SYDNEY ALUMNI Magazine
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SYDNEY ALUMNI Magazine Summer 2008 MOORE IN FOCUS archaeology, vet science, books, stem cells, ocd, theatre ISSN 1834–3937 ISSN SYDNEY ALUMNI Magazine 6 16 34 36 NEWS: WHO IS DR MICHAEL SPENCE? VET SCIENCE: WILD AND WONDERFUL SPORT: ALICIA POTO: POINT GUARD DIARY: YOUR NEED-TO-KNOW BASIS 2 LETTERS Astrology predictably infuriates, again Summer 2008 5 OPINION Vice-Chancellor Professor Gavin Brown on intercontinental chess 6 NEWS Dr Michael Spence; Intervarsity choral fest, DIARY: Tom Bass AM (b.1916) Ethos 1959-61 (detail) Raina MacIntyre honoured, US Studies Centre survey, (copper deposit) Civic Square, Canberra, ACT Photo Brian McInerney 2006 Tom Beer for president, Alan Trounson to California, Seymour Centre 2008 season 11 PROFILE Editor Diana Simmonds Professor John Wong, surgeon extraordinaire The University of Sydney, Publications Office Room K6.06, Quadrangle A14, NSW 2006 13 FOR THE RECORD Telephone +61 2 9036 6372 Fax +61 2 9351 6868 Michael L’Estrange AO at the Alumni Awards night Email [email protected] Design tania edwards design 18 COVER STORY Contributors Vice-Chancellor Professor Gavin Brown, Spotlight on ’67 alumnus, Clover Moore Dr David Juste, Michael L’Estrange, Helen McKenzie, 22 MENTAL HEALTH Geraldine O’Brien, Maggie Renvoize, Ted Sealey, Paul Solutions to obsessive compulsive disorder Seiser, Lauren Smelcher, David Staunton, Verena Stocker, Michael Turner, Trevor Walsh, Alex Wilde, Nuran Zorlu. 24 TREASURE Printed by PMP Limited Old Bones discovered in the Nicholson Museum Cover photo by Jacky Ghossein/Fairfax. 25 ARCHAEOLOGY Advertising Please direct all inquiries to the editor. Calling all Irrawang diggers Editorial Advisory Committee 26 ALUMNI UPDATES The Sydney Alumni Magazine is supported by an Editorial An interview with Rob Carlton Advisory Committee. Its members are: Kathy Bail, editor, Australian Financial Review magazine; David Marr (LLB ’71), 29 GRAPEVINE Sydney Morning Herald; William Fraser, editor ACP Magazines; Paul Kotala, Jane Healey, your news Martin Hoffman (BEcon ’86), consultant, Andrew Potter, Media Manager, University of Sydney; Helen Trinca, editor, 33 BOOKS Weekend Australian magazine. Sue Woolfe’s The Mystery of the Cleaning Lady and Edward Duyker’s A Dictionary of Sea Quotations summer 2008 1 letters The Academic Study of Astrology n the Winter 2007 issue of SAM, ments such as “astrology cannot be but it is the duty of the historian to take Geordie Williamson published an extricated from the history of science these elements into account as well as, Iarticle reporting on my academic before the 1700s” and “historians of when the context requires it, to get activities as a historian of astrology at science cannot understand astrology if acquainted with astrological theory – the University of Sydney (“Heaven sent, they begin with a mistrust of its principles that is, to read the works of ancient, hell bent”). This article hurt the good and practitioners”. I hasten to add that I medieval and early modern astrologers. conscience of a number of readers who, maintain and endorse these statements More still, it is the duty of the historian in vehement responses (SAM, Spring fully and enthusiastically. to treat this material not with mistrust 2007), charged me with the suggestion The fact is that astrology was an integral but with the same respect as any other that “we have to accept astrology as a and essential element of Western culture historical document. valid science” or with “implications of until at least the late seventeenth century. “Superstitious nonsense” is not a scientific veracity for the subject” and It played various – sometimes central – fruitful category for assessing scientific “a number of unsupported assertions roles in political and religious history; it practices over the course of history. If regarding the efficacy of astrology”. This featured prominently in literature, scholars of the past were to be judged in is quite extraordinary because there are poetry, music and the visual arts; and the light of modern science, Aristotle, no such claims in the article. as part of the dominant scientific Ptolemy, Galen, al-Kindi, Avicenna, The misunderstanding arose, I suspect, discourse, it was taught at all levels in Averroes, Galileo, Kepler, and even Sir from the comment that I regard astrology European universities and, importantly, Isaac Newton (who was an alchemist) “as perhaps the most consistent, unified was regarded by most philosophers and would not pass the exam. The question and durable body of beliefs and practices scientists as science, even the mother is not whether astrology is valid or not in the Western tradition”, or from state- of all sciences. in the light of modern science, but how The uninitiated 21st-century onlooker and why past scholars came to regard it is of course free to reject these astrological as science. elements as “superstitious nonsense”, David Juste Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Sydney ■ illustration: Maggie Renvoize 2 sydney alumni magazine letters explanation. Such readers’ unchecked Grumpy but eagle-eyed assumptions about the lack of academic Like your grumpy old men I was strongly integrity in the work of Dr. Juste and tempted to write critically on the the supervision by people such as prominence given to astrology in the Professor Clunies Ross are plainly previous edition of (SAM, Spring 2007). insulting. Apologies are due. In fact I had started a draft when I Incidentally, my congratulations on pulled myself up sharp and wondered the setting out of the original article: as was this a spoof? My suspicions seemed one interested in fishing I was most confirmed when the change of editors impressed by the tackle. was reported. John Garretty (BA Hons ’74) Er, this was a spoof wasn’t it? Bathurst, NSW I find myself constrained to display the grumpy old man syndrome in another In the eye of the beholder couple of matters. I would like to respond to the criticism Firstly, it is not usual for editors to self expressed by Professor John Furedy, eulogise using the medium for which Ian Duncan, Dr John Hughes and Chris they have charge. You might have Roth (Letters, SAM, Spring 2007) persuaded your predecessor to write, pertaining to the article “Heaven sent, Gone fishing hell bent” (SAM, Winter 2007). The venom dripping from the letters In their haste to vent their spleens, Write to us these gentlemen have not only misin- page (SAM, Spring 2007) sent me back Letters to the editor must include terpreted the article, they have also to the “Heaven sent, hell bent” article to contact details: full name, address see what scandal I had missed in my shown themselves to be the very thing (not for publication), daytime phone quick scan of it. they despise, namely: unscientific. number and/or email Nothing as it turned out, but others Dr [David] Juste at no time categorically missed a great deal. The author clearly states that astrology must be accepted as address, degree(s) and year(s) stated the research topic's perspective in a valid science. He is rather “attempting of graduation, where applicable. a number of places; especially in the to revive interest in astrology” and Please address your letters to: last paragraph. points out that historically science and Historians cannot come to an under- astrology were inseparable in medieval The Editor standing of the past if they dismiss the times and that the large body of material SAM – Sydney Alumni Magazine thinking of those peoples on the basis on astrology suggests that its importance C/– Publications A14 of present day knowledge and moral should not be overlooked and warrants University of Sydney values. Only by attempting to under- further investigation. NSW 2006 stand the thought paradigms at the Astrology is able to be subjected to time can they grasp historical cause scientific scrutiny in order to prove or Letters may also be sent electronically and effect. Striving to understand past disprove its claims. However, the criti- (with full contact details) “collective mentalities” is a standard cisms as expressed by these gentlemen to: [email protected] approach in historiography. Even in are purely emotive, based on personal Opinions expressed in the pages of similar disciplines such as psychology, bias. Hardly scientific. sociology and anthropology, researchers I challenge them to put their money the magazine are those of the signed adopt “willing suspension of disbelief” where their mouths are and instigate an contributors or the editor and do not in order to gain insights. There is little unbiased and properly designed study. I necessarily represent the official of controversy in all of this. would be more than happy to put my position of the University of Sydney. What is puzzling is why some university beliefs to the test by volunteering my educated readers reacted with such vitriol participation. Space permits only a selection of to one word (astrology) without inter- I suspect, however, that they will be letters to be published here. Letters preting it fully in its literary context, by conspicuous by their silence. may be edited by the editor for space way of more careful reading of the article. Stefan Szembek (BEcon ’93) or other reasons. Perhaps psychology could offer some Mosman NSW summer 2008 3 letters Moider he wrote Talk about attitude. Readers expose the stupidity of astrological belief within the university, yet the editor calls them as “grumpy” (SAM, Spring 2007). Rudeness plus the original drivel. What do Editorial Advisory Committee members think? The cost of sending me the magazine might be better spent elsewhere in the university – a logic course debunking post-modernism for Dr Juste when his fellowship ends. Perhaps a first year student can vet his next moiderous opus threatened by our recalcitrant editor? Kevin McCready (BA Hons ’81, DipEd ’82, BEc ’87) Condong NSW The last word Sydney 1789 It has always been acknowledged that illustration: Maggie Renvoize No limits to appreciation an argument with an editor is impossible to win, as the editor always gives himself Many thanks for your review of The Limits of Location (SAM, Spring 2007).