Learning; the family business

The Shacklock family (l-r) Virginia, Alice, Boyd, Arthur and Kate.
The Shacklock family (l-r) Virginia, Alice, Boyd, Arthur and Kate.

When it comes to learning, the Shacklocks mean business.

This Gold Coast family of five holds two PhDs, two Masters degrees, a Graduate Certificate, three undergraduate degrees in business, two arts degrees and one in music, surely making them one of Australia’s most educated families.

Furthermore, not only have these qualifications been gained through Griffith University, parents Kate and Arthur Shacklock are also nurturing the next generation of Gold Coast business leaders by virtue of their roles as long-serving Griffith academics.

The next stage of that process begins with the opening of the Griffith Business School’s new $38 million faculty building at the Gold Coast campus.

Associate Professor Kate Shacklock will relocate with the Department of Employment Relations and Human Resources to Level 5 of the seven-storey building. Right alongside will be the Department of International Business and Asian Studies, where Dr Arthur “Shack” Shacklock will reside.

“We moved from Western Australia to the Gold Coast in 1995 when Shack took up a role as Director of the MBA program at Griffith,” says Associate Professor Shacklock.

“The following year I started conducting tutorials. Arthur gained his PhD in 2002 and I followed suit in 2005.

“Early on there were only about half a dozen buildings on-site and less than 4000 students. We worked under the banner of Business and Hotel Management.

“Over the years we’ve witnessed an amazing evolution of this campus.”

Associate Professor Shacklock believes the already stellar reputation of the Griffith Business School will be further enhanced with the opening of the new business building.

“It’s a wonderful and innovative building complex in which to host the bulk of our 4500 business students,” she says.

“The relocation of five business school departments will also mark a first for Shack and me because we’ll virtually be working in adjoining office spaces.

“However, as has been the case in the past, I doubt we’ll see too much of each other at work during the course of the University year.”

A powerhouse duo when it comes to business teaching, the Shacklocks have also ensured their children have a strong Griffith connection.

Eldest daughter Virginia Middleton graduated in 2004 (Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts), Alice secured a Graduate Certificate in Marketing (2012) to complement her Bachelor of Popular Music (2005), while son Boyd completed a Master of Marketing (2012) following his graduation with a Bachelor of Business degree in 2011.