Lumen Winter 2014 - Flipbook - Page 5
story by P e t e r Bu r d o n
The University’s first Vice-Chancellor, Augustus Short’s background
as a diligent parish priest and respected Oxford don made him
appreciate the importance of a well-rounded education.
F
rom the time of his arrival in Adelaide
in December 1847 as the newly
minted bishop of a vast area that
included South Australia and the whole
of Western Australia, he was determined
to ensure that education in all its forms
contributed to the spiritual and social life
of the developing colony.
Dr Short was focused not only on the
pastoral care of his community, but on
the development of the South Australian
community as a whole.
He knew from his own experience the
opportunities that a good education could
provide, and he used his leading position
in society in a strategic way to strive for
the noble objective of education for all.
Within 18 months of his arrival he
had laid the foundation stone of St
Peter’s College, and within 20 years
the possibility of a University was being
seriously debated.
Dr Short was a strong believer that
education would be vital in forging a
common identity and culture in South
Australian society – and a university was
essential to help deliver that vision.
He gathered a formidable band of
allies comprising church and state
leaders to work on what was an
extraordinarily ambitious proposal for
such a thinly-populated colony.
It is hardly surprising that the
new University of Adelaide’s first
Commencement Ceremony saw the
conferral of degrees on more than 70
colonists who were already graduates
of English, Scottish, Irish and European
universities. Together they formed the
Senate, and they were the University’s
first alumni.
The task of establishing the University
was supported by the State and the
generosity of Sir Walter Watson Hughes
and Sir Thomas Elder who each gave the
astonishing sum of £20,000—many millions
of dollars today—to the new institution.
From the outset there were also
hundreds, and in time thousands, of
citizens of the colony who voluntarily
supported the University with their time,
money, and their reputations.
The University claimed a staff of
international distinction, providing a
first-class education that would see
Adelaide graduates counted among
the best in the world.
Even today the University can count five
of the 15 Australian winners of the Nobel
Prize among its alumni, and is consistently
ranked among the top one per cent of
universities worldwide.
From such humble beginnings, the
recent graduations in 2014 have seen
the number of our alumni swell to more
than 150,000.
Today Adelaide graduates are living
and working all over the world and—in
the case of our famous graduate Andy
Thomas—even in space.
In this issue of Lumen we look at just
a few of the remarkable individuals,
past and present, who have made the
University of Adelaide what it is today.
We also reflect on the unique value that
philanthropy has brought and continues
to bring to the University.
For more information on some of the
key individuals and events in the University’s
history go to our Interactive Timeline at
www.adelaide.edu.au/about/history/timeline
Join in our
birthday activities
On 6 November we will
celebrate the 140th anniversary
of the enactment of the
legislation that founded the
University of Adelaide, a date
that will provide a climax for
a year of activities.
This year-long program of
events and activities highlights
the University’s excellence
and innovation and significant
achievements.
These events are an
opportunity to celebrate a
milestone in the University’s
history while promoting the
future of Adelaide as a
world-class university.
You can discover more about
our calendar of events at:
www.adelaide.edu.au/anniversary/get-involved
Far left: Dr Augustus Short
Left: Mitchell Building, 1900
|e University of Adelaide | Alumni Magazine 3
