VOLUME 14 JUNE 1982 2 3 The Commonwealth Tertiary Education Commission is versity system. criticised as only telling May I encourage each the Government what it graduate member of the Uni­ NEWTON-JOHN AWARD wishes to hear. versity to join in these In fact, however, the activities and to give supp­ ort to the initiatives being Greetings it is always a expected outcome of the CTEC in its Volume 2 for the planned. In this way you pleasure to add a few words Commi ttee to Review Common­ 1982-84 Triennium highlight­ will experience the satis­ on a personal level to the wealth Functions (the "Razor ed the inconsistency in the faction of repaying in a news that is circulated to Gang"). In Wollongong, such Government's approach to the real and timely way some of our graduate body in The an amalgamation had been funding of tertiary educat­ the pleasurable years you Gazette each year. Those sought by the two tertiary ion over the next three spent here as a student. members of Convocation who institutions in the city, years. It is proclaimed live in the Newcastle area but in Townsville, Armidale Government policy to increa­ With every good wish Will, of course, be much and Newcastle the decision se educational opportunities for your continued success better informed about pro­ came both as a surprise and and yet, as pointed out by and satisfaction from your gress, problems and person­ a shock. As I said in mv the CTEC, there is a declin­ professional careers. alities associated with the report to Council, it would ing participation of the University than those who be a disservice to our past young in higher educatJ.on, reside far away the graduates and to all our already low compared to the local media give a reason­ future graduates (with both standards of many OECD coun­ ably oood coverage to our degrees and diplomas) to tries, at the very time that affairs, although one wO'lld accept any scheme of amalg­ increasing technological always like to think we are amation which did not permit change requires more rather more newsworthy than often the Uni versi ty to remain a than less higher education. p.rove s to be the case. Bu t recognised and recognisable Simi larly, the problem south of the Hawkesbury Riv­ institution within the of graduate unempl0y,ment ~ er, media interest falls off worldwide community of uni­ been gravely distorted JII' to a very low level and it versities. given an undue and incorrect tudent is clearly necessary to find "Provided a.algamation emphasis. The 1981 survey other ways of gaining pub­ can take place along the by the Graduate Careers Housing licity for the many innovat­ Council of Australia has lines proposed by the Senate Work has commenced at ive activities of the Uni­ and supported by the Coun­ again demonstrated that u~ versity's staff and studen­ versi ty graduates have cCW wards Hall on the con- cil, it is possible to see truction of the first of ts. It is ironic that some some advantages for tertiary sistently enjoyed better of the interesting work go­ prospects of employment than what is hoped will be a num­ students in the Hunter Vall­ ber of self-serviced resid­ ing on is better known over­ ey, even though amalgamation have other applicants for seas than within Australia. jobs and the figures for ential buildings for stUdent was not of our seeking. accommodation. The events of 1981 Other modes could be poten­ Newcastle are equal to or which did achieve visibility tially very damaging and above the national averages. The first block will were those with unusual hum­ might result in the depart­ The University of New­ contain three units and pro­ an interest or the potent­ ure of our best staff as castle is an important com­ vide accommodation for a iality for conflict, the soon as opportunities arose ponent of the national syst-. total of 15 students. The constant, all-absorbing pre­ elsewhere. The long term em of 19 Australian univer­ self-serviced units will be occupations of the media. damage of this to the Hunter sities, but with a part.icu­ built at a cost of $260,000. In the former category we Valley is incalculable at a lar role to play in the Each uni t wi 11 contain five were saddened at the deaths time when hopes for its fut­ Hunter Valley, consistent study bedrooms, a living of two personalities of ure are so high". with national targets a om, kitchen and bathroom great significance in the The concern of our objectives. The univers cilities and will share a life of the University and graduates in the final out­ system as a whole does no common laundry. appropriate reference is come is understandable and expect preferential treat­ The blocks of uni tll Jessie Dyce, an M.A. graduate of the University, received made elsewhere in The Gaz­ of great importance to us ment in times of economic will be set well back from Convocation's 1981 Newton-John Award for her contribution to ette to the outstanding con­ I have no doubt that the recession and the University Rankin Drive and the area teaching in New South Wales. She is pictured with the Chan­ tributions of James Auchmuty Council of the University of Newcastle has taken its ill be fu11y landscaped. cellor, Sir Bede Callaghan. Jessie, who has submitted her and David Maddison. We can count on the full supp­ full share of recent cu Funds for the project thesis for a Ph.D. degree, spent 42 years working as a tea- share a great sense of loss ort of Convocation in any backs. However the years ave been prOVided by TUNRA, with their families. Both financial drought are begin­ cher, including 17 years in Teachers Colleges. She was measures that might prove the Uni versi ty' s reseClrch Principal Lecturer in Bnglish at Rewcastle College of Advan­ men would have taken immense ~ecessary this year should ning to take their toll and company, Edwards Hall, and ced Bducation when she retired. She was presented with the pleasure in the first gradu­ the direction of events to­ the graduate body is now be­ other non-Act sources. It ing asked to take careful Newton-John Award at a dinner in the Onion on March 26. ations of medical students wards amalgamation take is hoped to interest a ~um­ It was the seventh ti.e that Convocation has .ade the from the University in a undesirable turns. note of the condition in ber of external organisat- year's time, haVing been so That such a move should which the universities find ions in funding future Award to an outstanding graduate under the ter.a of the closely associated with this l1ave been initiated from themselves. The University blocks of self-serviced Rewton-John Award Sche.e. development. outside the institutions of Newcastle Convocation, units. In the latter category, reflects the broader concern which has always played a the enforced amalgamation of of educationa 1 institutions leading role in the Austral­ the Newcastle College of Ad­ generally in the country ian University Graduate vanced Education with the that there is a lack of sym­ Conference where this matter University stands out as the pathy for our purposes, even is now under consideration, event of major significance hostility in some places. has itself taken steps to in the life of the Univer­ Universities are seen as ex­ assist the University both sity both for 1981 and 1982, pensive and privileged plac­ financially and in a raised equalled in importance prob­ es producing over-qualified public consciousness of the ably only by the achievement graduates who experience importance of a healthy uni- of independence in 1965. In difficulties in finding em­ a detailed report to the ployment hence the need Front Cover: Northeast as­ February meeting of the to cut back governmental pect of the Auchmuty Lib­ Council, I summarised and funding both for the instit­ rary. Sketch by Newcastle attempted to analyse the ev­ utions and the financial artist, Val Anderson, whose A perBpeative view from Rankin Drive ents leading up to this un- support for their students. daughter, Sue, is a student THE GAZETTE JUNE 1982 in the FaCUlty of Medicine. THE GAZETTE JUNE 1982 4 VISITING SCHOLAR Mr. Athel D'Ombrain, the naturalist-photographer­ author-game fisherman, is the t'hird leading figure from the Hunter Region to be the 1938 volume will be the hold budgeting, views on appointed Convocation's Vis­ The University's History use of oral evidence in­ class, politics, religion, iting Scholar. Department is involved in a formation gathered by inter­ health, male/female relat­ The appointment of major national project to views from people living at ionships and so on. All Visiting Scholars was init­ celebrate Australia's bicen­ the time to add colour, this information will be iated by Standing Committee tenary in 1988. In 1978 a richness and authenticity to drawn on by the various of Convocation in 1977, when group of historians, social the story. The Newcastle writers for the 1938 volume the Committee made arrange­ scientists and lay people team, working with Phil and then it will p;o into a ments for Mr. P.A. Haslam, conceived the idea of creat­ Vaile, an historian at the special collection at the who is recording the history ing a bicentennial history NCAE, is playing a major National Library in Canberra of local aborigines, to be of Australia which would not role in collecting this in­ to be preserved for future attached to the University.