Annika Ferry to be honoured and remembered forever by special uni prize in her name
Annika Ferry, who died in a fall at a North Head military bunker was a brilliant student who the University of NSW will honour by naming an annual academic prize after her.
Manly
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A major university is introducing an academic award in the name of Annika Ferry — the young northern beaches woman who died on North Head.
The vice-chancellor of the University of NSW, Ian Jacobs, has confirmed the Faculty of Engineering has asked the university to create the annual prize in memory of their brilliant and popular student.
Ms Ferry, 21, of Balgowlah Heights, was with her friend Bec Bennett, taking photos at sunrise, when she fell from an abandoned military bunker and died on June 24. Police are preparing a report into the cause of her death for the coroner.
In a letter to Ms Ferry’s parents, Jim and Helen Ferry, Professor Jacobs said the student’s friends and colleagues were deeply grieving and finding it difficult to make sense of the circumstances around the accident.
“Annika was extremely highly regarded by the academic staff within the School of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy,” Professor Jacobs told her parents.
“The Head of School and others in the Professoriate have described Annika to me as one of the most outstanding students they have had the privilege to work with.
“The promise of what Annika might have achieved academically at UNSW is a sad loss for all of us.”
Professor Jacobs said her achievements, including having one of the highest average marks among the university’s 15,000 engineering students, and being named in the Dean of Engineering’s Student Honours List in 2018 and 2019, will be “forever recognised”.
“Probably more important than Annika’s academic prowess however, is the fact that she was regarded by all who knew her at UNSW as an outstanding young global citizen.
“Active, fun-living, caring and with a strong sense at her young age of helping and giving to others.”
The Annika Ferry Renewable Energy Award will be given each year to the most outstanding student in UNSW’s Renewable Energy School.
“We appreciate the difficult time that your family and close friends are going to experience in life without Annika, but hope that like all who knew her at UNSW, you take strength from being able to share, and in time, celebrate the beautiful life of such as extraordinary young woman.”
Dr Jim Ferry told the Manly Daily that he was “humbled” by his daughter.
“What an honour,” he said.
Dr Ferry said that although the family knew how talented and hard working she was “she also had an astonishingly full, happy and joyful life outside university”.
“We also underestimated her profound humility.
“She was also seemingly unaware of her effect on others.”
At her funeral at Fairlight last week, Ms Ferry's mother Helen said her daughter “loved life and life loved her back” and told how she watched her develop with “immense pride”.
“She was commander and captain without the stripes,” she said. “She was an exceptional human being”.