Emeritus Professor Stephen Hill AM
He had significant health issues. With 14 stents in him, I joked You are the best example of an existentialist I've ever met.
We met when I retired, leaving the dark tunnels and corruption of NSW state politics.
Much to my amazement and not of academia I was made a fellow of the University of Wollongong.
Stephen Hill the mind of a scientist, the heart of a sociologist and above all a humanitarian.
His reach was multicultural, universal and cosmic.
Driven by Community Humanity and Spirituality
In UN headquarters he challenged the silos of a bureaucracy. The mission was funding meaningful connection, within culture and inclusive, locally initiated grass roots programmes.
In education alone, programmes initially within villages spread to embrace neighbourhoods, towns cities across regions.
With respect for culture, inclusive of their initiatives, the opportunity, desire, and commitment changed the lives of 40 million children.
On Sunday, 24 December 2004 a Tsunami killed 273 000 people across the Indian Ocean region.
Ambassador Stephen Hill, flew over Aceh.
He marshalled his team of first responders to a scene of utter destruction, an unimaginable challenge: the dead, the traumatised, the injured, homeless survivors lost and bewildered.
Emergency services first aid, water, food, shelter, hospitals and trauma of homelessness and endless wreckage.
I focus on one amazing achievement.
Hundreds of traumatised orphans across many cultures.
To engage and heal them who else but Stephen Hill would conceive that music, drumming, singing, performance in a world of cultures which underpinned their life experience.
Cultural programmes involving imported and local cultural icons. Inclusive, identity, meaningful love of belonging and not alone healed and helped and helped hundreds of children to climb the steep staircase of hope.
Stephen and I travelled the outbreak, Broken Hill Tilpa and beyond.
Camping at the 4 mile in Moree unwittingly discovering we were drinking dead pelican tea.
We camped at one of my favourite camping and painting sites a puzzled dingo, in the creek bed suffering and mystified by my clarinet playing.
Overnight in the Pub at Little Tilba 80km north of Broken Hill.
Meeting interstate truckies, beer, wine yarns, big steaks, and a table of sauce bottles and cans of fly spray. A tin shed out the back and iron bed steads
Our trip to Innaminka was stopped by rain the return journey interrupted by heavy snow and overnight in Crookwell.
Another Aussie pub mixture of snowed in travellers Stephen in his element, stories and good humour.
Together The 2011 University of Wollongong Summer school our project which attracted distinguished people. Lectures discussions an audience of several hundred. Its potential was lost by the University of Wollongong administration at that time.
So many stories
—
The embassy in Jakarta had to be abandoned. A youth repaid an earlier kindness. The streets were ablaze. Riots which led to the downfall of President Suharto. Senseless murder and mayhem.
The young lad guided them to his humble home a safe haven.
Stephen is revered in Japan, a privilege to be with him in Kyoto. I attended two of six conferences over as many years.
Todashi Yagi an economist centre stage in the Doshisha University. Conferences to create a manifesto for Global Economics underpinned by a 'platform of community humanity and spirituality
Stomo Yamash'ta, and wife Mio, took us to hidden treasures, poetry, scenery, cuisine. Stomo is a national living treasure in Japan.
A successful rock star, who became a Buddhist. Famous for the magic of music played on a sanikite (the miracle stone) a glassy black stone a type of lava formed almost 13m 500,000 years ago.
An astonishing frequency range, deeply spiritual.
His message
"My dear soulful friend Stephen san,
We are very sorry to hear of your departure from this planet.
It was a great honour to share so many missions with you.
Such a wonderful moment to spend joyful time at Bali and Kyoto.
We strongly believe that we will meet again in the new world.
All thanks! Arigatou!
All our love,
Mio & Stomu Yamash'ta"
A depth of love and faith.
—
Pigs do fly. Stephen flew pigs into remote tribal highland of Western New Guinea to feed and negotiate.
He took tribal people by plane to meet leading figures in Jakarta.
When asked what to wear. Stephen responded it's your decision.
Cameras clicked, people goggle eyed. The tribal chiefs stepped off the plane naked except for penis sheaths and tribal decoration.
Although Stephen was not a Buddhist late in life he enjoyed a close relationship with Nan Tien.
In Buddhist temples of meditation Koans are a vain attempt to take the understanding of 'the other, 'to places where words cannot go.
Two koans:
Death. gardens blossom
Looking for your ox? You're riding it.
We live within a hologram of limited perception of a quantum world, we are a field of energy indivisible from that of universes. That is where our earthly journey began and to universes we return.
'The TAO of Physics' 'The Field' fascinating books fuelled our discussion and understanding.
Embracing Heisenberg et al and leaving Des Cartes and Newton behind.
Quantum 100 years old in The West and thousands of years old in The East in Ancient Egypt and intuitively in many tribal societies.
Spirit mind and imagination are without boundaries.
Should you come across a tired, completely knackered ox with a cheeky twinkle in his eye and a smile of satisfaction you will know that ox belonged to Emeritus Professor Stephen Craig Hill AM
This image reminds us of those weekend evenings when we listened to great Jazz music 🎶 and Kim’s enthusiastic band and voice that helped us to relax and laugh and sip red vino as well as share stories about all the strange challenges of life on Mother Earth 🌏
Stephen Hill helped start UOW - then became a UN diplomat who actually made pigs fly
And, as mourners at his funeral heard on Wednesday morning, he had even made pigs fly.
One of the University of Wollongong's founding academics, later a United Nations ambassador, Professor Hill's funeral was held in the University Hall and streamed online.
Professor Hill died on March 7, aged 82, after using his time to make the world a better place for people both at home and abroad.
Reverend Gordon Bradbery conducted the service for his good friend, and finished with how Professor Hill had been ceremonially inducted as an honorary chief by the Dani tribe in West Papua, such was his standing with the people he worked with there.
"Stephen was our tribal chief," Rev Bradbery said.
"He was one who certainly led the way, inspired us and guided us and contributed much to our happiness and the wellbeing of our world."
A foundation professor of sociology for 17 years following the University of Wollongong's establishment, Professor Hill spent many years with the UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Jakarta.
He was the author of a staggering 42 books across eight disciplines and translated into six languages.
His books included Captives for Freedom, which details his negotiations for the release of two of his UNESCO staff members who had been taken hostage by rebels in West Papua.
He was also, at varying times, a rock musician, a keen traveller in Outback Australia and a Buddhist.
Professor Hill's daughter Vanessa said her dad was "a man of stories - so incredible that sometimes they seemed liked fiction".
"Flying pigs, scuba diving to sign international documents under water, a tsunami, a musician who supported Cold Chisel and had a bikie following, a man who took a group of tribal warriors to the city who had never encountered civilization before, and more," she said.
"But to others, these were real narratives that were life changing.
"His kindness, compassion, and deep thinking impacted lives in so many ways and are reflected in the many messages that have been shared with us, particularly in this past week."
But she said he was also a man of simple pleasures, such as his "religious" attendance at his grandchildren's weekend sport.
The Nan Tien Institute's Venerable Dr Juwei gave a moving tribute to Professor Hill, who worked with the institute for many years, including as an adviser to the Humanistic Buddhism
John Hatton speaks at his good friend's memorial service on Wednesday.