Prof. Geoffrey Crisp, Prof. Barney Dalgarno, Dr Malcolm Beazley AM, The Hon. Michael Kirby AC, CMG, Prof. Barbara Pamphilon AM, Prof. Jason Bainbridge, Dr Mathew Trinca AM (Photo: Peter Fock)

ANME’s Fifteenth Annual Historical Perspectives on Education Lecture

Celebrating 25 years of the ANME and 50 Years of Teacher Education at the University of Canberra

Monday 16 May was the occasion on which both the ANME and the Faculty of Education at the University of Canberra formally celebrated significant historical jubilees. The Annual ANME Lecture was the occasion for such a joint celebration, which was held in the Atrium of the National Museum of Australia, where the guest speaker for the event was The Hon. Michael Kirby AC, CMG, distinguished Judge of the High Court of Australia, who is now retired. The title of his Lecture was “Gaps in the tapestry: indigenes, human rights and dangerous times”.

The Australian National Museum of Education was founded by Dr Malcolm Beazley AM in 1996, to promote an understanding of the history of Australian education through the development and preservation of its collections, through support for related research and scholarship, and through collaboration with school museums and communities across the nation. Over its 25 years the ANME has developed an extensive collection of 19^th and 20^th century school textbooks, an extensive archive of school and education documents, a large collection of school readers, school curriculum materials across two centuries, a representative collection of school pupil exercise books dating from the mid nineteenth century and an extensive collection of school ephemera.

The Faculty of Education in the University of Canberra is celebrating fifty years since the commencement of Teacher Education courses at the University of Canberra. Under the leadership of its foundation Head of School of Teacher Education, at the Canberra College of Education, Professor Phillip Hughes and a foundation staff of 10 academic members, a four year full time Bachelor of Education course was offered, together with a one year Graduate Diploma in Education course.

This celebratory function was chaired by Dr Malcolm Beazley AM who introduced Dr Mathew Trinca AM Director of the National Museum of Australia who welcomed guests and acknowledged the Guest of Honour and other dignitaries, including the UC Deputy-Vice Chancellor (Academic) Professor Geoffrey Crisp. Then followed The Hon. Michael Kirby’s Lecture. A Vote-of-Thanks to Michael Kirby was moved by Professor Barney Dalgarno, Executive Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Canberra. Concluding remarks were tendered by Professor Barbara Pamphilon AM Chair, Board of Management, Australian National Museum of Education.