The University Archives turns 70 on 3 May this year. To celebrate this milestone, check the blog at the end of each week for the week’s special stories from our collections.
19 February 2024
In His Honour
The esteemed portrait artist, William Dobell, was commissioned by the John Anderson Testimonial Committee/Fund to paint a portrait of Professor John Anderson to commemorate his retirement in 1958 from the Challis Chair of Philosophy. Professor Anderson had held the position since 1927. On 7 October 1958, Senate reported that, “…a Committee had been called together under the Chairmanship of Professor Stout to plan some form of public recognition of the services of Professor John Anderson…to the University and the academic community. The Committee has asked if the Senate would accept a sum of money to be raised by public subscription, either for a portrait of Professor Anderson or a volume written in his honour, or perhaps for both, to be given to the University. Senate approved both proposals, as seen in this letter.
On 6 June 1962, Senate confirmed that, “…a portrait of Emeritus Professor John Anderson by William Dobell had been handed over to the University at a ceremony held during the previous week at the University”. [Ref 3]. The 1964 Calendar further noted that the painting, “…has since been hung in the New Fisher Library Building”, where it is still displayed today. The painting is part of the University Art Collection, Chau Chak Wing Museum.
Professor Anderson died just over a month after his painting was completed on 6 July 1962.
Letter Inviting Sydney Philosophy Club Subscribers to View William Dobell’s Painting of John Anderson (10/05/1962), [REF-00080107]. University of Sydney Archives, accessed 19/02/2024, https://archives-search.sydney.edu.au/nodes/view/130532.
20 February 2024
A Pacific Tableau
As part of a state visit to Australia, the King and Queen of Tonga, King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV and Queen Halaevalu Mata’aho, visited the University on 29 October 1979. The 19 November 1979 Uni News reported that, “The Great Hall…was transformed into a Pacific tableau…when a reception was held by the Tongan community of New South Wales…Several hundred Tongans who live in Sydney and other from Canberra and elsewhere in the state, gave them an enthusiastic welcome. Following the opening ceremony, guests enjoyed a lavish Tongan-style feast which included 30 sucking-pigs, large baked fish, water melons and a traditional dish, normally of taro leaves, but for which spinach was substituted. Singing and traditional dancing with audience participation following the feast until late in the afternoon…As a mark of respect, the Tongans adorned the aisle of the Great Hall with a ceremonial Tapa cloth, two metres wide and several layers deep…The ante-room of the Great Hall was all but camouflaged by a wall-to-wall covering of Tapa, and a frieze of Tapa arranged about two metres up the walls – a marked contrast to the formal portraits usually adorning the walls”.
Siaosi Taufa’ahau Tubouto’a, the King as he was known then, graduated from the University in 1940 with a Bachelor of Arts and then in 1943 with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours), conferred on 15 June 1940 and 22 May 1943 respectively.
Reception Held by the NSW Tongan Community for the King and Queen of Tonga (1979), [REF-00013365]. University of Sydney Archives, accessed 20/02/2024, https://archives-search.sydney.edu.au/nodes/view/33244.
21 February 2024
Single File, Please
The University Mace was either gifted by Queen Victoria and officially presented to the University by Sir Charles Fitzroy, Governor of the Colony of New South Wales, in 1852, or acquired in the name of the Queen through Sir Fitzroy. It was made of colonial silver and myall wood by Brush and Macdonnell and bears three arms – those of the Royal Arms, the Colony, and the University – with a rose, thistle and shamrock entwined between the Arms. On 29 February 1980, University Archivist GL Fischer, noted that, “When the mace was completed in December 1854, a space was left for the University arms since the design was not decided upon until December 1856, and not granted until 14 May 1857…The version of the New South Wales arms differs considerably from the grant of 1906, and I do not know what its official standing was”. The original motto of the University, ‘Doctrina Paret Virtutem’, was replaced in 1858 with the present motto, ‘Sidere Mens Eadem Mutato’. It was to be carried by the Esquire Bedell before the Chancellor in procession on official occasions.
On 4 December 1989, the Vice-Chancellor presented to Senate that, “At the time when the first Chancellor of the University of Western Sydney, Sir Ian Turbott was installed, some Fellows suggested to me that The University of Sydney might present a mace to the University of Western Sydney. This would be a most appropriate gift and would be welcome…Recommended [in bold] that the Vice-Chancellor be authorised to arrange to have a mace fabricated and that a suitable ceremony be organised next year for its presentation. The likely cost is about $2,000.00”. The preeminent silversmiths, the husband and wife team, Helge Larsen and Darani Lewers, were commissioned to design and produce this mace. The total cost, however, came to $15,000 for the 18-carat gold, sterling silver, enamel and myall wood, “…an organic element which echoes the timber baton. a feature of the made for the University of Sydney in 1854”, mace. The University of Western Sydney media release about the presentation ceremony noted that, “It was an historic occasion with the Chancellor of Australia’s oldest university presenting the mace as a gift to the Chancellor of…one of Australia’s youngest institutions”.
Associate Professor Margaret Sabine Carrying the Mace – Open Day 1988 Academic Procession (1988), [REF-00014327]. University of Sydney Archives, accessed 21/02/2024, https://archives-search.sydney.edu.au/nodes/view/34273.
22 February 2024
Better a Witty Fool than a Foolish Wit
The University of Sydney Union was founded in 1874, open to all undergraduates and graduates willing to pay the 2s 6d (half a crown) subscription fee. With the objective of, “…promoting the ‘mental culture’ of its members mainly through debates”, the Union met regularly on Friday evenings. By the late 1890s, however, membership was dwindling. This was largely due to the Union’s focus on debating, which failed to interest a diverse range of students.
In response, the Union set out to diversify their activities by holding readings and speeches, including, on 13 May 1887, a dramatic reading of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Following the reading, the Union printed in its regular Hermes column, that, “Our age is essentially one of progress. In no way has this been more conspicuously shown than by the departure from the customary debate at Friday week’s meeting of the Union”. The reading, “…passed off with great éclat”, attracted a larger than usual crowd, “…there being fully fifty persons present, including a fair sprinkling of ladies”.
Sydney University Union Reading of ‘Twelfth Night’ or ‘What You Will’ (13/05/1887), [REF-00089150]. University of Sydney Archives, accessed 22/02/2024, https://archives-search.sydney.edu.au/nodes/view/141978.
23 February 2024
The Octagonal House?
Built in 1920, the Round House is the only wholly timber building (including timber shingles on the roof) on campus to be designed by Professor Leslie Wilkinson. Despite its name, the Round House is an octagonal-shaped building and was designed to allow Veterinary Science students to observe surgery performed on large animals – leading to its original name, the Observation Box.
A unique feature of the building is its weathervane, a composite of steel, copper and wood with bone ball bearings, which features a dog instead of the traditional cockerel sitting atop the roof of the building. After many decades and significant deterioration, the weathervane was repaired by Terry Toomey, a sheet metal worker in the Works Department’s Plumbers’ Workshop, in 1983. Salvaging the original arrow and dog Toomey recreated the rest of the weathervane using more durable materials.
Veterinary School – Veterinary Science – Observation Box – Round House (Oct 1920), [REF-00083910]. University of Sydney Archives, accessed 23/02/2024, https://archives-search.sydney.edu.au/nodes/view/135746.
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