65477 Bulletin Jul05 Art6.Indd
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JULY 2005 La Trobe UNIVERSITYBulletin How humans populated the Earth La Trobe UNIVERSITY NEWS Bulletin Yunnan exchange visit IN THIS ISSUE to rural Victoria La Trobe features in Canberra report and book launch 3 La Trobe University agricultural education Bridging gap between Western and Chinese has come a long way – from China to Tatura, archaeology 4 Warragul and Camperdown. New appointment for Teaching and Learning 5 A group of fourth year Bachelor of Agricultural Science students from Did White Australia really die? 5 La Trobe University’s main Melbourne campus at Bundoora and ten of their colleagues from Yunnan Agricultural University in Kunming, Major differences in Southwest China, recently visited these three rural towns to study dairy postnatal care 6 industry practices as part of their courses. Research in Action For example the party visited Tatura Milk Industries and inspected the farm of Mr Rick Cross as part of their evaluation of dairy farming How humans populated systems. the Earth 7 Organiser of the study tour was Associate Professor in Remote Hill tribe holds Agricultural Science at La Trobe, Dr Peter Sale – a ‘golden linguistic goldmine 8 logie’ holder for his innovative teaching programs, having Saving language and won one of the prestigious Australian University Teaching people’s identity 9 Awards in the late 1990s. Tracking energy needs of He says the students from Yunnan were on a reciprocal Southern Bluefin Tuna 10 visit to La Trobe, following a two-week study tour by 15 La Trobe students ‘Shoe-in’ for David Myers to China in March Medal winner 11 studying agricultural systems in Yunnan. Tsunami scholarship 11 There they observed ‘Lord of the Lattices’ speaks cropping systems, about maths 12 consulted with farmers, Just you wait, Henry Higgins! 13 scientists and other Oil partnership boost agriculture professionals for Bendigo 14 to learn about sustainable HIV/AIDS: threat to Australia’s agricultural practices. security? 15 ‘The exposure of What’s in a joke – laughably students to agricultural big dollars for tourism? 16 practices and problems encountered as a result of these visits provides exceptionally valuable experience,’ says Dr Sale. Geneticist Dr John ‘It equips them for careers Mitchell is playing a as professionals when they leading role in a new will be expected to deal global project to trace with complex issues facing the migratory history people all over the world.’ of the human species, see page 7. This year’s exchange study program was supported by Dairy The La Trobe University Bulletin is published ten times Australia, Tatura Milk a year by the Public Affairs Office, La Trobe University. Industries and Austrex. Articles may be reproduced with acknowledgement. Photographs can be supplied. Previous reciprocal study Enquiries and submissions to the editor, Ernest Raetz, tours involved groups from La Trobe University, Victoria. 3086 Australia Tel: (03) 9479 2315, Fax (03) 9479 1387 Indonesia and Papua New Email: bulletin latrobe.edu.au @ Guinea. La Trobe-Yunnan visitors with Tatura Milk Managing Articles: Noel Carrick, Ernest Raetz, Adrienne Jones • Photos: La Trobe University DPI Director, Mr Jeff Martin, centre; General Manager, Design: Campus Graphics, 65477 Technical and Nutrition, Mr Tony McKenna, left; Yunnan’s La Trobe University. Printed by Work & Turner. Professor Naiming Zhang, right; and La Trobe’s Dr Sale, Website: www.latrobe.edu.au/bulletin second from right, background. 2 La Trobe University BULLETIN July 2005 NEWS La Trobe features in Canberra report – and book launch he work of Professor of longer any ‘pure’ research. For TArchaeology, Tim Murray, much of the past twenty years featured as one of seven the bulk of archaeological national case studies in a activity in Australia has recent report presented to been funded privately by Federal Education Minister, development projects, Brendan Nelson. including mining and urban Highlighting the growth. commercialisation of research ‘In this book I have included in the humanities, arts and examples of archaeological social sciences, the report was research that crosses the prepared by the peak research boundary between heritage body, the Council for the archaeology and pure research Humanities, Arts and Social – such as the excavations Sciences (CHASS). of Casselden Place, known Another feature of the event, as “Little Lon”, in Little held in Parliament House, Londsdale St, Melbourne.’ Canberra, was the launch of a He says this project ranks new book edited by Professor among the four major urban Murray, titled Archaeology archaeological digs in the from Australia. The book is world today. Along with a a snapshot of research at the dig in Camp St, Ballarat, beginning of the 21st century it forms the basis of a and brings together authors University partnership with from classical, historic and Sydney heritage consultancy, prehistoric archaeology. Godden Mackay Logan Pty Professor Murray says Ltd, to undertake work for during the 1960s the government agencies and the tremendous growth of private sector. interest in the archaeology Significantly, this of Indigenous Australia partnership has been not only revolutionised our incorporated into the teaching understanding of our own and research programs of Professor Murray in La Trobe University’s Archaeology Laboratory. prehistory, but also had an the Archaeology Program impact on the interest in, and at La Trobe. It is this link development of, the whole between ‘pure’ and ‘applied’ era where effective and highly – among the top in discipline of archaeology. archaeology which featured in clear communication is the country. And, he adds, of paramount importance, employment levels among Australian archaeologists the CHASS report to Minister Archaeology from Australia La Trobe graduates compare work in Europe, the South Nelson. also provides a bridge between favourably with national levels Pacific, Melanesia, South ‘This work,’ says Professor the discipline and non- of graduates with similar East Asia, South America, the Murray, ‘helps expand the specialist audiences. training in the humanities and Middle East and Africa. They University’s teaching and social sciences. make substantial contributions research by developing an The Acting Dean of the to world archaeology. income stream, gives staff a Faculty of Humanities and The Faculty also has a Social Sciences, Professor strong tradition of publishing. ‘At the same time, the better understanding of the David de Vaus, says he was ‘This is particularly evident discipline of archaeology has needs of industry and provides pleased La Trobe was chosen in the number of significant also broadened into cultural students with exposure to as an example for the report to books by Faculty staff, and resources and heritage industry practices and people.’ the Minister. many of our staff frequently management areas, and into Commenting on Professor serve as public commentators contact, urban and historical Murray’s book, the In the Graduate Careers in the media,’ says Professor archaeology.’ President of the Australian Council national course experience survey, La Trobe de Vaus. Professor Murray says this Archaeological Association, • humanities and social is a world where there is no Dr Judith Field, says in an science courses always rank La Trobe University BULLETIN July 2005 3 NEWS Bridging the gap between Western and Chinese archaeology leading scholar who has helped bridge Investigations of plant and animal remains the gap between Chinese and Western from 6000 to 200 BC by specialists at A archaeology since the mid 1980s has La Trobe and other universities have provided been appointed Professor of Archaeology in the crucial information about the development of School of Historical and European Studies at agriculture, land use and exchange. Research La Trobe University. into population and land use is assisted by She is Dr Li Liu, a PhD graduate in computerised Geographic Information System anthropology from Harvard University. (GIS) studies. These allow researchers to locate Professor Liu came to La Trobe University as the exact sites of a vast amount of important a lecturer in 1996, having taught previously at original archaeological data. Tufts University and Johns Hopkins University Professor Liu’s role as chief investigator in the United States. is to integrate results from all these scientific Initially educated in China, Professor Liu programs to explain social, ecological and was a researcher during the early 1980s at the environmental changes in the emergence of Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology, Chinese civilisations. Xi’an, China. As well as their publication in Chinese and Her research deals with Neolithic and English, many of these research Bronze Age China, focusing on topics results have been presented at such as settlement pattern, ritual practice, international conferences in recent state formation, craft specialisation, and years where she has been an invited zooarchaeology. guest lecturer at Harvard University, Columbia University, University of An expert in the settlement and rise of early Michigan, Peking University, and states in China, her work has been published several archaeological institutions in in both Chinese and English, reaching many China. readers in China and the West. Her English publications provide up-dated interpretations Professor Liu says: ‘The wide of Chinese archaeological findings while her scope of the work has provided Chinese publications have introduced new opportunities for students from