182. My Eulogy for a Friend & Systems Thinking Legend
Celebrating the 80th birthday of Professor Frank Fisher
Today is a special release ahead of this week’s scheduled episode. It was recorded with a full house of over 400 people in the main theatre at Federation Square in Melbourne, for the memorial service of my late great mate and mentor, and legend in systems thinking – and practice – in this country, Professor Frank Fisher. Mine was a humble opener for a few beautiful eulogies offered on the day.
From the back of the room, with Fran Macdonald speaking (credit: Rodney Dekker).
“I was reading something Frank wrote about a decade or so ago that I hadn’t seen. He referred to a book called Metamagical Themas. I hadn’t heard of it, thought it looked interesting, but thought nothing more of it. Later that day I was eating dinner at the place where MairiAnne, Frank, myself and a couple of other friends had dined the night he went into hospital for what was to be the last time. Walking home afterwards I passed the Grub Street bookshop. And what book should be in the window? Metamagical Themas indeed. ”
Today would be, or is, Frank’s 80th birthday. I’ve commemorated the occasion in recent years with episodes featuring fittingly special guests – from the late Hazel Henderson, to the still thriving Allan Savory, Charlie Massy and Paul Hawken. This time, for the big 8-0, I’d been imagining Frank still being here, wondering where our conversations and experiences may have gone over the years. And that took me back to this event, and the best tribute story I could muster at the time. And hard as it was, there did seem to be a bit of magic about.
Head here for automatic cues to chapter markers (also available on the embedded player above), and a transcript of this conversation (please note the transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully serves to provide greater access to these conversations for those who need or like to read).
This was recorded on 15 September 2012, with deep gratitude to friend and film-maker Chris Grose, who gave so much of himself without notice, to film hours of footage of Frank in the months before he died, along with this event.
Click on the photos below to zoom in, and hover over them to see captions where added (all photos by Rodney Dekker).
Find more:
You can hear from Frank himself, with legendary ABC broadcaster Robyn Williams, on episode 24, The Wilderness Within.
And in an interview an early podcast listener sent in, from the Serbian program on SBS radio, released on episode 5: Thinking & Living in Systems.
The Understandascope, founded in 2005 by Frank with cartoonist and National Living Treasure, Michael Leunig, is now home for the development of Frank’s legacy in collaboration with family, friends and former colleagues.
And the book mentioned by Eva Fabien at the end was Frank’s anthology: Response Ability: Environment, Health & Everyday Transcendence.
Music:
Cycles, by Simon Edwards (composed for the occasion). Simon is also guitarist for the incredible Afrobiotics and Public Opinion Afro Orchestra.