Oral History Interview Tapes and Records [University History Project] (Series 1498)

In the 1970s the University embarked on an oral history project as part of the background research for the writing of its history, Australia’s First (two volumes, jointly published by the University and Hale & Iremonger, 1991 and 1996). From the mid-1970s to the early 1990s Professor Kenneth Cable, Professor WF Connell, and Dr Ursula Bygott conducted interviews with past and present staff, alumni, and their relations.

These interviews are a rich resource for information about the University, taking us back to a period dating from the late 19^th century through to the late 20^th century, revealing, as Professor Cable said, ‘what life was like from the inside’. The value of this collection lies not just in the glimpses it provides of university life over that period but also in the insights it affords us into the social life and attitudes of those times. Many of the interviewees were themselves significant cultural figures and contributors to Australian public life. Although unsophisticated recording techniques and poor sound quality have affected many of the tapes, the intimate and relaxed atmosphere in which the interviews were conducted has yielded a wealth of fascinatingly diverse recollections from their subjects.

The records contain correspondence with those interviewed (first 3 boxes) and project correspondence, project progress reports, minutes of project committee meetings and statistics of various aspects of the University. There are also project financials and draft chapters of the Australia's First as well as of Bruce Williams Academic Status & Salaries and Sir Stephen Roberts monograph.