Newsletter 21 1981 September 1981

Therefore we see that basic responsibilities for Talking Points implementation of the Charter, although most responsi- J. Essex-Clark bilities overlap slightly, are allocated thus: After only eighteen months as Director of Military Art, CO Corps of Staff Cadets: and remembering the many distinguished officers who Foster in each cadet the moral and mental qualities have held this appointment before me, I feel that any upon which leadership depends, and give training in contribution of mine could fall flat on its face unless I leadership theory. wrote something new and interesting for the knowledgea- Promote a sense of honour and loyalty, duty and ble readers of this Newsletter. Now that's a problem: responsibility; and inculcate habits of discipline and what is really new at RMC? After all, the foundationsand soldierly conduct. real traditions of this institution are so strong that it has CI Military Training Wing: withstood the open battering of the many "winds of Gve each cadet the military knowledge necessary to change" and the more subtle stilettos of confused men. enter a career in the Army. However, all that we do at the College is at least Give him a correct understanding of the place of the interesting. Artned Services within the Australian nation. So I thought perhaps I could refresh the memories of Develop a capacity for clear and logical thought and those interested in the College by examining how we expression. implement the military aspects of the Charter, and colour 9 Give a sound military education in the science and in some of the key issues that I perceive at the College principles of war. today. If, after reading this article, the experienced reader Instruct the cadet in the military skills and tech- were to say "I see no real change", I will be delighted; as niques of modern warfare required by the junior aren't we all getting tired of those who "re-inv regimental officer. wheel'? Progress, however, has enabled us to mo I believe most officers, with the above tasks and the wheel and give it smooth bearings, a sound hub usid Training Systems sensibly, would be quite capable resilient spokes, a strong rim, bullet-proof tyres, and - of designinga sound course, albeit each would give differ- ability to change the treads for varying conditions! ent emphwis in subject matter based on his task inven- The Commanding Officer of the Corps o Staff tory and the techniques of instruction he employs. So I Cadets, in addition to his task as Commanding b;f~r, will not go into detail. Of more interest to the reader will has a responsibility for the development of a Met's be tu lobk at some key issues. attitude, and therefore trains and educates t f qonsider the young Australian who enters the leadership theory, customs and traditions of En any year. East year we had 1019-applicants of drill, and physical and recreational training. ,vho.hi 294 were assessed as suitable for officer training. organisation allows also for some elementary 'We VIM 135. The selection boards search for three leadership skills. Later in this article I shall idthe applicantsf these are: the motivation to be the commanding Officer attempts to remedx ; the leadership potential which we can develop inal aspect. him an officer; and the academic capability to *?A b In the 1/80 Newsletter the Chief Instructor of the tarn a degree. Military Training Wing outlined his responsibilities b I I3 The Selection Board not only observes each young will not consider his role in any detail. Basically, h $IS man in a variety of situations over a period of about segen responsible for giving tbe cadets their military know led^ hpqs in a modified "War Office Selection Boiifdl'prwe- and skills. He also ensures that the gadets are prac - dm, but also has the benefit of reports from headmas- leadership during field exercises. ters, psychologists and doctors. But ewen such elaborate continued on page 2

Register, and will return their forms. The Duntroon Register Shortly we hope to begin sending register sheets to R. W. Q. Pugh mcmbers of the Classes from 1947 to 1977. We intended If you read Newsletter 1/ 1980 you will know of the to do this earlier in the year, but it has taken much longer scheme to produce The Duntrcaon Register. The Re ister than expected to trace current postal addresses. Your will be the biographical index of members of the gMC help will be sought to make contact with those whose from its foundation in 191 1 until its 75th Anniversary in addres~sare still unknown. We have begun collecting 1986. It will contain entries for all former members of the infoemation on former members of the College staff, and Corps of Staff Cadets (in numerical order), and of the are planning to send register sheets to those for whom we military, academic and civil staff. can obtain addresses. If your CSC regimental number was lower than The few of us who have been privileged to see the 268 1 11 1, and we have your postal address, you will have brief biographies now on file have found some very inter- received a Register Sheet to complete, and there is a 62 esting reading. We would like to use extracts for other per cent chance that you have already returned it. The purposes at the College, such as items in future Newslet- response from former members of the Classes from 191 1 ters. If you have sent biographical information on or to 1946 (i.e. up to CSC No. 11 10) has been pleasing. We accompanying a register sheet and are willing to allow it sent the forms to 431 for whom we had postal addresses to be used in Newsletters of the Duntroon Society, please and to date have received 268 replies. We hope the write a note to the Registrar, RMC, Duntroon, ACT remaining recipients will read this, be reminded about the 2600. selection programs are not infallible. Once at the College measured by examination and by his individual qualities. there are some cadets who lose motivation and drop by But rarely, except in the very limited intra-college compe- the wayside; for example last year we lost eleven from titions and sport, does he achieve much as a member of a Fourth Class in the first five weeks. Over that year we lost group. Therefore we could develop an individuafistic a total of 58 from all classes for academic or military young officer unless steps were taken to overcome this. It reasons. It is worth stating that our academic losses are is a problem and is difficult to solve. far less, pro rata, than in any Australian university. We Another issue for the First Class cadet is the transi- graduate about two-thirds of the young men who enter tion from three years' university education to the more the College. We lose a third because weho not lower the formal military style of training in his fourth year. His academic or military standards we demand. learning habits have been well developed and are differ- On arrival at the College the young man faces ent from those of other army students. For example, and further problems. Usually it is the first time he has left inter alia, his keenness in notetaking is prodigious. The home, he has just been relaxing on holidays, he has to sight, and sound, of a multitude of scribbling tiered adapt to the need for self-organisation within a tertiary cadets, all bowed over their notebooks, as you lecture education, he has to adjust to a military hierarchical and stylishly to them about some worthy subject, their faces conformist system, he has to learn to move smartly and bobbing up only as the "thunk" of the Vugraph alerts look immaculate in uniform and he has to respond with them to something clear to copy, is quite unnerving after alacrity. Neither at school nor in many homes is he being accustomed to the rapt attention of non-tertiary prepared for all this these days. The Corps of Staff Cadets students. With the latter it may have gone in one ear and helps him adjust as rapidly as possible, as in the past, and out the other, but at least you saw their faces. Neverthe- most do adjust quickly; but a small number find the less, ask a cadet a question about what you have told him adjustment very difficult and fade away. Essentially the and he knows the answer, even if he has to flip through his cadet is a product of our secondary school system and the notebook like a policeman giving evidence. society and family organisations of today, which are During their academic years cadets also develop a somewhat different from the youthful experiences of questioning and critical attitude which, initially, is dis- many of the readers of this Newsletter. Nevertheless he is concerting to some military instructors; but it certainly medically sound, intelligent, inquisitive, has much gen- keeps the staff on their toes and forces us to understand eral knowledge and is fluent in speech (though his written and explain the "why" rather than just the "who, what, expression is often appalling). He is generally outspoken when, where and how". There is no doubt that cadets and not overawed by authority. Although he has come to must learn the basics but their scholarship allows us to RMC to be an officer, he is often unsure whether the move quickly into the areas of reasoning and the applica- degree or the commission is more important; his parents, tion of knowledge. friends, school counsellors and teachers may have given We have introduced an elective program in First him, understandably, only the motivation for a degree, Class which allows the cadet to broaden his military and his commission as an officer is not really understood knowledge and continue research and analytical tech- and is in the hazy future. It is up to us, the staff at RMC, niques developed in his first three years. With these elec- to crystallise his motivation towards being a first-rate tives will be a more extensive and academically oriented officer, and we get adequate time to do this. military history program to replace the loss of compul- The pull between liberal questioning university edu- sory history from the degree courses. The broadening of cation and hierarchical conformity continues for the next military history and the introduction of electives should three years. This apparent dichotomy often leads both also allow TEWTS to be more dynamic as cadets will service and civilian visitors to the College to ask me how have some special knowledge to contribute. well the system works. First of all we have to face it as a The environment and length of course at Duntroon fact of life at RMC; it has always been one and will have other disadvantages. I do not mean the old chest- continue to be one at ADFA in the future. Limited by nuts of buildings, facilities and weather but the problem space in this short article I can only say that, put simply, of a four to five-year course being so long that graduation the problem is overcome through an understanding by and commissioning appears to the cadet as the goal both the military and academic staff of what the goals are rather than his later service as an Army officer. This leads at RMC. to a feeling that the course is an end in itself rather than a This leads to the perennial question: degree or no means to an end. Tied to this are a special disciplinary degree for an embryonic army officer? I believe that code and a rank structure which tend to develop a unique offering a degree course allows us to penetrate into apool rather than a normal barracks atmosphere. This can of young men with excellent potential to be army officers, isolate the cadet, and indeed the staff, from the "real which might be denied to us by parents and educators if army* for which cadets are being trained. the degree were not offered. Although all parts of all Isolated in the national capital far from other Army degrees are not militarily vocational, theacademic course units and so close to our twin citadels of military sagacity, does give the younger officer a body of knowledge which we are like goldfish in a bowl and have to be careful not to generates self-assurance and a study technique which concentrate more on image than substance. This situa- develops analytical ability. Also, by mixing with aca- tion also tends to make the cadet socially defensive out- demic staff with their kaleidoscopic ideals and interests, side the College. We try to overcome this by encouraging he broadens his understanding of man and society. In attachments to Army units during leave periods, and, in addition, the two spheres of his life at RMC, and the First Class, formal attachments to Regular and Reserve complexities within each, allow him to "role-playWexten- units. Obviously the more contact the cadet can have with sively without hypocrisy and, as many psychologists say, the Army in which he serves and the more his life at RMC the better a man is at that the far easier life will be. In is equated with the real Army the more easily he will essence, the College motto "Doctrina Vim Promovet" is adapt after commissioning. This is an aspect we are still most valid. addressing. A far more difficult problem is that the four to So, knowing what we have to achieve, understand- five-year course develops a young man whose main ing the young men that we select, and realising some of achievements are measured by his individual energies and the problems of the environment in which we have to abilities in both academic and military studies. He is work, how do the military staff do the job? As always, the most important factor is the staff. The officers must set such an example that the cadet is con- In Short.. . vinced that being a first-class officer is what he aspires to. The editors have recently indulged themselves in a To restate old clichks, all staff in contact with the cadets little "role playing". This edition is largely a Bryan pro- must be precise, forceful, helpful and thorough; and their duction as he is now easing himself into the editor's chair. manner must be fair, firm and friendly. This puts great G. D. Solomon (1938) had earlier given notice of his responsibility, on all those who select "contact" staff for intention to retire after the first two editions. He did the College, and by "contact" staff I mean all those who resign officially earlier in the year but has continued to will haveto deal with the cadets, such as company com- lend an unofficial, though no less effective, hand. manders, instructors, staff officers, platoon advisers, sports coaches, drill instructors, and administrative staff. Their personal standards must be high and their attitudes The Secretary (Major A. Watson) repeats his mes- towards the Service and its ethos must be positive and sage from the last Newsletter (11 1981) that the Council strong. This is no place for the non-professional or career has extended the term of the~currentsubscription to the waverer. Duntroon Society to December 1981. The renewal sub- Another important factor is the style of the Corps of scription ($5.00) for 1982 should be paid by 1 January Staff Cadets. It must generate teamwork. It must teach 1982 but it would be helpful to him if he could receive it an understanding of accountability entwined with now. So far he has not had an encouraging response tahis authority, the interdependence of military organisations, plea for early payment. and the responsibilities of leadership. It must also develop resourcefulness, boldness and imagination, and eagerness to initiate and hold the initiative in any situa- tion in peace and war whether in command, staff, or Many older graduates will remember J. J. Eather training. Finally it must inculcate, as stated in the Char- (1915). During the,Second World War he spent the ter, habits of discipline and soldierly conduct and provide period June 1941 to July 1944 at RMC combining a a sense of honour and loyalty. number of roles of which the most apparent were those of Therefore the responsibility of the CO of the Corps Commanding Officer CSC and controlling the College of Staff Cadets in developing the style and attitude of our administration. He and his wife had two small sons. We potential officers is heavy. He achieves this through the record with pleasure that one of these sons, now Father authority he delegates to the NCO appointments within Michael Eather S.J. with his mother, made a sentimental the Corps, intra-Corps sport and a vast program of exter- journey back to Duntroon early this year. Father Eather nal sporting competitions, an energetic and varied adven- is a member of the Australian Jesuit Mission in India (he ture training program, and a comprehensive array of has been there for many years) and is currently Principal cadet-run societies and clubs covering many interests as of the Teachers' Training Institute, Sitagahar, Bihar. On diverse as stamp collecting, debating, choral singing, ham leave in Australia he said a Mass in the Duntroon Chapel radio, and wargaming. He also is responsible for drill and on Sunday 15 March 1981. ceremonial activities which, probably as much as any- thing else, pull the Corps together to achieve public recognition as a group. Throughout a cadet's time in the Corps he is expected to show the integrity and loyalty expected of an That Reminds Us!. . . . . officer. A lack of these qualities still prevents a cadet Mary Gilchrist and Joan Allen obtaining his commission. In the last issue of the Newsletter the hope was Enough said. There are many other interesting issues expressed that some readers would share their recollec- that could be mentioned, particularly in training in mil- tions of Duntroon. Mary Gilchrist and Joan Allen grew itary knowledge and skills and the academic program, up there (the names of Professor Gilchrist and Dr Allen but this statement is limited by time available and space will set a chord vibrating in many old minds) and though, in the Newsletter. I would like to think that it may have in line with well-established military practice, not unex- helped those away from the College to understand what pected in ladies whose formative years were passed in we are about. such an atmosphere, they did not actually volunteer, they I believe, and have had confirmed by visits to many were happy to recall over a cup of coffee some of their units, that we are preparing our cadets for their commis- memories of Duntroon in the 1920s. sion well. If I have a "message" it is to those readers who Even so, they were still concerned that what they may influence the posting of staff to establishments such remembered was unimportant or lacked general interest. as the Officer Cadet School and ourselves: We chose to disagree, believing that any authentic per- sonal recollection, however slight it may seem to the "No printed word, no spoken plea, person concerned, is likely to be significant as part of a Can teach young hearts what men should be, larger pattern. Apart from that there is always the chance Not all the books, in all the shelves, that one recollection will lead to another from someone But what the teachers are, themselves." else. So here they are! Joan: I clearly remember Duntroon in the 1920s as a The author is anonymous, but the message clear. remote and picturesque village, surrounded by vast The better the staff, the better the course, the better the empty plains with a mere sprinkling of houses. It was not graduate, the better the Army. a place to generate excitement amongst people who mostly came from the cities. My father came to Duntroon Born in Hon Kong, educatedin Melbourne, Colonel &sex-Clark in 1918. Letters from that time offered the dry comment sewed witb tje Amy oftbe Federation of Rboaksia and Nyasa- that life was not "electrically tinglingn, when even a film land beforejoining tbe Australian Army in 1963. He is a gradu- on hydatids was held to promise "a nice night's entertain- ate of tbe staff colleges at Camberley and Fort Leavenwortb. He came to Duntroon as DMA after being Commandant of tbe ment". There must have been the usual irritations inher- Infantry Centre. In bis article Colonel Essex-Clark teflects on tbe ent in a small community and there were no luxuries, but situation at Duntroon as be bas experienced it since early 1980. as a child I was happily ignorant. 3 Cadets were not ignorant and may even have been bulk orders from Anthony Hordern's in Sydney; opening happy, but they had to study and sleep in thin-walled the boxes raised pleasant expectations in the children as, fibro huts susceptible to the extremes of both heat and of course, it did in children all over the country. cold, and attend classes in a draughty wooden building Close at hand the Corkhill dairy farm provided milk; that stood on the edge of the parade ground. This unins- the Hill family ran a vegetable garden and had customers piring building was a centre of learning on weekdays but amongst Duntroon families. The College itself had a took on a new life on Monday nights for adults and poultry farm that supplied poultry and eggs to the CSC children alike, when Tom Mix performed heroically on Mess and also to families. During a flood in, I think, 1926 the screen to the accompaniment of vigorous and expres- the Fourth Class were hauled out of bed in the early hours sive piano playing. Gripping serials like "The Moonrid- of the morning to rescue the waterlogged hens. My broth- ers" had us on the edge of our seats. More subdued music ers told me that cadets always maintained they got the issued from the same venue during church services on chicken legs while the stewards got the breasts. Sundays. Young's opened at Kingston in the 1920s (they were Whatever British officers thought of being stationed already in Queanbeyan) and Snow's had a store in one of at this outpost of Empire did not penetrate my world as a the first two colonnaded blocks at Civic Centre. In order child. Maybe such thoughts were not for my ears anyway. to deal with the influx of visitors for the Sports Meeting Mary: Looking back, I realise there were compensations, and the Gymkhana in October, and probably also for at least for children. Simple enough, but they made life Graduation, the catering was often done by the Civil worth living. We had the run of the gymnasium and the Service Stores of Sydney. freedom of the tennis courts, the maze and the Mess I remember too the weekly wagon trip to Quean- gardens (with the lovely old mulberry tree), open pad- beyan. But I also have vivid memories of driving to docks for cricket and football, bush walks up the slopes ~ueanbe~anwith my parents and brothers in a ~odel-T of Mount Pleasant and Mount Ainslie. When my father Ford on a cold winter's day-hood down of course-and later owned a Fiat tourer, he liked to free-wheel down the my youngest brother Mark and myself choosing to sit on Ainslie hill and sweep through the narrow gateway to the the floor in the back with a rug over our heads to keep out College, then the main entrance. This always caused a the icy blasts. A Saturday afternoon trip to Queanbeyan tremendous stir among those privileged to see it. was like a visit to the city for us as the shops would be The Molonglo left a lot to be desired as a swimming crowded. So were the h⪕ liquor was available there pool as it was always so muddy, but after all it wasa river. but not in Canberra, where prohibition was the rule until The narrow suspension bridge across it could be made to 1927. sway alarmingly and that could put a scare into small Joan: One of the most exciting events for me was the girls. Further afield there were picnics at the Cotter, a annual Gymkhana put on by the cadets. There were the much more attractive spot for swimming. There were also musical ride, tent-pegging and some competitive events children's parties at some of the nearer country proper- but best of all was the Cossack-style riding at full gallop ties, Lanyon or Gungahlin, for instance, or at Mount with the riders leaping off and on the horses, standing up Stromlo. on the saddles and riding with their backs to the horses' Joan: I don't think we as children were aware of it but the heads. It was quite apparent that the College horses were isolation must have left a sense of deprivation amongst not exactlv circus animals so the skill of the riders was the adults, who were denied for long periods the interests quite amaiing. In between such events, to keep the crowd of life in a city. It was only the brave or the really amused, there would be some clowning by cadets dressed desperate who undertook more than once a year the in strange outfits-and, on at least one occasion I tedious and uncomfortable journey interstate. Entertain- remember, driving across the paddocks in a restored ment consisted of dinners, bridge and record evenings, "tourer" car, assembled in the College workshops by garden parties on special occasions, a diversity of sports, some engineering geniuses from bits and pieces. amateur theatricals and soirees when the quality of the Mary For us youngsters schooling at Duntroon was quite resident talents was on display in local drawing rooms to a big thing. Before the Duntroon school was established, be endured or applauded depending on your luck. But the Miss Ada Curley taught a small number of pupils at the whole district came alive for one week in October, when College. She was the elder sister of Miss Sylvia Curley, visitors came pouring in, not only from surrounding who many years later was so closely identified with the properties but from interstate, to enjoy a busy program Canberra Hospital. The original Duntroon school was a during Sports Week, with parties, dances and picnics as small wooden building whose modest grounds have now well as the sports. Every household became the tempor- been swallowed up by the site preparations for ADFA. ary home of bevies of girls, who all seemed glamorous to I'm very conscious of that! We used to walk past the us as children. "Captains' Quarters", down a dirt road with the minia- As there was virtually no Canberra to offer distrac- ture rifle range on our left, and finally over a stile to the tions, cadets valued home hospitality. In order to offer as rockv site. Two teachers COD^^ with 30 to 40 children. favourable menus as possible, hostesses often braved a most of them from Duntroon but some from neighbour- journey on a horsedrawn covered wagon that left Dun- ing farms. Mr David Jones, the headmaster, was our troon each Friday for Queanbeyan, travelling over authority on every subject. My father used to say that we unpaved roads to the edge of the river, into which the all had the habit of introducing topics of conversation horses plunged, managed the crossing, scrambled up the with the words: "Mr Jones says. . . ". Amongst the pupils other side and eventually reached the shops. Such expedi- I remember were three McKenzies, three Haydons, four tions in a wet season seemed quite hazardous to me. Gilchrists, two Knights-all familiar Duntroon family Mary: Of course, ordinary supplies could be bought at the names. local RMC Canteen at its old site near that occupied by Joan: Some children later went away to boarding schools the northern end of the MI Block today. In early days it in Sydney. You and your brothers did that didn't you, was successively in the hands of Dicky Dunn and Paddy Mary? When my turn came, I was a weekly boarder at a Pola, both of whom became Duntroon identities and small school held in Glebe House, over near Civic Centre. both of whom later established themselves in other busi- It seems funny now to think that Duntroon was so inac- nesses in Queanbeyan or Canberra. Some families aug- cessible. When the Girls' Grammar opened I went there mented the straightforward offerings of the canteen with as a boarder. Mary: We both have memories of the RMC hospital, recall that Brigadier Heritage was known for his sense of with Drs Butler and Stoker and at least two of the nursing humour either. sisters, the Mawsons: Big Sister and Little Sister. My Strange that I remember such a happening yet my mother told me Dr Stoker apparently belonged to the mind is pretty much a blank about the Chumleighs and generation of medicos who believed in whipping out Shapperes. That's children for you. children's tonsils or cutting them, or whatever they did in Mary: One recollection that still seems poignant to me those days. I remember being one of a whole queue of belongs to the Graduation Ball in 1930. The College was children being led into the hospital-the doctor catered destined to move from Duntroon and start the new year for everyone-going under the knife then being laid out at Victoria Barracks in Sydney. I remember cadets falling in a row on the linoleum floor of the waiting room until in on the parade ground at the end of the night to receive we recovered sufficiently to be taken home. We lay there the order-as near as I can recall it: "From Duntroon, on newspapers covered with our own blankets. The Dismiss!" matron was a kind soul but not kind enough to have her Joan: I think now is a good time for us to dismiss, don't hospital linen awash with our innocent blood. you? Joan: But mark you, I had an experience in the then Postscript: RSM Chumleigh held office for over seven- Canberra Hospital that was not a whole lot better. teen years and in the cadet world loomed very large Mary: I can't remember much about some of the people indeed. Not so, it seems, in that of two young girls who who were amongst the "characters" of that period. I remember first the two Chumleigh bulldogs; then Mrs remember more about their wives and children and I Chumleigh and last man in, as it were, Chumleigh him- suppose that's natural. There used to be a bit of gossip at self. One suspects that this order of batting would not home about the visits of the really famous, like the Prince have appealed to him at all. Is there someone able to help of Wales in 1920 and the Duke and Duchess of York in elevate him once more? 1927. It was said sotto voce that the Prince drank afair bit at dinner in the Mess and committed the sin of striding across the parade ground. Obituary Joan: I'm in the same boat really. In fact the only charac- Since the last Newsletter appeared the deaths have ter I recall featured in a trivial incident that is scarcely occurred of the following former members of the Society: worth recording except in a child's mind. Brigadier Herit- age, as Commandant, had reason to call on Canon Ward 10 May 1981, General Sir John Wilton (1927) at St John's rectory. When he was leaving, the rector's 12 May 1981, Colonel A. B. MacDonald (1917) son, Teddy Ward, idly playing with the garden hose, 28 May 1981, Lieutenant-General Sir Frank Berryman would not let him pass. He had to walk through the spray (1913) and the august feet were doused. Perhaps the rector did There may have been others of which the Secretary is the heads and Teddy the feet! Teddy also attended the unaware. He would be grateful to receive information of small school at Glebe House; I knew him and I can this nature either from Branches or individual members believe the incident would have appealed to him. I don't as it comes to notice. Dwntroon from ,the Air1981

In the foreground the road winding up to the top of Mount Pleasant separates the Magazine, clearly visible. and General Bridges'grave(very hard to detect)from the unmistakable sign of site preparation for the Australian Defence Force Academy. At the far right of the centre of the photograph is the Military Instruction Block, nearly twenty years old now and, like the Anzac Block, a giant in its day. The ground floor is given over the the Bridges Memorial Library. There have been recent extensions to cope with the increasing size of the Library. At right angles to the Military Instruction Block and connected to it is a building that houses the College's central administration, except for the Commandant's offices, which are still in Duntroon House. Beyond the gardens of Duntroon House are the Other Ranks Barracks and the MT Compound. To the left are the Engineer and Signal Stores and,silhouetted against the large white shed (a former repository for the Australian War Memorial) the new permanent home of the RMC Band. For years it has had to put up with inadequate accommodation and despite this has managed to perform splendidly both within the College and outside it. Australian Capital Territory Victorian Branch Report The Victoria-based members of the Duntroon Branch Report Society held their first gathering in Melbourne, a lun- As the tone of the second issue of the Newsletter cheon in the Army Officers' Mess at Victoria Barracks, clearly conveyed, the Duntroon Society has, as it were, on Thursday, 5 March 1981. Forty-two of the (then) 64 taken off. With membership figures rising, a major members attended, including a pleasing number of branch formed in New Zealand, and activities already friends of Duntroon. Cadets of every decade since the held or planned in a number of localities, what other College was established were present, and the classes of conclusion could there be? 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918 and 1919 were all repres- It was in this exciting mood that the ACT Branch ented. The occasion proved to be a long overdue reunion, held its inahgural function on 27 February 1981. The with several members exchanging greetings for the first function took the form of a buffet luncheon under the time in more than thirty years. stately old oak trees on the lawns of Duntroon House, The then Commandant, Major-General Morrison, and was attended bv some 85 members of the Branch. All was welcomed as our guest and commended for his dedi- agreed that the occasion was an outstanding success and cated efforts to establish the Society on a sound basis. the question on most lips as people reluctantly dragged The General certainly made everyone-and particularly themselves away from the scene was "When and where the old-timers-feel welcome, as he told them what he are we having the next one?" intended when he moved to form the Society, and about Of course, as one speaker pointed out during the Duntroon in the 1980s. brief formalities, the beautiful Canberra weather, the The consensus of members was that the biannual delightful-and for many, the nostalgic-setting of Dun- distribution of the Society's Newsletter and the staging of troon, coupled with the superb catering for which the social gatherings would fulfil members' needs. They do RMC Officers' Mess is so well known, all contrived to not wish to engage in formal discussions, or to become a produce a formula for success which is virtually disciplined body. (And who can blame them, having foolproof. spent earlier times at "the Clink'?) Even so, several And yet it was not these factors, but the opportunity members offered to assist in the conduct of the Society's to meet old friends that made the day for most. How affairs in Victoria and, no doubt, their services will be often, we wonder, did one hear the sort of phrase "Good enlisted in the near future. heavens, if it isn't old B----. Haven't seen you for years!" The passage of time doesn't seem to have sapped the No wonder conversation waxed loud and long into the energy of some. For example, a 1918-vintage member afternoon. had left his home in Gippsland by road at six in the Even more significantly perhaps was the diversity of morning to connect with the train which would deliver dress, backgrounds, ranks, titles, ages and interests him to Melbourne in time for the luncheon, and he did amongst those present. Uniforms and lounge suits; life not expect to be able to arrive home before midnight. members and a recent graduate; a former Chief of Deeds such as this surely highlight the need for the Defence Staff and a unit adjutant; military staff and Society which has now been formed. academic staff, past and present; and some who have had The Society is grateful to the Commander of 3rd no direct connection with the College at all but, in the Military District, Brigadier Stewart Kendell, and the words of the Society's charter, are friends of Duntroon. PMC of the Army Officers' Mess in Victoria, for their This, it seemed to those present, typified the spirit and support. Apart from making the Mess facilities available purpose of the Society. for the 1981 luncheons, the friendly welcome which Formalities were, as previously indicated, kept to a members received from them, the standard of cuisine and minimum. However. members listened to a short address service, and the conviviality which prevailed at the Soci- by the founder, the'first president, and the motivating ety's first lunch were all subjects of comments of gratitude force behind the Duntroon Society, Major-General A. L. from members. Morrison, in which he discussed some wider issues affect- The Branch would like, in future, to hold two lun- ing the Society and reported on its overall progress at cheons in Melbourne each year, one in March and one in home and abroad. For its part, the Branch expressed its October. The Mess, to which most of the members paid sincere thanks to Major-General Morrison forthe oppor- life membership dues in earlier years, seems to be the tunity to hold the function at the College on that occa- appropriate venue for Society luncheons. Hence, an sion, and for the willing and capable support of his staff. approach is being made to obtain formal approval which Due in no small measure to the interest created by will allow us to "pencil in our diaries" on the first Thurs- this function the membership of the ACT Branch has day in March and in October each year a Duntroon continued to grow and now stands at a healthy 168, but is Society luncheon at the Mess in Victoria Barracks, unlikely to rest there for long. Consideration is being Melbourne. given to holding a further function later in the year, To set the pattern for the future, the second lun- perhaps to include lady guests. Views are also being cheon for 1981 will be held at the Mess on Thursday, 1 canvassed on the timing and general approach to the October, 198 1. Circulars will be forwarded to all Victo- setting up of a conventional branch organisation, rian members nearer the date, but, meanwhile, why not although it seemed to be generally agreed (except perhaps scout around for some new members to bring along with by the over-worked Conveners!) that this was not an you? urgent matter.

Western Australian Branch The Western Australian Branch announces that there will be informal gatherings on the third Wednesday in October and the third Wednesday in March, from 5pm to 6.30pm, at the Naval and Military Club, 12-14 The Esplanade, Perth. This photograph strikes a nice balance between the new and the old as measured at Duntroon. The Anzac Memorial Chapel of St Paul dominates theforeground. The wing nearer the camera caters for Roman Catholics, the other for the needs of Protestants. They share the central nanhex surmounted by the spire, which provides the main entrance to the building. This can been seen more clearly in the illustration accompanying Major-General Finlay's article in the last Newsletter. At the road junction to the right is one of the four "Captain's Quarters" built at the time of thecollege's opening. The other three, half-hidden in the trees, come up against the Anzac Blpck, living quarters for cadets and an architectural giant, it seemed, when it was put up in mid-1950s. In recent years most of it has been occupied as offices by memben of the Faculty of Military Studies. The previous tenants and.their successors were provided with otheraccommodation, mainly in thenew blocks on the slopes of Mount Pleasant. They can be seen behind the buildings flanking the Parade Ground, which formed the principal part of the building program when the College returned from Paddington in 1937. In the distance there is the eastern end of Lake Burley Griffin and the estuary, to give itadignity it scarcely deserves, ofthe Molonglo. It will be obvious that where once a bicycle was an excellent means of getting from Edlington's Farm to the Power House a boat would now be needed.

In the centre are the Other Ranks Barracks and to their right is part of the MT Compound, anarea where the hone reigned unchallenged for forty years before giving way to the Internal Combustion Engine a long time ago. Behind the Barracks and across the road are the former quarters of the Women's Services now occupied by cadets. Beyond them is the Sergeants' Mess. Still further away is a segment of the golf course and the cinder-track, which was an athletic showpiece in Canberra when it was put down in the 1950s. It is no longer that; it is no longer a showpiece within Duntroon for that matter. To the right ofthecinder-track the playingfields runaway until they meet the main oval, not to be seen here. At the centre of the left edge of the photograph is the building that untll recently was the ASCO Store, Duntroon's supermarket as it were. The corner of the Parade Ground is visible at the left and so is Duntroon House in its still lovely garden Across the road are the squash courts and the swimming pool. Behind them is the first of the two-storey houses, a feature of the Royal Military CoUege since its foundation. The last in the row is the Commandant's House, now called Bridges House. It faces the narthex of the Chapel. which was where we began this selective and thus incomplete gulded tour. of individual components of the facility. This activity has The Engineering Departments been the subject of two papers in engineering education C. G. J. Streatfield journals and has been strongly supported by RAE offic- The original Department of Engineering at RMC ers with whom we have had contact. In fact, this year the began to operate in 1950 with the appointment ofArthur Director of Engineers was able to join us at Shoalwater Corbett as the Head of Department. The single depart- Bay for several days during our site investigation and he ment continued to cover the entire range of engineering expressed his view to us that the exercise is an invaluable subjects taught at the College until 1973, six years after part of the education of our final-year students. The the affiliation with the University of New South Wales, mounting of the site investigation phase is time consum- when separate Departments of Civil, Electrical and ing and demanding on the staff of the Civil Engineering Mechanical Engineering were set up. Department and the logistic resources of the Army but It is a prime requirement that RMC's engineering we firmly believe that this type of exercise is precisely graduates be professionally accredited. To this end great what undergraduate Army civil engineers should be importance is attached to maintaining the recognition involved in. The alternative of conventional laboratory- given to the three engineering degree courses by the Insti- based research projects, we feel, is very much a poor tution of Engineers, Australia. One condition of such substitute, substantially out of line with the needs of the recognition is that each student gains at least 60 days' employer of our graduates. experience working in appropriate industrial employ- Readers may be interested to note that the civil ment prior to his graduation from the University. engineering course has, along with those of the other The three departments are separate and autonom- engineering departments, recently come under the scrut- ous but their common foundation is reflected in a high iny of the Board of Examiners of the Institution of Engi- degree of co-operation and in the sharing of some facili- neers, Australia, the body responsible for periodicaily ties and equipment. They also operate under similar con- assessing standards in all engineering courses in Austra- ditions and many of the remarks made about one or other lia. Their preliminary comments on course content, staff, of the departments in the following articles can also be and standards have been very encouraging but they applied to the others. Examples of these are statements singled out for critical comment the state of our labora- made about laboratory conditions and problems asso- tory facilities, which they said ". . .are, without doubt, ciated with research. Class sizes are generally smaller the worst of any in Australia". They added: ". . .the than those found in universities elsewhere and efforts are provision of minimum acceptable facilities can on no made to give a military flavour to courses wherever account be delayed [until ADFA]". Members of the possible. Department, the College administration, and the Univer- Engineering affairs are considered in the first sity have, of course, been very much aware of this prob- instance by the Engineering Committee, a sub-committee lem for a number of years, and it had been hoped that the of the Faculty of Military Studies comprising the teach- new ADFA buildings would be constructed quickly ing staffs of the three engineering departments together enough to provide a solution. The delays in ADFA devel- with heads of other departments and some military opment have forced everybody to look again at this members. It has the general oversight of the three engi- problem and urgent steps are now being taken to provide neering degree courses and makes appropriate recom- facilities of minimum acceptable standard for theinterim mendations to the Faculty. period leading up to ADFA. A final point of interest is that this Department has Mr C. G. J. Streatfield, senior lecturer in tbe Department of currently working on its lecturing staff an RAE officer, Electrical Engineering, is Cbairman of tbe Engineering Commit- Major David Martindale, who recently took over from tee of tbe Faculty. Major (now Lieutenant-Colonel) Roger Barker, who had worked with us for the previous two years. We have found these associations to be invaluable in fostering the The Department of Civil kind of relationship with RAE that is necessary to ensure that this Department provides a course and emphasis Engineering uniquely relevant to the needs of RAE, while still main- J. Sneddon taining the proper academic and professional standards. The Civil Engineering course at RMC, while similar Dr J. Sneddon is a senior lecturer in tbe Department of Civil to that offered at most universities in Australia, contains Engineering. He is currently Acting Head of tbe Department some features which it is felt allow the course to better pending tbe appointment of a replacement for tbe former Head, satisfy the requirements of an officer entering RAE. Professor T. G. Cbapman. The first two years of the course consist essentially of mathematics, basic science and engineering science com- ponents and as such do not differ markedly from any other engineering course. In the remaining two academic The Department of Electrical years, students specialise more in civil engineering sub- jects and the subjects offered are designed to reflect the Engineering ranges of interest that a professional engineer in RAE Harry E. Green could be expected to have, e.g. Road Design, Pavement Electrical Engineering is much the youngest of the Design, Public Health Engineering, Structural Design three major and traditional branches represented in the and Management Science, to name a few. engineering group of departments in the Royal Military A further and particularly important component of College. It had its origin in the turning to practical use of our final year is the Civil Engineering Project, which the discoveries of nineteenth-century physics and first typically involves the office investigation, site investiga- made significant impact through the electric power tion, and design of a major (but hypothetical) military industry. Electronics, which dates from the early part of facility (including ports, airfields, roads, water supplies, the present century, is now the major part of the subject etc.) to be constructed in the Army's Shoalwater Bay and, since the replacement of the electron tube about 25 Training Area in Queensland. Following the site investi- years ago by solid state devices, development in this field gation at Shoalwater Bay, students proceed to the design has proceeded at a rate unparalleled in history. 8 Nowadays one would identify three major sub- given annually by the Institution of Engineers, Australia, disciplinary areas as contributing to the subject as a "for achievement in electrical engineering" was won by a whole. These can be classified as power and energy con- member of the Department. All members of staff have version, electronics and telecommunications, and com- been frequent participants in engineering conferences puting and control. All have significant applications and have continued to make contributions to profes- militarily and the electrical engineering course at Dun- sional journals at a very satisfactory rate. troon aims to provide its graduates with as deep and as As mentioned, there has been continued activity in balanced a knowledge of each as is possible in the time professional affairs. A member of staff served as Chair- available while still allowing some specialisation at final- man of the Canberra Division of the Institution of Engi- year level. neers, Australia, in 1979 and another is currently its As indicated, electrical engineering has become a Junior Vice-Chairman. Further contributions have been very broad subject. There is therefore a great need for made through services on Institution Boards and Panels selection in constructing an undergraduate curriculum. and various National Committees. The Department cur- Alone amongst the Australian professional engineering rently provides the Chairman of the Canberra Division's schools, that at RMC enjoys the advantage of knowing Electrical Engineering Branch and a former member of who will employ its graduates and this does ease the staff was Secretary of the Canberra Division of the Insti- problem. While not taught in a way greatly different from tution of Radio and Electronics Engineers, Australia. any civilian university-the almost tutorial atmosphere Others have served on course advisory panels in other engendered by the generally smaller classes would be the educational institutions in the ACT. principal difference-the subject matter has generally Apart from the physical facilities, perhaps the grea- been selected with a military audience in mind. This is test brake on research has been a lack of graduate stu- reflected in an emphasis on systems, the inclusion of dents. Few have been forthcoming from within the material on topics not found elsewhere such as military military system and, although no restrictions exist on the electronics, and a much greater than usual slice of opera- enrolment of civilians in this category, the generally unin- tions research, a topic common to all three engineering dustrial nature of Canberra has kept the numbers small. streams. Perhaps, too, the need for an academic staff of only six to span so large a subject has had the effect of depriving Electrical engineering emphasises analytical skills them of the synergism which can be generated in the and, in many areas, remains tightly coupled to advances research groups to be found in the larger schools. in the basic sciences. This requires well-developed skills Looking to the future, the technical growth rate in in mathematics and physics. This too is reflected in the electrical engineering can be expected to be maintained, course, the electricals being the only engineering students and, at least for a decade or two, perhaps even to acceler- to do two years of physics. Engineering, however, is more ate under the impetus of the microprocessor and micro- than just analysis. Perhaps what distinguishes it most miniaturisation. This will require constant effort on the from the basic sciences is its emphasis on synthesis, the part of all electrical engineers simply to keep current in bringing together of physical hardware and other sub- just some part of the subject. Their starting point is an systems to fulfil some design aim. ability to read and understand the subject literature. If The earlier part of the course is devoted to the mas- with our students we accomplish no more than this, we tery of principles and acquisition of basic knowledge but will have given them a good start in their careers. But in the final year there is a shift in emphasis, each student engineering has two essential parts-the science and the being required to undertake a major project which lasts art. The first is largely what engineering schools are all throughout the year and on which he must write a minor about. The latter is mostly learned on the job and thesis and lead a seminar. This project work is under- demands an unequivocal commitment by the employer to taken on an individual basis with each student assigned to provide challenging assignments in a technically stimu- a member of academic staff as supervisor. Projects are lating atmosphere, particularly in the early years follow- chosen fresh each year and, while some build on work ing graduation. carried out by previous students, none are simply repeti- tions. Some are of a military nature and all reflect various Dr H. E. Creenjoinedtbe Faculty of Milita y Studies in July 1972 staff interests. as foundation Professor of Electrical Engineering after a number of years witb tbe Australian Defence Scientific Service. Like the other engineering departments at RMC, we have been forced to work in generally makeshift condi- tions with space particularly at a premium. Although the laboratories and workshops are well equipped, their The Department of being spread through parts of several buildings over a wide area necessarily reduces efficiency and creates frus- Mechanical Engineering trations. Most of this is due to the failure to carry forward I. W. Linnett a satisfactory building program to keep pace with the Historically, Mechanical Engineering as an auto- development of the department since its formation in nomous department at RMC is quite young, having been 1973. The ever-present promise of better things to come created recently when the former Department of Engi- in ADFA bears much of the blame. neering established within the Royal Military College in Nonetheless this has not prevented the growth of an 1950 was replaced by the separate Departments of Civil, active program of research and of professional participa- Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. During this early tion on the part of the academic staff. Grants from the period, the foundation professor of ~n~ineerin~,~rth~r Radio Research Board have financed research on diffrac- Corbett, a mechanical engineer with a passion for chroni- tion theory, electrochromic displays and the develop- cling the history of engineering in Australia, was respon- ment of a new type of electronic rain gauge. The sible for laying the foundation for the present study of Department has also had a grant from the Electrical engineering and in particular, mechanical engineering, in Research Board for work on power system characterisa- the Faculty of Military Studies. tion. A member of staff has been successful in selling the Developed upon this foundation, the undergraduate design of a waveform synthesiser to a commercial elec- course in mechanical engineering is of a nature tradi- tronics manufacturer. In 1977 the John Madsen Medal, tional in Australian universities and covers those areas fundamental to this branch of engineering in the first cate mechanical engineers whose first employer must be three years. In the final year, a choice of electives is the Department of Defence may produce an evolution of offered to students to allow the study of some particular the course which will make it unique. Whether or not areas of interest in greater depth. In common with all such an evolution occurs must be a decision for the such courses, subtle changes in detail and emphasis occur future, but it is believed that the education of the engineer with changes in the profession and in the interests and must be technically up to date, meet fully all requirements expertise of the lecturing staff, particularly in the elec- for entry into the profession and, where possible, antici- tives offered in the final year. pate any particular professional skills. Perhaps then this Framed and hung on the Mechanical Engineering should be our charter. Laboratory wall is an ancient Chinese proverb which is Mr I. W. Linnett is a lecturer in the Department of Mechanical translated as "I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I Engineering. Here, be deputises for the Head of tbe Department, do and I understand". Following this philosophy, the five Professor R. K. Duggins. component experimental areas: Thermodynamics, Vibration and Control, Materials, Gas, and Fluid Dynamics laboratories, although somewhat crowded, are equipped and used to support the appropriate lecture The Bridges Memorial courses. In fact, this lack of space has proved to be of Library some benefit in that student interest in some relatively Judith A. Wing sophisticated postgraduate research equipment in juxta- position to their experiments gives further motivation to In the sixty-nine years of its history the Bridges Mem- their practical work and allows them to see a little of the orial Library has always had a latent association with the departmental research activities. However, the increased founder of the Royal Military College. In the 1914-15 laboratory space to become available in ADFA will be report the then Commandant, Brigadier-General J. W. most welcome. Parnell, CMG, recorded the death of General Bridges While undergraduate students must be members of during the Gallipoli campaign and his interment at Dun- the Defence Forces, there is no restriction regarding post- troon with these words: graduate study, and civilian enrolments to the higher "In addition to such memorials that may be degree courses are particularly welcomed. The work may placed over his grave, the General's memory will be directed towards either the Master of Engineering be kept green by the fact that the new building to degree or the Doctor of Philosophy degree and may be be erected to house the ever increasing number carried out either full-time or part-time. Although some of books will be known as the6BridgesMemorial of the research investigations which are currently in pro- Library'-a most appropriate decision, as of all gress have a defence orientation, the majority are of a phases of College life, perhaps that in which he more general nature. One of the Department's objectives was most keenly interested was the establish- is to extend its collaboration with local Government ment and maintenance of a good library". establishments (both civil and defence) by encouraging The new building contemplated at that time was not employees of such establishments to enrol for its higher built and the naming of the library in memory of General degree courses. Bridges was not then implemented. Lost sight of over the years as the library passed through various stages of The current research topics cover some quitediverse development, this proposal was not realised until 1967, areas. These range from the study of fluid flows both when the Royal Military College Library was renamed analytically and numerically through boundary layer stu- the 'Bridges Memorial Library'. dies and convective heat transfer to the design and optim- Th~oughoutthe years the library has stored its hold- isation of a vertical axis wind turbine pumping system; ings in a number of locations in the College: Duntroon from the plastic deformation of thin tubes, through the House in the early years, a succession of classrooms, and study of the shape of cutting edges and the forces gener- at one stage the Quartermaster's store. In the years ated in machine tools to the study of friction and wear. 1931-1936 the library was located, with the College, at Most of this research is funded through departmental Victoria Barracks in Sydney; books were given to Telo- resources but research grants have been gained for the pea Park School, some government departments and the development of a seismic energy source to be used for United Services Institute. mineral search and detection, for the study of hypersonic By 1944 a Library Committee had been formed and boundary layers and for the study of a probe suction liaison established with the Parliamentary Librarian, Mr technique which may simplify greatly isotope separation. Kenneth Binns, to advise on library procedures. On a All final-year undergraduate students are required visit to the College the following year Mr Binns offered to to undertake a minor piece of research which is usually help in providing books for general reading so that associated with, or is an offshoot of, the main research library funds could be used principally to acquire military interests of the teaching staff. However, on a few occa- works. He stressed the need for a trained librarian to sions it has proved possible to undertake some research maintain "continuity in method". Further co-operation into a specific problem posed by the Department of followed in later years with training of staff but it was not Defence. Such projects, relevant to his future, have until 1958 that the library had a trained librarian. In the proved of immense benefit to the student and it is hoped early 1960s Mr A. L. G. McDonald, Librarian Emeritus his recommendations were of some benefit to the "client". of the ANU library, himself a graduate of RMC in 1920, Although at the present time the academic content gave further valuable support. of the undergraduate course in mechanical engineering in Although a new building was considered in 1946, it was the Faculty of Military Studies is not dissimilar to that of not until 1960, when the Military Instruction Block was other Australian universities, the conditions leading to completed, that the library was at last housed in adequate the award of the degree are unique in requiring as an accommodation. Twenty-eight thousand books were car- integral part the successful completion of the extra year ried by cadets from the building with the clock (the old of military studies. Classroom Block) at the far side of the Parade Ground to As the degree of autonomy of the institution the ground floor of the MI building. This area still increases, one might expect that the requirement to edu- contains the main book collections. In 1968 the library 10 was extended into the car park at the backofthe building important military series have been published for the first and finally ten years later a major extension with a time and have been collected by the library. These double-storey wing was added. Today the library collec- include: The BBC Home Service News on World War N tions are sizable, 150,000 bound volumes compared with 1939-1 945; Records and Documents relating to the ~hird the 1350 volumes that formed the nucleus ofthe library in Reich and the Strategy and Art of the Great War. Mil- 19 11. Instead of the Professor of English, who supervised itary theses are acquired where possible. Major acquisi- the library then and catalogued the books with casual tions have also contributed to the American history area help from members of the subordinate staff as it was then and include The US Department of State Papers known, there is now a staff of forty to maintain library 1861-1942; Pamphlets on American History and The materials and provide all services. Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States and The library had grown steadily since the end of the some individual papers which are of primary interest. Second World War. The pace increased when courses From the beginning the library has always been were revised during the 1960s but the most rapid expan- endowed with bequests and gifts not only from graduates sion came after the College affiliated with the University of the College but from a number of people who, through of New South Wales in 1967. Collections developed in their academic or other interests, built up considerable strength to support the wide range of undergraduate collections and wished to ensure they were used and courses and of research programs. In recent years audio- preserved for posterity in the College environment. visual and microform facilities have been added; most of It indeed seems fitting that the Bridges Collection is the microform material consists of periodical holdings in now housed and displayed in the library. This collection the sciences and in engineering. There are also cumulative of General Bridges' personal items, photographs, post- indexes such as Palmer's Index to the London Times cards, letters and books were generously donated by his 1869-1941. son, Major Anthony Bridges, in 1971. The library has marked strength in military and Ameri- Amongst the decisions to be made in connection with can history. There is also a wide coverage on the Napo- the Australian Defence Force Academy will be those leonic era, to which two major collections presented to affecting the Bridges Memorial Library. Mr L. Hard, the College greatly contributed-these are the Wellesley recently appointed Librarian of the Bridges Memorial and Johnson Collections. Library and Librarian designate of the future ADFA A great deal of retrospective material has been library, will be heavily involved in such future planning. acquired in microform for research purposes; an interest- ing collection is one containing Thomas Hardy's original manuscripts and papers with a number of early editions As Librarian, Juditb Wing superintended tbe growtb and devel- of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Within the last few years opment of tbe library from 1960 till eady 1981. In Wellington and Auckland, July 1981 The New Zealand Branch held a luncheon, attended by 27 Of interest, particularly to the statistically inclined and the members, at Fort Cautley in Auckland on 4 July and a dinner in collectors of the unusual, will be the news that at both Fort Cautley Wellington at Fort Dorset six days later. The latter occasion was and Fort Dorset there was, to use the words of our Wellington honoured by the presence of His Excellency, the Governor-General correspondent, a "Generation Group", an expression likely to be of New Zealand, Sir David Beattie, GCMG, QC. Among the 35 strange to most of us but readily explained by a glance at the CSC members present were the Patron of the Society in New Zealand numbers. The group at the luncheon comprised 91 6 R. K. G. Porter Major-General Sir William Gentry, KBE, CB, DSO, Air Vice- (1943), 11 16 W. S. Hopkirk (1947) and 1816 T. A. Aldridge (1958). Marshal Sir Arthur Neville, KBE, CB, and Brigadier F. L. Hunt, That at the dinner, encompassing a remarkable fifty years, con- OBE, who was Quartermaster-General at the end of the Second sisted of 218 Sir Arthur Neville (1916), 1818 T. A. Harker (1958) World War and immediately thereafter. At the age of 91 he is and 2418 N. J. Watt (1966). almost certainly the Society's oldest member anywhere.

At the dinner in Wellington Left to right, B. M. Poananga (1944), F. L. Hunt, R. K. G. Porter (1943), G. R. Jason-Smith (1968), Sir Arthur Neville, (1916), H.E. the Governor-General, Sir William Gentry (1916). Also at the dinner in Wellington Left to right, R. G. Williams (1949), B. Quinn (1949), G. A. Hitchings (l949), A. J. A. Cooper (1949).

At the luncheon in Auckland Left to right, I. H. Burrows (1950), A. C. Hamilton (1950), G. M. McKay (1950), S. F. Sim (1950).

At Fort Cautley Left to right, B. A. Murphy (1954), R. K. Rutherford (1954), B. A. B. Hardy (1954), J. D. McGuire (1954).

12 Printed by Pirie Printers Pty Limited, Canberra, A.C.T.