Keeping the Class of 1963 connected

This year, it has been 60 years since a 150-plus group of students graduated from Melbourne Medical School. The year was 1963. Henry Bolte was Premier of Victoria, Australia retained The Ashes, Gatum Gatum won the Melbourne Cup at Flemington, and The Beatles dominated the music charts in Australia and across the world.

Students studying in the Baillieu Library.

Dr Ian Gunn was one of the graduates of the MBBS Class of 1963 who went on to become a surgeon – a career that saw him work in New Guinea, London, Birmingham and Minneapolis. When he returned to Australia, Dr Gunn then worked in Shepparton.

Through the decades he stayed in touch with many of his fellow graduates and attended 10-yearly reunions. In 2003, Dr Gunn began donating his time to help organise the reunions with Class of 1963 graduate, Peter Grey. It’s a role Dr Gunn has been happy to carry out for the past 20 years.

“I was fortunate to become involved when we could use email addresses – it made organising reunions so much simpler than having to send out letters and hope people would respond,” says Dr Gunn.

Dr Gunn has also helped distribute email newsletters to keep the Class of 1963 connected in between reunion events. About 100 graduates are still part of the reunion network with 16 of them living interstate or overseas.

At the most recent reunion celebrating 60 years since their graduation, 42 members of the group and their partners attended a lunch at The Baths Middle Brighton.

“Because it was the 60^th anniversary, people made a special effort to attend despite some struggling with hip replacement and illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease,” says Dr Gunn. Reunions have also been well-attended after the decision was made to swap from Saturday night to Sunday lunch gatherings.

“Our Jewish colleagues preferred Sunday reunions and as we aged, we tried to avoid late night dinner events,” says Dr Gunn.

“I look forward to these events. It is an opportunity to catch up with people who live further away who you don’t see often and it’s nice to chat together. Our partners have also come along and made friends with each other, too.”

During COVID lockdowns, the Class of 1963 kept in touch with each other via email. Dr Gunn also created an In Memoriam website page to update members about those within the cohort who have passed away.

With Peter Grey, Dr Gunn hopes to continue arranging Class of 1963 reunions.