Orations

Dr Eberhard Wenzel Oration

Dr Eberhard Wenzel, 2 January 1950 – 21 September 2001

Dr Eberhard Wenzel (2nd January 1950 – 21st September 2001) worked in public health for over 20 years. He was well known to many through his work at Griffith University, Queensland, his prolific work on the International Public Health Watch web site and email list serve, and the development and maintenance of the Virtual Library on Public Health, a site which under the period in which he moderated it, earned a rating of the best in the field by the medical journal The Lancet. After the passing of Eberhard the Virtual Library on Public Health was hosted by the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of NSW for several years as a project of the South-West Pacific Region of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education. Eberhard was an inspiring advocate for the socio-ecological view of health promotion as it was described over 20 years ago in the Ottawa Charter. This health promotion represented a significant move away from a medical view of health promotion that focused primarily on disease prevention.

Eberhard was an inspiring advocate for health promotion as it was described over 20 years ago in the Ottawa Charter. This health promotion represented a significant move away from a medical view of health promotion that focused primarily on disease prevention.  Eberhard was highly critical of recent trends, both nationally and internationally, that signified a step backward to such a medical paradigm of health promotion.

Eberhard was not afraid to speak his mind about what he saw as the critical failings of health promotion and public health. His thoughts were often challenging and sometimes controversial. However he could be relied upon to question accepted dogma, bring a different perspective, challenge accepted beliefs or practice, and to stimulate new ways of thinking. Eberhard's students and others touched by him carry on this legacy of critical thinking.

Following Eberhard's death in September 2001, the Australian Health Promotion Association endorsed the establishment of an annual oration in his memory. With this memorial oration, the Australian Health Promotion Association hopes to stimulate a culture of critical and reflective discussion for the advancement of health promotion in Australia.

It was the wish of Eberhard's wife Rosmarie that we preserve the website of Eberhard as it was at the time of his own passing. It is still accessible in https://ldb.org and on https://littledancingbear.github.io (the two addresses are equivalent). In keeping that memory alive it would be good, for those who curate health promotion sites, if any reference to Eberhard’s work also includes a link to the site.  

Eberhard Wenzel Memorial Oration Guidelines

Dr Lisa Rosmarie Erben, 20 December 1937 - 16 November 2023 

AHPA would like to acknowledge the loss of a great friend to the Association in the passing of Rosmarie Erben in late 2023. Rosmarie was a career and consummate health promotion practitioner (and dancer). Colleagues noted how welcoming and open to Rosmarie was to people, ideas and life in general.

She studied at Free University Berlin where she achieved qualifications in physiotherapy and psychology then going on to complete her Ph.D. in Social Psychology/Health promotion. She worked in the field of health education and health promotion, first as Officer for International Affairs, at Federal Centre for Health Education in Cologne, Germany before she joined the World Health Organization. Rosmarie was Health Promotion Officer with the Global Programme on AIDS in WHO/HQ and Regional Adviser in Health Promotion with the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in Manila, Philippines. After moving to Australia, she was Regional Director for the South West Pacific and continued to serve the Union afterwards as member of the Regional Committee. She was chair of the IUHPE/SWP Regional Working Group: Action on Indigenous Resolutions and coordinator of the IUHPE - International Network of Indigenous Health Promotion Professionals. Rosmarie also held a position with Griffith University, as anAdjunct Associate Professor.

She was also the partner of Dr Eberhard Wenzel for whom the Association established its Oration. Rosmarie was instrumental in selecting our Orators and delighted in participating in the Orations when she was able. In Rosmarie’s own words, “Each of them has brought me great joy and a wonderful opportunity to recall my husband’s contribution to public health both in Europe and Australasia. Whilst supporting the organisers I have met wonderful orators, teachers, students and others involved in public health and education.” Most recently A/Prof David MacLaren and Chief Esau Kekeubata, friends of both Rosmarie and Eberhard, presented the Oration in October 2023 which Rosmarie was able watch online.