News March 2006
1. Cities of Vesuvius Conference, 2 April 2006.
For details please visit http://www.ancienthistory.com.au/vesuvius.htm
Teachers, students and interested members of the public are welcome to participate in the Cities of Vesuvius Open Day being put on by the Macquarie Ancient History Association on Sunday April 2, 2006.
There will be a series of lectures by outstanding world-class speakers such as Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, Director of the British School at Rome and author, Professor Jean-Paul Descoeudres, Universite de Geneve, Dr Dale Dominey-Howes, Macquarie university lecturer in Natural Hazards, Dr Penelope Allison, and Dr Estelle Lazer.
This international line-up of experts will be the highlight of the year for those studying or interested in Pompeii, Herculaneum and the other cities caught up in the tragic eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79.
For further information, contact
Anne Irish
Department of Ancient History
Macquarie University
Ph: (02) 9850 8833 or
E-mail: airish@hmn.mq.edu.au
2. Humanities farewells Professor Di Yerbury as Vice-Chancellor and welcomes Professor Steven Schwartz as the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor
The year has begun with some sadness and also with great joy. A long-standing friend and supporter of the Museum of Ancient Cultures, Professor Di Yerbury, Vice-Chancellor, Macquarie University has retired from this position.
Professor Yerbury has been an historic figure in Higher Education. She is Australia's first female Vice-Chancellor, is the longest serving Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie and has steered this university along an innovative pathway that has made it one of the pre-eminent universities nationally and internationally.
During her time at Macquarie she has overseen the growth and development of the Museum from its early beginnings as the Ancient History Teaching Collection, through to its inclusion in the Cinderella Collections reports (the national surveys of University Museums), its re-location to a purpose-built space in a new building and its renewed status as an officially-recognised Museum of Macquarie University. It has always been most satisfying to hear her publicly declare that this Museum is "one of the jewels in her crown".
While she will be sadly missed as a Vice-Chancellor her contributions and advocacy for museums and the arts will be on-going. Professor Yerbury is remaining at Macquarie during 2006 to act as the Arts and Culture Ambassador as well as the International Ambassador for the University as well as to chair Macquarie's Museums and Collections Committee. In these ways she will continue to play a significant role in the future development of the arts and of university museums and collections nationally.
We now look forward to working with the new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Steven Schwartz who has already signalled an interest in the Museum of Ancient Cultures, having attended a recent Humanities function here to farewell Professor Yerbury.
Hosted by the Dean of Humanities, Professor Christina Slade and the Head of Ancient History, Professor Alanna Nobbs, the evening was a great success with a large crowd attending the function to hear Professor Sam Lieu give a talk on Nestorian Angels.
Notable among the guests were Colleen McCullough, Dr Val Rundle and Dr Bill Gale, all great supporters of Ancient History.
3. Purchase of the Joyner Collection
As one of the final acts as Vice-Chancellor of Macquarie University, Professor Di Yerbury has purchased a large collection of antiquities from Mr Graham Joyner. Graham retired from his position as a lecturer in Ancient History and as Honorary Curator of the Museum some nine years ago. For many years he has been a collector of antiquities, using many of these to supplement his teaching of course in Archaeology. Much of his collection has been on loan to the Museum for many years and it is highly appropriate that the University acquire this collection to help fill recognised gaps in the Museum collection. This purchase will come to the Museum of Ancient Cultures as "the Joyner Collection". Professor Yerbury had a wonderful time mingling with friends and colleagues in Humanities before returning to complete final duties as Vice-Chancellor.
4. The Museum of Ancient Cultures awarded the Chroma Drawing Innovations Award 2006.
On the evening of 23 February 2006, the Museum of Ancient Cultures and its conservator Sheridan were the recipients of the 2006 Chroma Drawing Innovations Award as a result of our participation in the Big Draw - Drawing Australia event held late last year.
The award was in recognition of the work done one Saturday in September 2005 when the Macquarie university campus was opened up for members of the public to come and draw or create art in any form they wished as a result of being stimulated by what they found on the campus.
The Big Draw was first established in Australia in 2004 at Macquarie university as a result of the work of Dr Margaret White with the aid and support of the then Vice-Chancellor Professor Di Yerbury.
It was such a success that the event was held nationally in 2005, emanating from Macquarie with Professor Yerbury as its Patron. At the time, Eilleen Adams, one of the founders of this event in Britain, was visiting from the UK. She was amazed at how quickly Australia had picked up the concept of the Big Draw and was inspired by the range, depth and breadth of art activities that were mounted across Australia.
The Museum of Ancient Cultures is the only Ancient History/Archaeology museum in Australia to participate in this event. While we were recognized for our contribution in 2004, we are delighted to receive the Chroma Drawing Innovations Award for our efforts in 2005.
We would like to thank Dr Margaret White for her huge organising efforts to make this event such as success, to thank Professor Yerbury for her support of the Arts and Humanities throughout Australia and lastly would like to thank Chroma Australia P/L both for their sponsorship of the event and also for making the award that we have won, possible.
