Board of Studies in Military Studies

There are no University by-laws pertaining to the constitution of the Board of Military Studies which was established following the report of a university Senate Committee on Military education appointed by the Senate on 3 April 1905. The Committee was instructed to confer with the Australian government military authorities regarding the establishment of a department of military studies within the university. This report was presented to the meeting of Senate on 6 November 1905 and adopted with amendments at the next meeting of Senate.

At its meeting in May 1906, Senate decided to appoint a Director of Military Science. Lieutenant-Colonel H J Foster was appointed at the Senate meeting on 2 July. At its meeting on 13 July Senate appointed the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, the Director of Military Science, 6 University Professors and 2 government military nominees to act as a Board of Military Studies.

Establishment of courses of instruction in military subjects was discussed by the Professorial Board meetings on 22 and 30 March 1905. The first curriculum in Military Science is documented in the minutes of the meeting of Senate on 3 December 1906. A department of Military Studies, providing instruction in Military History and Science, Military Engineering, Military Topography and Military Administration and Organisation, with a three-year curriculum including practical instruction, was brought into operation in 1907. The course was run by the Department of Military Science which reported to the Board of Studies. 

The last published course in Military Science appears in the University Calendar in 1915, although the Calendar for 1916 lists the members of the Board of Military studies on page 449. The war conditions seriously affected the attendance of students at the University classes. There were no students in Military Science in 1916. In 1916 Colonel Foster was appointed to an important office in the Department of Defence. In view of the difficulty of obtaining the services of a suitable officer to act as his successor it was decided to allow the office to remain in abeyance. [Report of Senate for 1916]

The last documented meeting of the Board of Military Studies was on 13 July 1915.