Honouring our origins - the Paul Callaghan story - Annual Report 2016

11 August, 2017

MacDiarmid Institute funding has been pivotal in helping bring about the first documentary about Sir Paul Callaghan. Sir Paul, who established the MacDiarmid Institute and was the Institute’s first Director, played a major role in New Zealand as a scientist, environmentalist, public commentator, lecturer and mentor.

Director/producer Shirley Horrocks said the documentary will showcase Sir Paul’s work and ideas. 

“I want to convey his life’s work, from his passionate advocacy of scientific research and original studies on nuclear magnetic resonance through to his many ideas for New Zealand as ‘a place where talent wants to live‘, and his vision of our natural environment as what marks our country out as unique in the world.”

Ms Horrocks said having met and worked with Sir Paul, she feels passionate about telling his story to a new generation. 

“A film about Sir Paul must be as energetic and eloquent as he was himself. And while remaining clear to a broad audience, it must also contain some real scientific substance.”

She says the idea of a documentary about Sir Paul has struck many other organisations as a timely project and a valuable resource. 

“The MacDiarmid’s lead in contributing to it has so far been followed by seven New Zealand universities, along with the Royal Society of New Zealand and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. 

We’re looking forward to taking this first ever documentary about Sir Paul to all sorts of audiences, hoping to keep his legacy alive and inspire a new generation of young scientists.”