A N N U A L R E P O R T
Report jof t h e Proceedings of t h e University for t h e y e a r ended S l s t December, 1952
To His Excellency,
Sir Dallas Brooks, K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., Governor of Victoria.
May it Please Your Excellency,
I have the honour, in accordance with Section 43 of the University Act 1928, to submit to Your Excellency the following report of the Proceedings of the University during 1952.
1. Finance:
The financial position of the University remains a very serious one. The year 1952 commenced with an accumulated deficit of approxi- mately £84,000 in the General Fund. As a result of a further deterior- ation of £6,000 in 1952, our present uncovered deficit amounts to
£90,000 at 31st December 1952. More serious still is the prospect of a further deficit of at least £60,000 in 1953. Strenuous efforts have been made to reduce expenditure to the barest minimum and in this matter the University staff have proved most co-operative. The solution to the present financial problems can only result from a substantial increase in income.
The University's income for general purposes is derived from three main sources, namely, students' fees, State Grants and Common- wealth Grants.
(a) Students' Fees:
Students' fees, which had remained constant since 1928, were increased by 50% in 1951 and 25% in 1952. A further increase of 20% has been approved for 1953, thereby making the general increase over the past three years 125% on the 1928 fees. The latest increase was made after very careful consideration and with regret. Not all students are eligible for Commonwealth Scholarships and similar awards and a higher level of. fees may shut out some students from a University training.
It is hoped that there will be no necessity to raise fees again in the foreseeable future.
(b) State Government Grants:
The last State Budget provided for an increase of £61,850 in the State Grant to a new figure of £568,000. The University is most grateful to the successive State Governments over the past decade for substantial increases in grants as shown in the following table:
295
State Government Grants for years ending SOth June:
1942 1943 1944 1945
£102,000 112,000 122,000 127,100
1946 1947 1948 1949
£135,100 155,600 184,700 300,000
1950 1951 1952 1953
£408,000 451,350 506,150 568,000 It is not too much to say that without such increased help the work of the University must have been curtailed.
(c) Commonwealth Government Grants:
Under the State Grants (Universities) Act 1951, an annual basic grant of £213,149 (plus £7,265 for Residential Colleges) is payable to Melbourne for the years 1951, 1952 and 1953. In addition, we can qualify for a maximum second level grant of £82,500. In order to obtain tlie basic grant, students' fees and State Grants must total at least £655,159. For every £3 by which students' fees and State Grants exceed £655,159, the Commonwealth will pay an additional £1 but so as not to exceed a maximum figure of £82,500. However, for 1952, the University did not qualify for the maximum second level payment of
£82,500. '
The 1951 Act was passed after report from a select Committee whose findings were based on the 1950 financial position. Increased prices and wages since then have greatly reduced the effective value of the Commonwealth Grants, and the Australian Vice-Chancellors have approached the Prime Minister for a revision of the Commonwealth Grant.
The problem is of national importance and the amounts required by the Australian universities are small in comparison with the Federal Income. It is earnestly hoped that the Commonwealth Government will agree to a substantial increase in its grant.
While the University is in such financial straits, it is impossible to undertake any future planning, and there are a number of urgent needs which cannot be met through lack of finance. Large expansion is desirable in the departments of medicine and surgery and, to particularize, an extra £100,000 per annum is necessary to provide full and efficient teaching in the clinical years.
Although there has been some development over the last decade, there are still many gaps in the academic structure. We have now no Chair of Veterinary Science. There is no Chair or indeed a teaching department of Anthropology. The Social Sciences need developing and certainly some provision should be made for some aspects of Oriental Studies. Division of subjects covered by some existing chairs is also desirable.
The general level of staffing is below that of comparable universi- ties overseas and the staff-student ratio is far from satisfactory. In addition, a revision of salary scales is a real and urgent need. It is several years since salary rates were revised and the present amounts paid to the staff compare most unfavourably with many outside organ- isations—a position exaggerated by post-war inflationary tendencies
The financial problem is the most difficult matter with which the University Council is faced at present and without further resources it is impossible to balance the budget and at the same time preserve efficiency.
2. Buildings:
Early in 1952, the Universitv suffered a catastrophic loss with tlie Wilson Hall fire. This dignified and stately edifice, which was so much a central part of the University, became a total loss within a few hours.
A public appeal was launched for its rebuilding and the University Council received approximately £160,000 from donations and insurance.
Some details of the result of the appeal appear in sec. 20 of this Report.
However, owing to the high cost of rebuilding Wilson Hall in its original Gothic magnificence it has been decided, though not without some protest, to demolish the present ruins and construct a new modern type hall on the same site. The estimated cost of complete restoration with proposed additions was *&44O,O0O, while a new building would cost about £200,000, and only £160,000 was available including £100,000 from insurance.
Two other building appeals were launched in 1952. The first was to carry out extensions to the Engineering School and donations fo date total £35,646. In addition, the State has agreed to provide £150,000 for this project over a period of four years. Further particulars appear in sec. 21 of this report.
The second appeal is still in progress and was launched to provide an International House to accommodate a number of overseas and Australian students. The appeal has reached approximately £12,000 including a grant of £5,000 from the State Government.
The sites for the new Biochemistry building and for the new Library were chosen. The former will be situated on the Royal Parade frontage between Grattan Street and the Conservatorium and the latter will occupy the site of House No. 3 with encroachment on the grounds of the adjoining houses. Work on the Library will not be commenced for about two years. Approximately £100,000 will be available event- ually from a bequest, but rising costs make it likely that four times this amount will be required. Some £75,000 is available from two gifts for the Biochemistry school but again the cost will be much higher.
In general, the lack of sufficient accommodation in most depart- ments is a matter of concern. Since 1939, very little has been under- taken in the nature of permanent buildings. In some cases it is very difficult for departments to carry out their functions satisfactorily.
For example, the medical school building is obsolescent and much money is spent on repairs and temporary alterations which would be better used on a new building. Agriculture has to turn away further research workers and the department of Forestry has only two inad- equate rooms. These are only a few of the many deficiencies and if student numbers rise as expected, in a few years' time, facilities which are already insufficient will be woefully inadequate.
Finally, the time has come when the tin huts in the University grounds should be replaced by permanent buildings. These huts are quite unfit for first class work and are a dangerous fire risk to valuable plant.
3. Council:
The Council re-elected me Chancellor for the twelfth successive year, and Sir John Newman-Morris was re-elected Deputy Chancellor.
Mr. R. R. Blackwood, Mr. R. W. Holt, M.L.A., and Mr. N. E. T.
Jones were appointed by the Govemor-in-Council and the Hon. A. M.
Fraser, M.L.C, the Hon. T. D. Oldham, M.L.A., Mr. T. W. Andrews, Mr. John Blake and Mr. Herbert Taylor were reappointed. Mr. Ian Potter and Councillor W. J. Brens, who was later elected Lord Mayor of Melbourne, were co-opted for a further term.
Mr.. S. L. Prescott, a co-opted member of Council as the Head of a College, was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Western Australia and will leave us.
4. The Professors:
Appointments were made to four new Chairs as follows:
Germanic Languages: Dr. R. H. Samuel (previously Senior Lecturer-in-Charge).
Organic Chemistry: Dr. W. Davies (previously Associate Pro- fessor).
Pure Mathematics: Dr. E. R. Love (previously Associate Pro- fessor).
Commercial Law: Mr. F . P. Donovan (previously Reader in Law at the University of Adelaide).
The Chair of Statistics and the Chair of Theoretical Physics ware not filled, but these matters will be reconsidered in twelve months' time.
Mr. R. I. Downing was appointed Ritchie Professor of Research in Economics. He was a Senior Lecturer at this University before accepting an appointment at the International Labour Office, Geneva, whence he comes here.
Professor Sir Macfarlane Burnet was one of seven scientists to receive the Lasker Award of the American National Health Association for medical achievement.
5. Associate Professors:
Mr. A. N. Hambly (Senior Lecturer in Physical Chemistry) and Dr. D. W. McElwain (Senior Lecturer in Psychology) were promoted to Associate Professorships.
6. Honours:
Dr. J. R. Darling, a member of Council, was created an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
Dr. A. Lodewyckx, formerly Associate Professor of Germanic Languages, was appointed an Officer in the Order of Oranje Nassau.
Emeritus Professor P. MacCallum received the honour of knight- hood.
Miss M. Jean Polglaze, Senior Lecturer in Economics, received the honour of M.B.E. for her work during the war as statistican to the War Cabinet.
Mr. Leighton Irwin, who was Director of the Architectural Atelier for many years, received the honour of C.M.G.
7. Student Numbers:
The total number of students in 1952 was 7,320.
Because of a change in the compiling of statistics, one category of music students has been omitted. The real decrease below the 1951 figure is 575, and the number of new students fell by 76.
8. Medical School:
The Council approved of the establishment of two Chairs in Medicine and one in Surgery as the first stage in the formation ot Departments of Medicine and Surgery. One Professor will be located at each of the Royal Melbourne, Alfred and St. Vincent's Hospitals.
Later three more professorial appointments may be made so that there will be. a professor in each subject at each of the three hospitals. These appointments, however, are all subject to the receipt of commensurate additional revenue.
Prince Henry's Hospital was granted recognition by the University as a Clinical School and up to ten students will enter the hospital each year.
9. Research:
In addition to a considerable amount of research carried out by members of the teaching staff as part of their normal duties, the follow- ing statement indicates the income specifically available for research.
The total income received for research in 1952 was £137,821.
This was made up of:
University General Funds Grants (made possible by grants to the University by the Commonwealth
and State Governments) £52,551 State Governments Special Grants 14,900 Direct Commonwealth Government Grants (the two
main items being £17,600 from National Health and Medical Research Council and £11,509 from
C.S.I.R.O.) 32,348 Donations 16,937 Interest, Dividends and Income from Trustees . . . . 21,074
Other Income 11
£137.821 Expenditure from these research funds totalled £143,800, including
£96,334 spent on salaries, scholarships and grants, and £33,771 on apparatus and laboratory materials.
The research grants and scholarships are still much smaller than is desired but in 1953 these will be augmented by increasing the grants to students by amounts equivalent to their compulsory fees.
During the year the Shell Company Ltd. made available the first award of its Travelling Scholarships when two were made available to graduates in Australian universities in certain Faculties. These Travelling Scholarships are at present the best available for Science
and Engineering graduates in that their value is £700 a year and fares are paid. In addition the Company guarantees to place the students in either Cambridge, London or Oxford University.
10. Overseas Students:
There were at the University this year some 217 Asian students including 10 who had come to the University under the Colombo Plan.
Three of these were senior people who held academic positions in their own universities. One of the others is proceeding to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and two to their Masters' Degrees.
11. Resignatiotis:
The following members of the staff resigned during the year:
Mr. T. M. Brett, Lecturer in Civil Engineering.
Mr. R. J. Deam, Research Fellow in Mechanical Engineering.
Dr. D. W. Goodall, Senior Lecturer in Botany.
Dr. G. M. Harris, Senior Lecturer in Physical Chemistry.
Dr. Nancy Hayward, Senior Lecturer in Bacteriology.
Mr. A. S. Livingstone, Lecturer in Social Studies.
Mr. H. Maddox, Lecturer in Psychology.
Dr. R. D. Marshall, Lecturer in Anatomy.
Dr. J. C. Nixon, Senior Lecturer in Ore Dressing.
Mr. S. S. Orr, Lecturer in Philosophy.
Mr. L. R. D. Pyke, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry.
Dr. A. W. Pound, Research Officer in Pathology.
Mr. D. W. Smith, Guidance Officer.
Miss R. Sugden, Lecturer in Chemistry.
Mr. E. E. Ward, Senior Lecturer in Political Science.
12. Appointments:
Dr. W. V. Aughterson, Senior Lecturer in Education,
(p) Miss Mary M. Bayne, Senior Lecturer in Economic Geography, (p) Mr. R. Berg, Senior Lecturer in Architecture.
Dr. J. H. Birrell, Assistant Curator of the Pathology Museum.
Mr. A. H. Boxer, Lecturer in.Economics,
(p) Mr. J. F. Cairns, Senior Lecturer in Economic History.
Mr. D. J. Carr, Senior Lecturer in Botany.
Mr. J. S. Carr,* Senior Lecturer in Ore Dressing,
(p) Mrs. Nina Christesen, Senior Lecturer-in-Charge of Russian, (p) Dr. Isabel C. Cookson, Research Fellow in Botany,
(p) Associate Professor W. Davies, Professor of Organic Chemistry.
Mr. D. J. Dewhurst, Lecturer in Physiology.
Mr. F. P. Donovan, Professor of Commercial Law.
Mr. R. I. Downing, Ritchie Professor of Research in Economics, (p) Mr. G. H. Gellie, Senior Lecturer in Classics,
(p) Dr. F. W. E. Gibson, Senior Lecturer in Chemical Microbiology.
Mr. P. G. M. Gilet, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering.
Mr. D. L. Gunner, Lecturer in Philosophy,
(p) Mr. A. N. Hambly, Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry.
Mr. N. G. Hosking, Lecturer in Civil Kngineerinf.
Dr. K. A. Huybers, Senior Lecturer in Medical Bacteriology.
Mr. F. A. Janeba, Senior Lecturer in Architecture,
(p) Dr. C. F. Kettleborough, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineer- ing.
Miss Margaret Lester, Lecturer in Mathematics.
Dr. J. Leyser, Senior Lecturer in Law.
(p) Associate Professor E. R. Love, Professor of Pure Mathematics, (p) Mr. H. Maclean, Lecturer in German.
Mr. N. E. W. McCallum, Lecturer in Chemical Pathology, {p) Dr. D. W. McElwain, Associate Professor of Psychology, (p) Dr. Nancy Millis, Lecturer in Bacteriology,
( p ) Mr. R. G. Parker, Senior Lecturer in Architecture.
Mr. C. D. Rollins, Lecturer in Philosophy.
Mr. R. A. Samek, Senior Lecturer in Commercial Law.
Dr. A. G. Serle, Lecturer in History.
Mr. R. G. Tanner, Lecturer in Classics.
Mr. I. K. Waterhouse, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, (p) Mr. H. Wiemann, Senior Lecturer in German.
Miss Olive Wykes, Lecturer in French and Education.
Mr. G. Yule, Lecturer in History.
(p) = Promotion.
13. Staff on Leave Overseas:
Professor Burke visited Europe and the United Kingdom.
Professor Crawford resumed his leave which was interrupted last year, returning to Oxford.
Professor Derham left for England to lecture at Wadham College, Oxford. His place will be taken here by Mr. P. B. Garter of Oxford as Visiting Professor.
Dr. D. N. F. Dunbar, Lecturer in Physics, took up a fellowship at the California Institute of Technology.
Mr. F, E. Emery, Lecturer in Psychology, was awarded a UNESCO Fellowship in Social Sciences and worked at the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations in London.
Mr. A. E. Ferguson, Senior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a teaching assistant and later was to go to England.
Professor Sir Bernard Heinze visited Canada and the United Kingdom.
Professor Hills attended conferences on the problems of the arid zone in Ankara and Jerusalem.
Mr. F. H. Johnston, Registrar, visited universities in the United Kingdom.
Miss Patricia P. Keogh, Lecturer in Physiology, worked at the University of London.
Miss Margaret L. Kiddle, Senior Tutor in History, visited the United Kingdom.
Professor La Nauze went to the Institute of Commonwealth Studies in London.
Professor Maxwell visited the United Kingdom and Denmark.
Associate Professor Mohr went to University College, London.
Professor Oeser spent two months in the United Kingdom and three months in the United States.
Dr. K. H. Pausacker, Senior Lecturer in Organic Chemistry, attended the Foreign Student Summer School of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Professor Prest left at the end of the year for a short visit toi the United Kingdom.
Dr. E. M. Pullar, Senior Veterinary Research Officer, attended the World Health Organization Rabies Seminar at Coonoor, India.
Associate Professor Rawlinson, attended the International Bio- chemical Congress in Paris and the Olympic Games at Helsinki as an accredited observer for the Olympic Organizing Committee and as Chairman of the Recreation Grounds Committee.
Professor Samuel was granted a Rockefeller Fellowship to go to Cambridge and also expected to spend six months in surveying education in Germany.
Miss Gaye Tennent, Senior Tutor in English, visited the United Kingdom.
Dr. D. Thomson, Research Fellow in Anthropology, visited the United Kingdom and gave lectures at the Universities of Birmingham and Cambridge.
Mr. A. A. Wilcock, Senior Lecturer in Geography, went to Cam- bridge and proposed also to visit the United States.
Dr. E. R. Wyeth, Senior Lecturer in Education, went-to Ceylon at the invitation of the Department of External Affairs to give lectures and advice on matters relating to experimental education.
Mr. G. Yule, Lecturer in History, took up a Rockefeller Fellowship for study at Oxford.
14. Obituary:
I regret to record the deaths of the following:
Mr. J. P. Bainbridge, Registrar from 1909 to 1937, on 12th September.
Dr. John Dale, formerly Lecturer in Public Health, on 27th September.
Dr. Charles H. Kellaway, a former member of Council, on 12th December.
Sir Walter Massy-Greene, a member of Council from 1939 to 1949 and Deputy Chancellor from 1945 to 1947, on 16th November.
Mr. H. McCloskey, a member of the technical staff of the Zoology Department for 32 years, on 12th November.
Dr. George Reid, Senior Lecturer in Physiology, on 1st June.
Associate Professor E. J. C. Rennie, a member of the staff of the Engineering School since 1915, on 30th November.
15. Distinguished Visitors:
Sir John Cockcroft, Director of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, England, was admitted to the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws.
Professor E. C. Dodds delivered the Halford Oration on "Some Biochemical Aspects of the Problems of Ageing."
Dr. R. T. Hutcheson, Registrar of the University of Glasgow, visited Australian Universities on an Imperial Relations Trust Fellow- ship.
The Hon. Pete Jarman, American Ambassador in Australia, was admitted to the honorary degrees of Doctor of Laws.
Professor A. Morris of Boston University was attached to the Department of Criminology during the year.
16. AN Z A AS Meeting at Sydney:
The 29th Meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science was held in Sydney in August. The
•official representatives of the University were Professor Sunderland and Professor Turner and about 65 other members of the staff attended.
Professor Prest was elected President of Section G (Economics, Statistics and Social Science).
17. Australasian Medical Congress:
The University conferred honorary degrees on nine visitors to the Eighth Session of the Australasian Medical Congress which was held in Melbourne in August. Sir Henry Newland and Professor C. H.
Best received the Degee of Doctor of Laws and the Degree of Doctor of Medicine was conferred on each of the following:
Professor W. E. Le Gros Clark Professor E. C. Dodds
Dr. John Foster
Dr. N. M. Gregg (who was later created a knight) Dr. F. Avery Jones
Dr. A. B. Reese and
Professor Lambert C. Rogers.
IS. Seventh Quinquennial Congress oj Universities of tlie British Commonwealth:
The Vice-Chancellor (Professor Paton), Professor Gibson, Mr.
Gilray and Professor Sunderland were appointed as representatives of the University for the Congress of Universities of the British Common-
wealth to be held at Cambridge in July 1953.
19. XVI Olympiad:
In connection with the Olympic Games to lie held in Melbourne in 1956, the University and the Colleges were asked to commence negoti- ations for the housing of officials and athletes and for the holding of international conferences in conjunction with the Games.
20. Wilson Hall Appeal:
The total amount received to the end of 1952 in response to the Appeal for the rebuilding of Wilson Hall was £67,032, including the
•following amounts:
£5,000 from Victorian Associated Breweries.
£5,000 from Broken Hill Associated Smelters Pty. Ltd., Zinc
Corporation Ltd., North Broken Hill Ltd. and Broken Hill South Ltd.
£2,000 each from Sir Russell Grimwade, Electrolytic Zinc Co. of Australia Ltd., National Bank of Australasia Ltd.
£1,934 from the Victorian Women Graduates' Association.
£1,231 from the descendants of Dr. W. H. Cutts.
£1,000 each from Dr. A. E. Rowden White; Australian Paper Manufacturers Ltd.; Thomas Baker (Kodak) ; Alice Baker and Eleanor Shaw Benefactions; Mr. G. J. Coles; R. M.
McDonald Estate; Sidnev Mver Charity Trust; I.C.I.A.N.Z.
Ltd.
21. Engineering School Appeal:
The State Government has promised £150,000 over four years for new buildings at the Engineering School, and donations totalling
£35,646 have been received, including the following amounts:
£5,000 from H. V. McKay Massev Harris Ptv. Ltd.
£2,500 each from North Broken Hill Ltd., Consolidated Zinc Pty.
Ltd., Electrolytic Zinc Co. of Australia Ltd.
£2,000 each from Broken Hill Pty. Co. Ltd., Australian Iron and Steel Ltd.
£1,500 from Broken Hill South Ltd.
£1,000 each from McPherson's Ltd., Mount Lyall Mining and Railway Co., Australian Paper Manufacturers Ltd.
22. Benefactions:
In addition to the donations received for the Appeals, gifts and bequests totalling £84,845 were received or promised during 1952, including those mentioned below. The total of all donations, gifts and bequests, including appeals, was £199,323 (approximately).
£22,000 from the Estate of Miss M. A. M. Lockie.
£8,558 from the Estate of E. C. E. Dyason for general purposes for the advancement of education.
£6,750 from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia—representing grants from the Rural Credits Development Fund.
£6,000 from an anonymous donor to provide for the Vice-Director- ship of the Conservatorium of Music (fifth instalment making a total of £30,000).
£3,800 from Messrs. David Syme and Co. Ltd. towards the salary of the Professor of Architecture.
£2,300 from the Estate of G. W. G. Butler for general purposes.
£2,000 from the Department of Mines as a grant in connection with coal utilization investigations.
£2,000 from the Estate of Daisy Esther Anne Jane Smith—£1,000 each for cancer research and the Edwin Nonus Scholarship.
£1,932 from Mr. H. B. Shaw and £1,000 from the Estate of Mrs.
H. B. Shaw for the wind tunnel project.
£1,901 from the W. L. Baillieu Trust for the new Library.
£1,748 from the Estate of J. J. I. Winter for the John Winter Research Fund.
£1,750 from the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria for research in the Biochemistry and Pathology Departments.
£1,500 from the Estate of Mrs. Rachel E. Altson as an endowment for the Isaac Samuel Crawcour Trust to provide a bursary for a medical student.
£1,480 from Nicholas Pty. Ltd. for the Physiology and Bio- chemistry Departments.
£1,200 from I.C.I.A.N.Z. Ltd., for two fellowships for 1952.
£1,173 from the Estate of E. L. M. Baillieu for the Library.
£1,076 from the Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria for research in the Botany Department and the Brown Coal Research Laboratory.
£1,055 from the Estate of Sophie Godfrey Craig for a scholarship in the Law School.
£1,050 from the Victorian Chamber of Manufactures including
£300 towards the publication of a book' by Dr. O. de R.
Foenander.
£1,020 from Kraft Walker Cheese Co. Pty. Ltd. for research.
£1,000 each for the Chair of Commercial Law from the Common- wealth Bank of Australia, General Motors-Holdens Ltd. and The Victorian Chamber of Manufactures.
£1,000 from an anonymous donor towards a Chair of Medicine or a Chair of Surgery.
$2,400 from the Rockefeller Foundation for the purchase of equip- ment for the Biochemistry Department.
I have the honour to be,
Your Excellency's Most Obedient Servant, CHARLES J. LOWE,
13/2/53. Chancellor.
