Victim of alleged one-punch attack at Hobart nightclub was a university academic

UPDATED: The man who died after an alleged one-punch attack at a Hobart nightclub has been remembered as “a fantastic lecturer, teacher and friend”.

Mobius Lounge Bar, in Despard St, Hobart, where the alleged attack occurred on February 24.

THE name of the man who died after an alleged one-punch attack at a Hobart nightclub has been released.

Stewart Williams, 54, was a long-serving University of Tasmania academic.

He died in the Royal Hobart Hospital at the weekend after being punched in the face at the Mobius Lounge Bar on Hobart’s waterfront on February 24.

Dr Williams was a senior lecturer at the School of Land and Food in the College of Sciences and Engineering.

He had worked at the University for more than a decade.

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Dr Williams was remembered on Wednesday as a distinguished and highly regarded scholar.

Alcohol and drugs researcher Jackie Hallam, a friend of Dr Williams since the early 1990s, told the Mercury he was an “extremely charming man”.

Dr Stewart Williams was a senior lecturer at the School of Land and Food in the College of Sciences and Engineering. Picture: SUPPLIED

“His wit and intelligence was equally matched and his sudden death has come as a shock to his family and the many friends he held over many years,” Dr Hallam said.

“A keen fisherman, he’d often take himself fishing and deliver fresh fish to his friends.

“A very thoughtful man who also had a social conscience. We will all miss him very much.”

Executive Dean of the university’s College of Sciences and Engineering Professor Brian Yates paid tribute to Dr Williams in a letter to staff.

“Stewart was a highly regarded academic and teacher; an alumni of the University having completed his undergraduate studies, honours and PhD here and actively involved in the governance of our institution through his elected position on Academic Senate, as well as serving in a number of national Geographical and Planning Institute roles,” the letter said.

“Stewart was also active in our broader community and prior to commencing his academic career he worked with community organisations in the drug and alcohol sector.

“It is so very sad that his life and potential have been cut short and we are all deeply saddened by his passing.”

Ben Johnston, who met Dr Williams when he was chair of the community advisory panel for the light rail business case, said he was a “very good guy” with a passion for Hobart.

“He was always a big fan of improving the city’s accessibility and amenity,” Mr Johnston said.

The name of the man who died after an alleged one-punch attack at a Hobart nightclub has been released. http://bit.ly/2VIuKqH

Posted by The Mercury Newspaper on Tuesday, 5 March 2019

Students of Dr Williams took to social media to pay tribute to a “lovely man”.

Former UTAS research assistant Tim Gibbons wrote that Dr Williams was “loved by all his students”.

“He was such a fantastic lecturer, teacher and friend … we will all miss you dearly,” he said.

“He was extremely passionate about climate change and making a real impact in the world.”

Emmanuel Marios wrote: “Stewart was one of the most fantastic lecturers I have ever experienced.

“Such a reasonable person who was always open to discuss differing opinions in class.”

Justine Brooks-Bedelph said Dr Williams was “a wonderful, well respected and patient man”.

Belle Monk said he helped her “so much” in his class called Making sense of climate change.

“We had some good conversations that have stayed with me since,” she posted.

Dr Williams was awarded University of Tasmania Teaching Merit Certificates in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

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His masters thesis focused on women’s fear of crime and his PhD looked at spatial representations in the crime fictions of Edgar Allen Poe.

“As a geographer, I get involved in diverse projects that address real-world problems around health, hazards and housing, and with an emphasis on creating more socially just as well as sustainable and resilient communities,” he said in a profile on academic website The Conversation.

Before his academic career, he worked with community organisations in the drug and alcohol sector and he was working on research into how better understanding the geographic distribution of the production and consumption of drugs could be used to reduce harm.

He also completed projects looking at homelessness and climate change.

Hobart CIB is reviewing its investigation into the February 24 incident following Dr Williams’s death in the Royal Hobart Hospital at the weekend.