Dr Sabaratnam Prathapan was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. At the age of 19 he left for the UK and completed an Honours Degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Brighton. He worked for four years as an engineer in the UK before relocating to Singapore where he took up a position lecturing at an institute of higher education.
During this period he saw a position advertised at the then Darwin Community College. He applied for the job but thought nothing further about it. Around six months later, he received a telegram inviting him to attend an interview in Darwin. He didn't know where Darwin was but he had a sister in Sydney, so he thought he would go for the interview and then go to Sydney to see his sister. He attended the interview in a suit and tie as was customary in England. His three interviewers were in shorts! Prath went onto Sydney and whilst there received the offer of employment from Darwin Community College. It was 1977.
Prath has devoted 44 years of his life to what is now Charles Darwin University. He became Deputy Vice Chancellor but never gave up teaching. But it is not just in academics that Prath has made a contribution to the Territory. He was President of the Australian Institute of Engineers (NT), President of the Rotary Club (NT) and President of the Hindu Society. He was instrumental in building the Hindu temple and Harmony Hall in Malak, a northern suburb of Darwin.
Now in semi-retirement Prath has been nominated District Governor of the Rotary Club, Northern Division, which takes in Central and North Queensland, as well as the Top End and East Timor. He has been married for 44 years and has two sons, both of who have established careers in the foreign service and accounting respectively.
This is Prath's Territory Story.
