UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE Research Report 1977 University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria 3052 UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE Research Report 1977 University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria 3052 A summary of departmental research activities and investigations, including published contributions to science and literature, during the research year, January 1 to December 31, 1977. CONTENTS Reports from departments connected with faculties are placed in alphabetical order under faculty headings. Reports from departments not connected with faculties are then placed in their own alphabetical order. AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY 1 ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND TOWN & REGIONAL PLANNING Architecture and Building 9 Town and Regional Planning 12 ARTS Classical Studies 13 Criminology 15 East Asian Studies 17 English L8 Fine Arts 21 French 23 Geography 24 Germanic Studies 26 History 28 History and Philosophy of Science 33 Indian Studies 35 Indonesian and Malayan Studies 36 Italian 37 Middle Eastern Studies 38 Philosophy 40 Political Science 43 Psychology 45 Russian 50 The Horwood Language Centre 51 DENTAL SCIENCE Conservative Dentistry 52 Dental Medicine and Surgery 54 Dental Prosthetics 56 ECONOMICS AND COMMERCE Accounting 58 Economic History 59 Economics 61 Graduate School of Business Administration 64 Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research 66 Legal Studies 70 Regional and Urban Economic Studies 71 EDUCATION 72 Centre for the Study of Higher Education 78 ENGINEERING Chemical Engineering 80 Civil Engineering 83 Electrical Engineering 87 Industrial Science 90 Mechanical Engineering 91 Metallurgy 96 Mining 98 Surveying 100 LAW 101 MEDICINE Anatomy 104 Biochemistry 106 Community Health 110 Medical Biology (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute) 111 Medical History 117 Medicine (Austin Hospital and Repatriation General Hospital) 118 Medicine (Dept. of the James Stewart Professor, Royal Melbourne Hospital) 125 Medicine (St Vincent's Hospital) 129 Microbiology 132 Obstetrics and Gynaecology 135 Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Mercy and Austin Hospitals) 137 Ophthalmology 138 Otolaryngology 140 Paediatrics 142 Pathology 146 Pathology (Austin Hospital) 148 Pharmacology 149 Physiology 152 Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine 156 Psychiatry 159 Radiology 162 Surgery (Austin Hospital and Repatriation General Hospital) 163 Surgery (Dept. of The Hugh Devine Professor, St Vincent's Hospital) 166 Surgery (Dept. of The James Stewart Professor, Royal Melbourne Hospital) 168 MUSIC 170 SCIENCE Botany 172 Chemistry 178 Computer Science 186 Genetics 188 Geology 190 Mathematics 194 Meteorology 200 Optometry 203 Physics 205 R.A.A.F. Academy — Chemistry 212 — Mathematics 212 - Physics 213 Statistics 215 Zoology 216 VETERINARY SCIENCE Veterinary Clinical Sciences 219 Veterinary Paraclinical Sciences 223 Veterinary Preclinical Sciences 226 Centre for Environmental Studies 228 Physical Education 231 Social Studies 232 Archives 234 The Library 236 ABBREVIATIONS The abbreviations of the titles of journals used in the lists of Published Work are based on those given in World List of Scientific Periodicals published in the vears 1900- 1960 (4th edition, 1963). INTRODUCTION This Research Report is shorler lhan those published in recent years. For some lime the University's Committee on Research and Graduate Studies has doubted whether a substantial descriptive volume - the 1976 edition was more lhan half as long again as that for 1977 - could be easily justified as the official record of the University's research activities. Such a report took an unconscionable time to produce. Perhaps it also gave more information concerning each project than the general reader sought, though rather less than the specialist in each particular discipline needed. The Committee concluded, after some debate, that the old form of report attempted to fulfil too many functions al once. As a formal record of research topics, of the staff involved, of theses in progress and completed, and of publications it was insufficiently systematic, while the attempt to describe research in progress in a brief compass was difficult for the writer and inadequate for the reader. This year the report has been reduced to a record of basic information concerning the research activities and interests of departments, set out as clearly and concisely as possible. The categories are as follows: • the names of members of a department actively engaged in research: • a list of research topics in progress; • published work: • theses passed for higher degrees; • theses in progress: and • a list of substantial grants. At the same time the Committee is encouraging departments to produce, as separate publications, more extended descriptions of their predominant research interests and activities. The change has not been welcomed by all within the University, and if any of our external readers care to comment on whether they find thc new format more or less useful it would be helpful to know their views. Certainly it should be possible to discover, from this volume, the fields of interest in each department in sufficient detail to facilitate further inquiry. The Report reveals, perhaps more clearly than in the past, the variety and scale ofthe research efforts of a major Australian university today. A mere two decades ago no institution in Australia approached even remotely such a level of creative activity. The research capacity which has been developed in recent years, in universities and elsewhere in Australia, is an important national asset. In these difficult limes it must be nurtured if it is not to waste away. J.R. Poynter Deputy Vicc-Chancellor (Research) 21 August, 1978. AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY Chairman of department: Professor N. McC. Tulloh A. AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS Head of section: Professor A. G. Lloyd Professor ALAN GRAHAME LLOYD Senior Lecturers NEIL HENRY STURGESS ALISTAIR STUART WATSON Tulor MICHAEL WILLIAM THORPE RESEARCH TOPICS IN PROGRESS 1. Farm financial management and payment systems for agricultural products. 2. An economic study of the Victorian scallop fishery. 3. Storage of Australian wheat. 4. Stabilization of farm incomes. 5. Land leasing and tenure arrangements in East Java. 6. Energy policy. THESES PASSED FOR HIGHER DEGREES Doctor of Philosophy 1. OBORNE, G. T. — The Effects of a market-share quota scheme in the dairying industry in Victoria Master of Agricultural Science 2. CRAMB, R. A. — Economies of Size in the Dried Vine Fruit Industry THESES IN PROGRESS BELIN, P. — An economic study of the Viclorian scallop fishery READ, P. M. — Farm financial management and payment systems for agricultural products BRENNAN, J. - Stabili:ation of farm incomes WIJAYA, H. — Land leasing and tenure arrangements in East Java SUBSTANTIAL GRANTS RECEIVED Grants have been received as follows: — Rural Credits Development Fund, Reserve Bank: Two grants for topics 1 and 4 above. B. AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION Head of section: Dr H. S. Hawkins Senior Lecturers HENRY STUART HAWKINS HARTLEY ARNOLD PRESSER Lecturer JOHN WILLIAM CARY Senior Research Fellows PETER WILLIAM SALMON JOHN PATRICK O'CONNOR (until 30/6/77) Research Fellows RUTH ELLEN WESTON INGRID MAY BOCK (until 31/10/77) Research Assistants CANAPATHIPILLAI SR1-PATHMANATHAN ROBERT ANDREW PATTERSON RESEARCH TOPICS IN PROGRESS 1. Development of adult educational models for farm management. 2. Psychological stress factors in the dairy industry. 3. Impact of regional planning schemes on adjacent rural areas of large cities and rural towns. 4. Community involvement in agricultural adjustment schemes. 5. Role of market information on farm management decision-making. 6. Development of model for selection of senior research administrators. 1 2 FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY PUBLISHED WORK 1. SALMON. P. W., BOCK. I. M., TURNBULL, E. D. and TRETHEWIE. R. J. - The Human Crisis of Change of Agriculture. School of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Melbourne, 1977. THESES IN PROGRESS PhD Thesis in Progress R. A. WOOG — An Evaluation of the Contribution and Role of Extension in the Australian Pig Industry M.AgrSc Theses in Progress D. C. H. BREWIN — Factors Influencing Farmers' Behaviour as Soil Conservationists J. R. CHILDS — An Economic and Psychological Assessment of Managerial Ability K. J. DOWSLEY — Factors Influencing Decision Making in a Cereal Growing Area A. J. HESLOP — Agricultural Extension Among Australian Fruitgrowers of Italian Descent G. T. KENNEDY — Some Social and Economic Aspects of Farm Syndication R. A. PATTERSON - Role of Agricultural Consultants in Rural Industry C. SRI-PATH MANATH AN - Role of Agribusiness in Rural Industry P. WYLIE — Adjustment by Extension Workers to Changes in Agriculture and in Perceptions of Their Role SUBSTANTIAL GRANTS RECEIVED Grants have been received as follows: — Australian Extension Services Grant: Models of Farm Management. Australian Extension Services Grant: Role of Agricultural Consultants. Australian Extension Services Grant: Role of Agribusiness in Rural Industry. Dairying Research Committee: Stress Factors in the Dairy Industry. Geelong Regional Planning Authority: Rural Land Use Planning. Rural Credits Development Fund: Market Information. Victorian Department of Agriculture: Selection of Senior Research Administrators. C. ANIMAL PRODUCTION Head of section: Professor D. E. Tribe Professors DEREK EDWARD TRIBE NORMAN McCALL TULLOH Senior Lecturers ROLF GEORGE BEILHARZ ANTHONY COLTHUP DUNKIN GEOFFREY ROGER PEARCE Lecturer HORACE PHILLIP LEDGER Tutors IAN ALEXANDER BARBER ALISON ANNE CHRISTIE