science.
The donation was made with a promise of a further £1000 gift, but after Mr Christison moved back to England with his second wife and young family, it was never fulfilled.
However, through the decades and generations, his initial donation and pledge to UQ was never forgotten by his family, who were extremely proud of his pioneering achievements and philanthropy.
His place in Queensland’s early history, his innovation, good relationships with the local Indigenous people, and support for medical and scientific research have been well documented in the pages of history and in a book written by one of his daughters – author and activist, Mary Bennett.
His adventurous life was echoed in his descendants including his granddaughter Elizabeth Roberts, who also led a remarkable life and was an intrepid traveller.
Growing up on the family sheep property near Roma in Queensland, Elizabeth enjoyed an outdoorsy life with her sister Rosemary until the family moved to Sydney.
After graduating university with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours, majoring in Anthropology and English, Elizabeth worked in academic roles before pursuing archaeological work in Greece and Jordan.
Elizabeth Roberts after graduating from university. Image: supplied.
Elizabeth Roberts after graduating from university. Image: supplied.
She spent 14 years in Jordan living in a village where she tutored local children in English after working at the dig site.
Her connection with the village didn’t diminish after she returned to Australia; she maintained contact with many Jordanian families and continued to support the community.
The last surviving daughter of Mr Christison’s daughter Helen Roberts, Elizabeth bequeathed her estate to charitable causes.
The largest share was given to UQ – a gift made collectively with her late sister’s estate – for teaching in the Master of Public Health program and research into tropical medicine, which was likely a result of the early death of their grandfather’s first wife Mary from malaria.
We are enormously thankful for the generous donation from Elizabeth Roberts and her sister Rosemary Roberts, in honour of their grandfather Robert Christison.
Elizabeth and Rosemary Roberts as children on the family property near Roma, Queensland. Image: supplied.
Elizabeth and Rosemary Roberts as children on the family property near Roma, Queensland. Image: supplied.
Elizabeth Roberts in Jordan, 1994. Image: supplied.
Elizabeth Roberts in Jordan, 1994. Image: supplied.
Robert Christison:
the original benefactor
Robert Christison was a pioneer, pastoralist, innovator and trailblazer. His name may not be immediately familiar, but a quick search reveals he’s woven into the fabric of Queensland’s early history.
Originally from Scotland, Robert Christison first arrived in Victoria in 1852 as a 15-year-old. After several adventurous years working, learning and exploring Australia, he eventually settled down near Bowen in North Queensland in the 1860s, naming his properties Lammermoor and Cameron Downs.
His policy of friendship with the local Yirandali-speaking Dallenburra people has been well documented in the pages of history.
As a pastoralist, he was an innovator who worked on meat preservation methods and was the first to establish meat-freezing works in the 1880s. He also researched artesian water supplies of other countries and imported Queensland’s first boring plant from England.
Robert Christison came from an academic background; his grandfather and uncle both held prominent positions as professors of humanities and medicine in Scotland.
He was also interested in scientific research and innovative practices in dealing with the treatment of cattle diseases, and he took a proactive approach in relation to the fight against tick infestation in the late 19th century.
His passion for the land didn’t diminish after he moved his family back to England in 1910. He farmed a property in Lincolnshire until he died in 1915 at the age of 78 years.
This story is featured in the Winter 2022 edition of UQmedicine Magazine. View the latest edition here. Or to listen, watch, or read more stories from UQ’s Faculty of Medicine, visit our blog, MayneStream.
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