Lumen Winter 2014 - Flipbook - Page 18
1970s
Academic activists
lead reform
The social and political climate of the late
1960s and early 1970s saw transformations
across society, and many universities were in
the forefront of this movement. Academics
were among the leaders of anti-war protests
and the landscape on campus was almost
as tumultuous.
There were diverging views as some academics
pursued interdisciplinary research and teaching
in some areas, while others stuck steadfastly
to traditional models. Social issues such as
racism and poverty were also increasingly
reflected in university programs, especially
in the humanities and social sciences.
Examples of material produced by the many protest groups
that sprang up as part of the burgeoning student political
activism of the late sixties and early seventies
Pioneering community radio
In the late sixties and early seventies, a wide range of groups were urging
governments to open up Australia’s tightly controlled broadcast airwaves to
different voices and uses. It was the energy and persuasive power of a group at
the University of Adelaide who were committed to broadening community access
to education—plus an anonymous $100,000 bequest to the University—which
eventually broke through. The University was granted the first public radio licence
in Australia with the station hitting the airwaves on 28 June 1972. It was known as
Radio 5UV until 2002 when it moved to 101.5FM and became Radio Adelaide.
The award-winning station is a shining example of the University looking outward
and embracing community involvement. Accessible to community members
from all backgrounds, it provides high quality training facilities in an inclusive
environment that promotes diversity and a global perspective. Radio Adelaide is
much more than a campus station—it has a high-power metropolitan licence, now
on Digital Radio, streaming online and on 101.5fm—equivalent to all commercial
and ABC stations, and is a true icon of Adelaide cultural and community life.
Minyungu Baker and Dr Catherine Ellis.
Centre supports Indigenous music
The Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM) had its early
beginnings in the University in 1971 and grew to become a
specialist Australian Indigenous music centre of importance.
By the late 1970s it was attracting Indigenous students from
around the country and went on to mentor many breakthrough
Aboriginal musicians and bands. Today CASM is located within
the Elder Conservatorium of Music and remains a unique
Indigenous educational and cultural centre.
5UV, mid-1970s
16 Lumen | Winter 2014
