THE GAZETTE

GREAT HALL OPENED

The University of Newcastle, NS. W, 2308VOL. 7, No 3, DECEMBER, ~973

The Great HaJl of the University, whichserves a number of University and public pur­poses, was officiaJJy opened at a ceremony inthe hall on 28th November.

The Governor (Sir Roden Cutler), who hasbeen Visitor of the University since 1966, per­formed the opening ceremony.

The occasion was also marked by the con­ferring of honorary degrees on the Deputy

~'hancellor (Mr. Bedc Bertrand Callaghan) and....Aldcnnan Frank Outen Jensen Purduc, both of

whom have had long associations with Newcastleand the university.

Reference was made to Aid. Purdue's merit­orious efforts to have the public appeaJ forfunds for the construction of the Great HaJJbrought to fruition successfully.

The gathering was attended by more than700 peoplc who represented the various cat­egories of subscriber to the public appeal ­Federal and Stale Governments, students,parents of students, members of staff, grad­uates, citizens, professional organisations, in­dustriaJ and commercial concerns, councils,semi-government undertakings, trade unions,service groups and others.

The proceedings included items by the"Chromaticca", a woodwind septet.

The Chancellor (Sir Alister McMullin) pre­sided and admitted Mr. CaJlaghan and Aid.Purdue to their honorary degrees.

The Vice-Chancellor, who introduced tileGovernor, said:

"This is obviously a proud and happy dayfor the University of Newcastle and we are verypleased that your Excellency, not only ourVisit~JI as C;overnor of New South Wales, butalso one of our own Doctors, should be with usto share our celebrations. It is the responsibility

YOllnJ( mllsicians play at tile official opening of the Grea/ Hall and/he con/erring of two honorary deKrees.

2 THE GAZETTE DECEMBER,1973DECEMBER,1973 THE GAZETTE 3

Admitted to the Honorary degrees of Doctors of Science were (from left) tile Deputy Chancellor,Mr. B.B. Callaghan, and Alderman F.J. Purdue.

this Great Hall many people who have support­ed the university both financially and morally,and those who have laid down its academicguidelines and worked for their achievement.This university now plays an important role intertiary education in this state, and has attainedits own standing in the competence of its teach­ing and the graduates it has provided. I am surethat it will continue to gain in stature and willcontinue to merit the support of those whowork and study within its walls, and the supportof the community.

"A Great Hall is an essential part of a univer­sity. It enables the students, staff and friendsto meet together on occasions such as this, andprovides a setting and an atmosphere for grad­uations, convocations, and functions of univer­sity and academic importance. In my day it pro­vided a place for examinations and a venue forgraduation. Today it often provides a place forsocial occasions, for drama, for music, and forpublic association with the university itself. Itis not always possible to build a Great Hall atthe commencement of a university's life, becauseobviously classiooms, administrative and otherbuildings have priority in the early stages.However, in the planning of all universities pro­vision must be made for a Great Hall which isarchitecturally part of the whole and givescharacter and a fot:al point to other buildingsof the university, bringing them into a total andunified conception. To ensure the completionof:such a plan there must be many people whoare willing to contribute to the cost, and whenThe Lord Mayor's Newcastle University Com­mittee was formed it took as a key phrase'The Great Hall Campaign is a great challengeto a great community - Newcastle and theHunter Valley', and it was a great challenge toset the target at $600,000.

"This money was sought from all sections

Sir Roden Cutler declared the Great Hall open and umip;/ed a commemorative plaque. He is picturedwith the Vice-Chancellor and the Chancellor.

that the Governor can do no wrong - at least,that is, as long as his decision is the right one inthe public mind - I decided tha t the then LordMayor's invitation of the lOth May, 1966,should be accepted contrary to the prevailingrules. It is, 1 suppose, in this third capacitythat I am here today to join with you in open­ing the Great Hall, and to say how delighted Iam that the appeal was successful, and thisarchitecturally interesting hall has been built asan essential part oLthe university.

"The word 'University' is derived from thelatin word 'universitatum', which literally means·the whole, and implies the whole world. Thatessentially is what a university is. While itsfunction is to educate and approve by examin­ation candidates in higher learning, neverthelessit has a wider function' which sometimes we areap t to overlook. It is not merely a collection ofbuildings, of colleges, of halls of residence, ofstudents and staff, but is an important factor inthe life of the community, its development andits progress. No university can live unto itself,either academically or fmancially. It dependsupon collaboration with other centres of learn­ing, and on the exchange otideas and research;it depends upon the goodwill of the communityfor financial support and for its status as a lead­er of thought within the community and thecountry. The students are drawn from a widefield both within and outside the area, and fromoverseas as well as nationally. These studentsas graduates should return as leaders in theircivilian occupations, and the community bene­fits accordingly. Baron Coleridge in the lastcentury had been a student Itt Oxford, and hesaid "I speak not of this college or of that, butof the university as a whole: and, gentlemen,what a whole Oxford is". This gathering todayemphasises the wholeness of the University ofNewcastle, because today we have gathered in

buildersV.F. Doran Pty. Ltd. have been respon­sible, all co-ordinated for us by the UniversityPlanner, Professor Parker and his Department,"We are now very proud of the result and hopethat you all share in our pride.

"In addition to this hall there are, of course,supporting dressing rooms and other offices,the F oyer which you Have passed through, andthe Special Functions Room, where those ofyou who wish to enjoy a glass of wine at theconclusion of this ceremony will be very wel­come. Those who prefer afternoon tea will beserved in the Staff House, and, as well, there is,on a lower floor, a Music/Lecture Room whichwill seat 120 people. Whilst there is a CoffeeBar, the kitchen is so small that it will not bepossible to do any cooking within the building,and whilst the hall has been ideally adapted tomajo'r musical events, as 1 hope you have feltthis afternoon, we would anticipate all univer­sity dramatic events taking place in the Arts/Drama Theatre, which some of you may have

~en. Those of you prepared to climb the steps

t the back will fmd a film projection room andalso a crying room for those graduation dayswhen so many new graduates are already parents.What has most impressed me, of course, is thespaciousness of this main hall - almost med­

_eval in its grandeur with the ceiling 65 feet'ove the floor at its highest point.

"Truly the university is no longer a bodywithout a soul - our task is to ensure unity ofpurpose between the two. Set in the midst of amost attractive natural environment, which hasbeen superbly retained and maintained by themembers of the Planner's Department, we nowhave a campus in which every member of theuniversity can take pride and a Great Hallwhich will prove ever memorable to those whohave the traumatic experience of examination orgraduation therein.

a "It is with a great sense of thanks to theonors and a deep sense of the honour you have

done us by your attendance that I now inviteYour Excellency to address the congregationand to declare the Great Hall officially open;thereafter, as we leave the building, you will be

Aurther invited to unveil a plaque commemor­.tive of the occasion."

Sir Roden said:"This- is an occasion when it gives me great

pleasure to be with you in several capacities.Firstly, as Visitor of the Newcastle University,under which heading I take the opportunity ofexpressing my thanks to students and staff forthe- fact that they have not involved me in anymatters which could not be solved with goodsense and satisfaction to both sides. Secondly,as an honorary graduate of this university, therobes of which I am wearing today withappreciation, but some feeling that my degreewas not earned in the test~ of examination.And thirdly, as Patron of the Lord Mayor'sNewcastle University Committee, formed toraise funds for the building of this Great Hall.

"This last position is one which in recentyears has not often been accepted by a Governorof the State, and the custom has thereforedeveloped of not granting Vice-Regal patronageto fund raising committees. However, there aretimes when customs are meant to be brokenand traditions changed, and since I am told

•

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used at graduation, we were at last able to meetall requests for places with the 1466 seats in thebody of the hall and the further 120 we COUI.seat on a stage large enough to take a symphonorchestra. During the current month it has firstbeen used for the annual examinations to thegreat improvement of OUI internal organisation.

"When making the appeal we promised totrse the hall, when not essential for specifiAuniversity purposes, to enlarge the contacts be_tween the university .and its environment be­tween town and gown if you like. Many hun­dreds werc here as recently as last Saturday fortwo promenade concerts given by the A.B.C.National Training Orchestra. 1 have found it amoving experience to be part of the largeaudiences, ranging from 600 to 1400, at con­certs. public lectures an~ other social occasions.I am sure that we are now provided with opp­ortunities for much greater cultural co-operationwith the general public of the Hunter Valley andI am equally sure that with the development ofour own Department of Community program­mes that co-operation wiU greatly incrcase.

"Obvioll~ly this testing period has providedu~ with some growing pains, but wc feel todayat this official opcning Ulat wc have outgrownmost of them and. thanks to the Architects.Messrs. Ancher, Mortlock, .. Iurray and Woolleywho are responsible for the awe-inspiring splen­dour of their internal design. and to the accuracyand perfection of the work for which the

versity Committee have approached a total of$600,000, and with a quarter of a milliondollars each from the State and Commonwealthgovernments, together with interest, we havebeen able to meet a total expenditure of oneand a quarter millions. To have collected somuch was a great achievement: the thanks weowe to so many committees which gave of theirtime and so many people who gave of theirresources is immeasurable:

"For, as I said in my original appeal: "TheGreat Hall is the soul of the University". Itshould be the most memorable feature of thesite, reminiscent of great occasions - examin­ations, graduation, public and artistic ceremon­ies. The Great Hall, with the Library and theUnion, should, together, form the core of ouruniversity life. The latter two are basic essen­tials without which no university can exist andso are a fundamental charge on the state. TheGreat Hall is not so much an essential as a signof independence and maturity, and, hence, isproperly a co-operative project. Nor is a build­ing like this ever completed even though it hasbeen handed over by the Architects. In theyears to come beautification and adornment,with tapestries and other works of art, will bethe responsibility of further generations.

"Throughout the pasl academic year wehave been testing the qualities of the hall and itsability to meet the demands we propose toplace upon it, even if somc final work was stillbeing completed within the past week. foirsl

of the State and Commonwealth Governments,acting on behalf of the voters, to provide forthe educational needs of the community andaccordingly the other buildings you can see inmatched profusion over our site have beenlargely funded from government monies. Butthis Great Hall is different. When the strugglefor an independent university was at its heightin the early 1960's, the demand grew that thepeople of Newcastle and the Hunter Valleyshould prove their interest in the idea of auniversity by supplementing in some way thethe basic support any university must obtainfrom government via the taxpayer.

"Alderman Purdue was Lord Mayor of New­castle when this-proposal was put forward andhe agreed enthusiastically to press the claims ofthe university on his fellow citizens once in­dependence was achieved; when that time cameAlderman McDougall was our first citizen andwith equal enthusiasm accepted his predecessor'scomlllitment, so that, when the foundationstone came to be laid in 1971, it was laid jointlyby Alderman McDougall as President, and byAlderman Purdue as the indefatigable Chairmanof the Lord Mayor's Newcastle UniversityCommittee. Today, we are happy to welcomea new Lord Mayor, Alderman Anderson, withwhom we hope to continue as close andfriendly relations as ever we did with his pre­decessors, and perhaps we can think of someway of ensuring that he becomes equally in­volved in our development!

"It is a sign of the Great Hall's long periodof gestation that there have been changes overthe years in the Lord Mayoralty, but it is aparticular pleasure to record that the one andonly patron of the Lord Mayor's UniversityCommittee has been yourself, Your Excellency,and I am sure that by your attendance today inorder to declare the building officially open youare emphasising your own satisfaction at ourachievement. Sadly the majority of the Vice­Patrons of our appeal, for variou s reasons, areunable to be ~th us, but we gladly welcome theHon. Leon Punch, the Minister of Public Works,as the personal representative of the Premier,who in his other capacity as Treasurer, did somuch to ensure our financial success. Mr. Punchhas served long and usefully as a member of ourCouncil, so we are particularly delighted thePremier should have chosen him as his rep­resentative. We are indeed fortunate in thatsupport for the university has always been non­political. If the' Act which brought us inde­pendence was passed by a Labour Government,its implementation at the State level has beenlargely in the hands of a Liberal-<::ountry PartyGovernment, and if a State Labour Governmentbrought our University Act onto the statutebook, it did so with the concurrence and con­sent of a Liberal-<::ountry Party coalition atCommonwealth lcvel. This is as it should be,but for this particular building, our prime in­terest of today, we are also financially indebtedtu all sorts and conditions of people, withmajor gifts from the heavy industries, B.H.P.setting the example, associated with the morepersonal efforts of my University colleagues andthe public at large.

"All told, contributions to the Appeallaunched by the Lord Mayor's Newcastle Uni-

Alderman PI/rdl/I' is admilll'd hy Ihl' C/rancellor 10 lI1e Honorary Degree of DOClor of Science

4

of the community - from commerce and ind­ustry, parents and citizens, professions andgraduates, women's groups, trade unions, andregional communities in the Hunter Valley. Itis impossible to mention all those who con­tributed to the result of the appeal. but perhapsI could mention the very generous contributionof the Broken Hill Proprietary Company whichfor so many years has been a key factor in theindustrial life of this city and in the economicadvancement of its people. Broken Hill Con­tributed $220,000, more than third of the targetset, and this gesture was no doubt a great en­couragement to others. It resulted in the appealreaching $620,000, which, together with thecommonwealth and state governments' contrib­ution of $250,000 each, made the building ofthis Great Hall a possibility.

"The result was not achieved without det­ermined and consistent hard work by the Com­mittee. especially its chairman, Alderman fo.J.Purduc, and others. Today the effort must seemvcry worthwhile to those of you who have cometo take part in the opening and see the result ofyour contributions.

"Like you, 1 have to some extent watchedthis university grow. and have taken satisfactionin its achievements. Universities do not developovernight, and like Rome they cannot be builtin a day. There is, no doubt, a feeling todayof having reached an important milestone in thcgrowth of the University of ewcastle, and afeeling of oneness b~tween the University. thepeople of Newcastle and of the Hunter Valley.I suppose that a recent event which gave thesame feeling was the opening of the Opera House,and it was ir.:eresting to note that it was notonly Sydney which took pride in that occasion.but the whole state of New South Wales, andAustralia. It attracted visitors frol11 overseas,and good wishes and interest from all parts ofthe world. I know that you had hoped that HerMajesty the Queen might be able, during hervisit to open the Sydney Opera House. also to

open this Great Hall, and I think I can say thatit would have been a function which the Queenherself would have found pleasure in perform­ing, if time and other commitments had madeit possible.

"Disraeli said in a speech to the House ofCommons in 1873 that a university should be aplace of light. of liberty, and of learning". Thissurely expresses the aims and object· uf auniversity. and It is as true toda}. onc hun­dred years later, and in a comparatively ne\\nation at the opposite end uf the l'arth fromth~ old universilles of Europe. The lamp ofacaC:emic achievement is beginning 10 burnbrightl} at this comparatively new university.and will con'tinue to light the \\ay into Ihemore complex recesses of learning and research.

"As visitor tu the university al1l; patroll 01

the appeal I thank all of Y"U for your gcnerousassistance and warm support. and as the Qu~~n's

representative in ew South 'v\ ales I have vcr)much pleasure in dC'clarin!! open th~ Gr~al 110111of the University uf Newcastle."

Pmj('ssor B.L. .loll liS, Professor vj' F:call

omics, Ihell presellled Mr. Bede Berrrl//l(] Cal­

laK'lall for admissioll 10 rile IlOllorary degree

of DOClor of Seiellce ill Ille FacullY oj' [;"COII­

omics alld Commerce. Professor Johlls said:

THE GAZETTE

"Mr. Chancellor, 1 present to you Bede Bert­rand Callaghan, Commander of the Most Excel­lent Order of the British Empire, ManagingDirector of the Commonwealth Banking Corp­oration. Chairman of the Australian Admin­i trative Staff College. President of the Bankers'Institute of Australasia. and Deputy Chancellorof this University.

"Bede Callaghan and his family have had along and fruitfUl association with ewcastle.His paternal grandfather was the Headmaster ofthe Ilamilton Superior Public School from1883 to 1906. H is maternal grandfather. J amesRyan came to Lake Macquarie in the1860's as manager of the Speers' Estate whichgave Specrs Point its name. Bede Callaghan him­self was born in Newcastle and educated atNewcastle High School in the old building onThe Hill. His first appointment was as a clerkin the Commonwealth Bank in Newcastle.

"In looking at Mr. Callaghan's distinguishedcareer in banking and public life, his experienceoverseas is noteworthy. For siJl. years, he was inWashington, representing Australia as ExecutiveDirector of the International Monetary Fund,the World Bank, and the International FinanccCorporation. Those years in Washington, inLondon, and other financial cen tres of the worldenriched his experience and have anabled himsubsequently to give a new international out­

look to Australian banking."On his return from overseas in 1959 Bede

Callaghan was appointed first General Managerof.the newly founded Commonwealth Develop­ment Bank of Australia. This was a period ofinnovation and challenge in a new type of bank­ing institution with a role in economic develop­ment different from that of the traditionaltrading banks. Six years later he was appointedManaging Director of the Commonwealth Bank­in!! Corporation, Australi,,'s Iar!!est bankinggroup and this post he holds today.

"Despite the considerable demands of hispresent position Bede CaUaghan has had theenergy and drive to serve the community incountless other ways. He is for eJl.ample amember of the Advisory Board of LewishamlIospital. Chairman of the Appeal for the Child­ren's Surgical Research Fund, a member of theCouncil of the National lIeart Foundation(N.S.W. Division), and a member of the Aust­ralian Conservation Foundation.

"Throughout his career he has given strongand continuing personal support for l'ducation.based upon the belief that education is Aust­rali~I's best investment. In thi' University wccount ourselves most fortunate that \Ir. Cal­laghan has been able to give us the ben~fits ofhis great experience ami wise counsel ever since1966 \\ hen he became a member of the firstfull Council of the UniversilY uf ewcaslle. InJuly of this }ear he \\ as elected to the officc ofDeputy Chancellor tu succeed the late GcorgeFdwards.

"It is with great plc~lSure_ Mr. Chancellorthat I prl'S nt tll yOll. Bede Bertr"ncl Callaghan.dlstll1guishcd Australi~n, distinguish~c1 Novo­castrian and friend of the University tll beadmitted to the degrec of Doctor of Science."

Professor B. Newloll-John, Vice-Prillcipal

amI a Depuly Vice-C/Il/IlCel/or, presC'llll'd Alder­

mall Frallk 01111'11 .rellsell Pt/rdlll' for admissiun

DECEMBE R. 1973

ro tile honorary degree of Doctor of Sciellce ill

Ihe FaCUlty of Economics and Commerce.

Professor NewlOIl·Jollll said:

"\1r. Chancellor, I present to you hankOuten Jensen Purdue, Commander of the MostExcellent Order of the British Empire, holder ofthe Coron,ttion \ledal and Justice of the Peace.Frank Purdue has deserved weIJ of this City andof this University. He has been an Aldermanfor almost 30 years. wa' Lord i\layor of New­castle for a total period of ten years and hasbeen, and still is, a member of innumerablecommittees and as~ociations dealil1!~ \\ ith LocalGovernment, IIealth, Commerce, Pollution andRegional Development. If I say that he is aPatron of 40 local organisations and has been aLay Preacher of the Methodist Church for overhalfacentury I have said enough to establish hisbona fides as, if I may borrow a neologism fromthe press. Mr. Newcastle. His repu tation hasspread beyond his native city, from his earlyyears when he perilously toured the back blocksof New South Wales on a belt-driven RUdge,Whitworth, to the time when he sat as an independent member of the Legislative Assemblyfor some 7 years and on to the present as amember of the Committee of Enquiry intoLocal Government Areas and Administration.

"I I' Frank Purdue's connection with tll!lAUniversity is less ex tensive than that with Loca.Governmen tit is because the Un iversi ty and itsAntecedent College have not eJl.isted a long as hehas. He has been a member of the Councilsince 1966 and the invaluable and thoroughlydocumented Chairman of its Buildings andGrounds Committee for the last 6 years.

"In the course of his long career he hasorganized many Appeals for building funds butnone greater. or for us. so important as theAppeal for this Great Hall, launched by theLord Mayor's University Committee. FrankPurdue's immense knowledge of local condit­ions, the general respect in which he is helthroughout the State of New South Wales, hisquiet persistence and his gentle obstinacy wereto a major extent responsible for the successof the Appeal and hence our honouring him inthis great boilding today. a

"While it may be true in onc sense thal thi.,Hall is a monument to its architects, it is equallytrue that without the Candidate I now presentthere would not have been any architects. I amtherefore entitled to say Si 1110llumellrum

requieris. circumspice and in so doing I presentto you :.Ir. Chanj:ellor, I'rank Outen JcnsenPu rdue for adm ission to the honorary degree ofDuctur of Science."

Alderman Purdue, replying 011 behalf of tile

hO/1orary graduales. said:" lay it please your Excellency, \lr. Chan­

cellor. lion. Leon Punch r.1.L.A. representingthe Premier, m} L&d ~Iayor, Mr. Vice Chan­cellor, Distinguished Visitors. Ladies and gentle­men:

"I appreciate very deeply the privilege ofhaving been invited to express on behall of Dr.l3ede CaJlaghan and myself thanks and apprec­iation to you. \1r. Chancellor, and Members ofthe Clluncil of the University of' ewcastle, forthe honour which has been conferred upon ustoday.

"May I first t"ke the opportunity of express-

j

DECEMBER. 1973

ing my congratulations to the Deputy ChancellorDr. Bede Callaghan, on the well-deserved honourwhich has been conferred upon him - welldeserved because of Ihe tremendous contribu tionhe has made to the discussions and deliberationsof the University Council by reason of his verywide experience in financial-and administrativefields.

"As far as I am concerned personally. thehonour which has been so generously bestowedupon me is onc which I prefer to share with allthose represented here to-day through whoseco-operation and generosity this occasion hasbeen made possible. I wish to thank theCommittees of the Lord Mayor' NewcastleGreatllaJl Appeal for their loyal and enthusiastic"ssistance: The National Fund Raising Counselof Australia for their professional advice andhelp: the Architects and consultants, contractorsand ·ub-contractors. and workmen, on theirachievemcnts; and particularly our own Uni­

versity Planner, Professor Parker who had the

#:a'ffieult and unenviable task of determiningch deletions and adjustments as were ncces­

sary to keep the project within the funds avail­able.

"There were certain matters which I hadintcnded to mention but these have been cover­

AI by the Vice..('hancellor with much 'greater_ratorical skill than that to which I could

aspire. As the Vice-Chancellor has mentioned,the original Appeal, launched in July 1966. wasfor 600,000. On that occasion a weIJ-knownand widely-experienced ewcastle citizen- saidto me. "You will be lucky if you reach halfthat amount." But we were lucky and afteradding interest received on early donations thetarget was considerably exceeded, so that withsubsidies etc. received we Md 1,250.000 tospend. Unfortunately. due, to considerableescalation of costs, of which you arc all so wellaware, it was necessary to .delete some of the

.roposed accommodation and ..defer many or~e planned embellishments. In spite of this.

however, the building in which we meet thisafternoon is the largest Great Hall associatedwith any University in Australia. I am eon-

_fident that the embellishments which have been

eferred will be provided in the near future..x ternally it is hoped that the considerable

expanse of brickwork will be relieved by a largestainless Iteel replica of the University's Coat ofArms. Internally provision has been made forthe installation of a pipe-organ: stained glasssymbols. including the Coat of Arm~, will beprovided above the main entrance doors; apiano is required for the ~Iusic Lecture RUllmand tapestries. drapes and curtains will be pro­vided where required. Although the Vice­Chancellor was not prepared to intrude thissuggestion, I can assure you that he or I will behappy to receive any contributions at ap} time.

'-As the Vice..('h:lllcellur ha, said. this GreatHaIJ correctly has been described as "the heartand soul" uf the l niversity. but it is also avital force in the Community.

"Through the work of the Faculties_ bothpresent and future, through research. and byle"dership. facilitated by this Great Hall. notonly will a 1110st valuable contribution be made,but 1 am confident that great honour will bebrought to this city .Illd district.

THE GAZETTE

"J ust as Dr. Callaghan and I have beenhonoured to-day, so this Great Hall will con­tribute in bringing honour to this Re~ion whichit serves, and I hope that all who have madethis function possible will be conscious of theenduring value of the contributions you havemade.

"Thank you most sincerely ladies aTld gentle­men!

DEATH OF STAFF MEMBER

Professor H. Melvin Lieberstein, Pro­fessor of Mathematics and formerly Deanof the Faculty of Mathematics, died inRoyal Newcastle Hospital on 18th Augustaged 47. The news was received withgreat regret by the University, which wasstrongly represented at Professor Lieber­stein's funeral service on 23rd August.

Professor Lieberstein, an American,occupied the second Chair in Mathematicssince December. 1971.

He graduated from the University ofArkansas in 1947 with Bachelor oC Artsand Bachelor of Science (Mathematics)degrees and subsequently obtained a~Iaster of Arts (~lathematics) degree inthe University of Kansas. In 1956 hecompletcd a Doctorate in Applied Math­ematics in the Institute of Fluid Dynamicsand Applied Mathematics, University of\1aryland. forom 1964 to 1967 he held anappointment as Associate Professor of\1athematies at Indiana Univer~ity and hewas Research Professor of \Iathematics atWichita State University prior to coming to

Australia.Professor Lieberstein was the author

of many papers dealing with the Math­ematical biosciences, Mathematical physio­logy, the aeronautical sciences, the aero-

5

"And to you, Mr. ChanceJlor, and to theMembers of your Council, on behalf of Dr.Callaghan and myself. I express most sincereappreciation for having been numbered amongstthose who have been honoured by this Univer­sity."

Final/y, the processioll moved to a spot

Ileal' the doors of rhe hall an,_ Sir Roden Cutler

ullveiled the commemorative plaque.

space sciences, computing, numericalanalysis and economics and the environ­ment. He was also the author of threebooks_

The Acting Vice-Chancellor ProfessorB_ e\\ ton-John said:

"I n the short time that he was with us,Melvin Lieberstein made a profound im­pression on the University. His academicinterests spread far beyond his own Dep­artment, not only into biological sciencesand medicine, but into anthropology,archaeology, aboriginal affairs. conserv­ation and town planning.

"It was due to Me!. Lieberstelll'sinitiative that the University has proposed.for the nex t Triennium, the Institute ofMathematics in the Life SCIences and\1edlcine, in which he had interested thelocal medical community.

" II one who met him could fail tohave been impressed by his energy andebullien t cheerfulness. He made thetransition from the American to theAustralian academic scene with the great­est of case, since friendship smoothed hispath.

"I t was typical of the man that hc wasvisiting the highlands ofPapua-New Cuineato qudy native cultures when he was takenill," Professor Ncwton-J oh n said. "Wchave Illst a most cungenial colk~l~ue_ leal'h­er and innovator".

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(d) Providing the machinery for the effectiveexpression of graduate opinion.

(e) Co-operating witil any body (whether inAustralia or elsewhere) having objects inwhole or in part the same as or similar tothe foregoing objects or any of them.The Conference meets at least once in every

year, witil one of the graduate organisationsacting as host. The quorum for a Conferencemeeting is representatives of five bodies entitledto exercise avote at meetings of the Conference.Motions passed at meetings of tile Conferencedo not bind tile bodies ,tilat are entitled toexercise a vote. The Conference may allow theattendance of observers and may also delegateits powers to tile Executive.

The executive of the Conference consistsof a President, two Vice-Presidents and anExecutive Secretary, who are usually electedat the Annual Conference Meeting.

The Conference (and its predecessor, tileFederation) has been instrumental in establish­ing contact between Australian graduate organ­is~tions and with University organisations withan interest in graduate affairs. It provides acommon meeting ground for the statutorygraduate bodies and the non-statu tory graduateorganisations. It provides a focal point forformulation of graduate opinion on matters ofinterest to them at the national level, as well asacting as a stimulus to the various organisationsby providing the machinery for the inter­change of ideas and programmes.

The Sixth Annual Meeting in Hobart inJanuary 1972 featured a seminar on the subject"The Role of the University in Society".

The 1973 Annual Meeting in Brisbaneincluded a widely publicised seminar on thequestion "Whither Tertiary Education?", atwhich the principal speaker was the new Fed­eral Minister for Education, the Hon. K.E.Beazley.

The A.U.G.C. has subsequently publishedthe proceedings of both these seminars. Arrange­ments are now proceeding for the nex tAnnual Meeting, which will be held at theUniversity of Newcastle on the Australia DayWeckend in January 1974.

THE GAZETTE

1973.From the outlet, the Federation soukht to

establish cordial relations with all bodies inAustralia which might have an interest in theactivities of the Federation. In partic4lar, itconducted correspondence witil tile AustralianVice-<:hancellors' Committee, the AustralianUniversities Commission, the National Union ofAustrapan University Students, the Federationof Australian University Staff Associations, andthe Australian Council for Educational Re­search. All these organisations were apprisedof the Federation's constitution and aims andforwarded a copy of tile booklet on "GraduateOrganisations in Australia".

In January 1970 the founder organisation- the Australian Federation of UniversityGraduates - was dissolved in favour of theAustralian University Graduate Conference. Itis important to note that there was no break incontinuity between the two organisations, norwas there any alteration to the objectives. Thepurpose of the change was to establish a looserconstitutional arrangement for A.U.G.C., enab­ling some of the statutory gradijate boditilsthroughout Australia to associate with A.U.G.C.Although they had been anxious to joinA.F.U.G., several graduate organisations hadbeen unable to do so because of constitutionaldifficulties

Since then, the A.U.G.C. has continued togrow and strengthen, with twelve graduateorganisations, including the Australian Feder­ation of University Women, participating in itsactivities.

The objects of the Conference are toencourage Australian Graduate Organisations tocounsel and act together in matters of mutualinterest witll a view to:(a) Strengthening intellectual or personal re­

lations between graduate and graduatebodies

(b) Mobilising graduate support for tertiaryeducation.

(c) Providing the opportunity for graduatebodies to achieve more effectively theirrespective objectives by the mutual inter­change of ideas.

Edwards Hall, the University of Newcastle's residenn'al col/ege, where delegates will stay during theconference.

DECEMBER. 1973

GRADUATE CONFERENCE

The University is to be the venue for thenext Australian University Graduate Confer>ence.

On the Australia Day holiday weekend inJanuary Convocation will act as host for theConference, which will bring to Newcastle rep­resentatives of all graduate bodies and alumniassociatiolU from universities throughoutAustralia.

The Executive Secretary of the Conference,Mr. Arthur J. Mason, wrote this brief historyof the A.U.G.C.

Graduate organisations in Australia areprinlarily the creatures of statute. The Acts ofParliament establishing the various Australianuniversities provide for the maintenance of agraduate influence in university government intwo ways: by the graduates electing a number

Ifthe members of the governing body of the

iversity; and by the graduates exercisingcertain powers of review over amendmentS touniversity statutes. For both these purposes,the Acts create graduate organisations, usuallyknown as Convocations. Otiler graduate organ­

*tions have grown up which derive tileir~itimacy from voluntary association; these

are usually known as graduate unions.In January 1965, a number of representatives

of Australian graduate organisations met inMelbourne to discuss the. organisation andstructure of existing graduate organisations inAustralia and the ground for common actionbetween them. This meeting recommended theestablishment of a national federation ofAustralian graduate organisations.

In January 1966, a conference at theUniversity of Adelaide resulted from the agree­ment of the various organisations to establish

• federation. Accordingly, this conference~voted its time to the formulation of a con­

stitution acceptable to all the organisationsinterested in participa ting in this federation.

In January 1967, the first annual Councilmeeting of the Federation was held at Monash

_niversity. This conference saw the emergenceof certain broad lines of policy and areas ofactivity in which the Federation could beinterested in the fu ture. I t was generally feltthat there was a need for the Federation tomove into the field of policy and to get awayfrom the discussion of constitutional matter '.In particular, the Council meeting saw thegenesis of an interest in matters of educational

. concern to graduates and graduate organisationsand universities in Australia.

In July 1967, the Federation published thefirst edition of "Graduate Organisations inAustralia". the first occasion on which suchinformation had been collated. The bookletprovided existing graduate organisations with,m understanding of the formal structure oftheir counterparts in other Universities. At thesame time, it gave an explanation of the varie tyof terms applied descriptively and with varyingmeaning to such graduate organisations. Thebooklet was very well received by constituentorganisations as well as by university adminis­trators and public libraries throughout Aust­ralia A second edition was published early in

DECEMBER. 1973

The financial support of the AustralianInstitute for A boriginal Studies and the legalassistance of the National Parks and WildlifeService of New South Wales, is gratefullyacknowledged.

There is considerable interest in the 15human burials discovered in amongst the morerecent camp debris. The individuals were ofvarious ages in life, and of both sexes, and hadbeen laid to rest in several different ways.Most had been carefully buried on their backs(see Illustration), bu t sOlnetimes only part ofthe body was there. Four bodies had beenpartly dismembered and then cremated. Wecannot comment usefully upon these burialcustoms until detailed reports on age at death,and sex, are completed, and it will also benecessary to determine the relative antiquitiesof the various burials.

At this stage of the project, many detailsremain to be filled in, and some importantstudies have yet to begin. Assistance from theDepartment of Anatomy at the University ofSydney, and from the Departments of Biology,Chemistry, Geography and Geology at New­castle, has been most generously given. Throughthese cooperative efforts, the full story of theSwansea dig will one day be written.

THE GAZETTE

stone implements. Nearly all these implementsare "Bondaian" type (pictured above). Thesetiny blades, whose backs have been carefullyblunted by delicate chipping, are splendidexamples of the stoneflaker's art. Otherimplements include the scrapers and chiselsused in making wooden implements, and thereare .;¥so a few bone points which have beenmade by grinding the bone on lumps of sand­stone.

The most satisfying feature of the Swanseasite is that it has. been in use for a very longtime indeed. A radiocarbon date indicatesthat this campsite was first occupied 7850 ±100 years ago.

We have recovered large quantities of. foodremains. There are many varieties of shel1fishwhich, together with fish, made up the staplediet. Most of the fish were quite small oneswhich must have been caught by netting ortrapping. The campsite, which stands some40 feet above the water, may well have servedas a spotting station for shoals of fish negotiat­ing the Swansea Channel.

Other food remains include bones of largerfish (especially of bream) and of reptiles andsmall mammals. Quite a few seals also endedup in the cooking fires. A detailed identificationof all the species represented is under way.

(A bove) Burial K at Swansea. Notice how the grave has been filled in with dark soil, which possiblyacted as a marker to prevent accidental disturbance in later gravedigging. (Below) Backed blades fromthiP Newcastle area. with an Australian jive cent coin to indicate size. These neatly-made implementsare very common at the Swansea site.

-~~-

Assoc. Professor L.K. Dyall, of the Dep­artment of Chemistry, has written this reporton a "dig" made of an Aboriginal campsitelocated at Swansea, South of Newcastle, on thecoast ofNew South Wales.

Between September and November, 1972,the Newcastle Region saw its first systematicexcavation of a prehistoric Aboriginal campsite.Some forty members of this University havebeen involved with the project in one capacityor another, and it is, therefore, fitting that thefust progress report should be published inthis "Gazette"

Most of the prehistOIY of the Abor~ines iswritten in the heaps of rubbish left at theirold campsites. Along our coastlines, the urbansprawl has left few such sites for archaeologiststo study. The Newcastle situation was particul­arly disappointing, in that extensive surveyshad failed to fmd a single site worth excavating.Then, in 1971, bulldozing of scrub on the southside of Swansea Channel uncovered a quiteunmistakable Aboriginal "midden" - a com­pacted mass of shells, fish bones, and stoneflakes, black with cen turies of accumulatedcampfue ash. The chance to recover theprehistory of Newcastle's fust settlers was inour grasp.

Unfortunately, there are few teams ofarchaeologists in Australia and none could bepersuaded to put aside their existing commit­ments to excavate at Swansea. In mid-1972,the situation became desperate: the owner ofthe land announced plans to build a houseright on top of the midden. At that stage, thewriter and Mrs. Frances Bentley took out apermit for a "rescue' dig", the owner waspersuaded by the National Parks and WildlifeService to stay his hand for three months andour excavations began.

An archaeological excavation is a complexoperation which requires considerable surveyand photographic equipment and a vast quantityof packaging material, as well as the trowels,spatulas, brushes, buckets, and sieves used inthe actual digging. Traditionally the work isdone by people with University training inarchaeology. In our urgent situation, there wasno time to train an excavation crew, or to beapplying for equipment grants. We acquiredour gear "on the run", trained our teams onthe job, and accepted anybody willing to turnup at weekends and work. The project wasalways on the verge of organizational collapse,but scores of people from all walks of life keptit driving along with most generous donationsof labour, skills, and equipment. In forty-twohectic working days the story of the SwanseaChannel Aborigines was recovered from theearth.

The excavation has belln immensely reward­ing: so much material has been recovered thatit will take us four or five years to study it indetail. Scores of generations of Aborigines havefashioned stone implements at this site, usingthe PemNan rocks of the "Reid's Mistake"headland. We have recovered something like100,000 waste flakes of stone from this man­ufacture, and many hundreds of recognizable

SWANSEA "DIG"

6

Till' ("il'ersit.\':\ lIew ,1 r1S /)ra/l/(/ nll',,"'e !las hee" a popular "('mlt' j"or S1<Ij:(' productiolls. i"dud.. Yuu 'rt' a (;oud l1all ('Iwrlit' Broll''''' (pictured). si"l't' it opelled la<t ,~l"rl'''.

8

NEW VICE-PRINCIPAL

The University Council has appointedProfessor A.D. Twecdie Vice-Principal and aDeputy Vice-{;hanceUor of the University tosucceed Professor B. Newton-John, who in tendsto retire on 5th March next year.

The Vice-{;hanceUor said Professor Tweedie.an Honours Graduate from the University ofNew Zealand. who saw service during the war inthe Royal New Zealand Navy. joined the staffof Newcastle University College as SeniorLecturer and Head of the Departmen t of Geog­raphy in January, 1955. after service in theUniversities of Otago and Queensland. He waspromoted Associate Professor in 1961 and afteradvertisement was appointed first Professor ofGeography at Newcastle at the end of 1964.

In 1965. Professor Tweedie was elected byhis colleagues to be the first Depu ty Chairmanof Senate in the newly independent Universityand did much to lay down the standards andprinciples for Senate operation in the develop­ing years. In 1969-70 he was Dean of theFaculty of Arts. During his time at Newcastlehe has held visiting Professorial appointments atthe University of Colorado and the CaliforniaState University, Northbridge, and has represent­ed Australia at a number of international con­ferences concerned wi th Geograp hy in generaland Water Resources in particular. ProfessorTweedle is the author of a major work WareI'

and (fIe World, now in its third edition, and alsoof some 20 or more shorter books and articlesin his field of specialization.

Thl' Vice.{'hanccllor added that ProfessorTweedie had also been active in the generallife or Ih.: University, being at on~ timePresidenl or the Athletics Club. whilst on theNational scene he has been President of theInstilut,' llr Auslralian Geographers and Presi­denl "r Ih,' (;eu~raphic31 Seelion of the Aust­ralbn ;l1ld New Zealand Association for theadvan,','l11,'nl or SdcllL·,'.

THE GAZETTE

UNIVERSITY NEWS

At the General Assembly of the Internation­al Astronomical Union in Sydney in August,Professor C.S.L. Keay. of the Department ofPhysics, was elected Chairman of an inter­national committee to investigate the establish­ment of a chain of au tomated meteor record­ing stations in different parts of the world.

October brought with it the 10th anniversaryof computing services within the University.On nnd October, ]963. an IBM 1620 com­pu ter was installed at Newcastle UniversityCollege. Tighes Hill. This served the universityuntil September, 1966, when an IBM 1130 wasinstalled in the present computer room at theShortland site, and 'the 1620 returned to IBMIn November, 1970, the syst<:m was upgradedwith the installation of an ICL 1904,\ compuler.

Mr. David Wallaee, who is enroJJed in theFaculty of Arts. has been elected President ofthe 22nd Students' Representative Council. Mr.Milorad PavIovic was elected Honorary Sec­.retary to succeed Miss Jan Chambers. 'vIi"Barbara CallColt was elected local A.U.S. Sec­

retary.The Governor. with the advice of the

h.ecutive Council, appointed Mr. Leslie Gibbs,B.E.M .. F.A.I.M., to the Council of the Uni­versity. 1r. Gibbs succeeded as a member ofthe Council the late Dr. G.A. Fdwards, formerDeputy Chancellor of the university, who diedlast June.

Newcastle Flora and Fauna Protection Soc­iety made a donation of 50 Australian plants toexpress its support for the University's policy ofrelaining the nalural character of the originalsite. The shrubs were planted by members ofthe Society in the precincts of the Great Hall.

DECFMBER, 1973·

The University of e\\castle\ debating teamquelled the University of \lelbourne's team tobecome winner of this year's Inter-VarsityDebating Contest, conducted In the last weekof the vacation at the University of Sydney.\Iilorad Pavlovie (Captain). GeolT Sheldon andLarry Galbraith won the title ror this universityfor the first time ever.

The University of Newcastle was host from161h tn 19th AUl!ust tn a \\ olllen's !lock.:y lealllrepresentinl! Combin.:d Universilies of New It'land. On 171h. Ne\\ ZeataJ1lj defeated a Ne\\·castle representative team. which induded mem­bers uf slall, Iknise Mark\\ell and Izalwllkath.by tluel' I!uals to onc. On 181h. Ne\\ Zealanddefeated the University of Newcastle by fivagoals to one at University Oval. .,

Peter Allan, an Electrical Engineeringstudent, recorded the best individual score towin the llniversity Open Golf Championshipsand trophy at ewcastle Golf Club on 16thSeptember. The championships were held inconjunction with the annual Students v. Staffmatch for the Vice.{'hancellor's Trophy, whichwas again won by the Staff team.

University's First XV was beaten by The\\aratahs in (he 1973 District Rugby nionFinal. However, the Reserve Grade team wonthrough 10 the Grand Final, which they wonagainst 'vlerewether.{'arlton J 1-1 n.

University Squash Clu b was host to theBritish Univer ities Squash team. TheChurehillians, in July. A large num ber ofspectators saw The Churchillians defeat a New­castle representative team and a Universityteam by 5 ru bbers to none and 4 TU bbers to oncrespectively. The Churchillians were undoubt­edly the best squash players ever seen at theUniversity court,.

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