Anna Donald

I am still shocked by Anna's death, and still possessed with the
sense of
eeriness that I had when I first started to read her blog, and when I re-
read
some of it a couple of days ago. Richard Smith's and Muir Gray's obituary
was
wonderful, and painted the Anna we all remember and would want to
remember.

I first met Anna after she had won the Rhodes Scholarship for New
South
Wales for 1989 - my wife and I attended a farewell dinner in her honour.
We
were very taken by this young and vibrant woman who had already done so
much, and who was about to depart for Oxford on what is often a life-
changing experience. Somehow we knew that she would achieve great things,
and also have a lot of fun.

Unexpectedly we soon found ourselves living in London for a few
years. We
still have this memory of being invited by Anna to an afternoon party on
an
amazing summer's day in 1990 or 1991. We drove up the M40 to her place -
I think it was in Norham Gardens or nearby. All manner of people drifted
in
and out of the party. As everyone would expect, she made us really
welcome
including our baby boy. Marvellous summer days in the UK are like rare
jewels to be remembered, but it was the whole day that was wonderful, and
it
was because of Anna.

Competing interests:
None declared