Geology at ANU (1959-2009)

This history was undertaken to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Geology Department at ANU, and to honour its founding professor David A. Brown. It includes contributions from some 100 former students outlining their career successes. This history was compiled by Dr Mike Rickard, a staff member of the Department of Geology from 1963 to 1997, who also served as Head of Department for seven years. He graduated BSc and PhD from Imperial College London in 1957 and has specialised in mapping the structure of mountain chains in Ireland, Canada, Norway, and southern South America. He also mapped volcanic rocks for the Geological Survey of Fiji. He taught Structural Geology and Tectonics and has supervised field work in south eastern and central Australia. After retirement he has taught U3A courses in Earth Science

History of the Ballarat Trades and Labour Council 1856-2000

The Ballarat Trades and Labour Council (BT&LC) is the second oldest trades and labour council in the world, founded in 1883, although it has existed in various forms since 1856. This thesis examines the history of the BT&LC in terms of five related themes – ideological conflict, solidarity, labourism, masculinity, and spatiality. I approached this research project from the perspective of a labour historian, which also included issues of gender. While being resolute in writing the history of this institution, my aim was also to capture an aspect of Ballarat history that had not been examined before – the role of workers and their families. The BT&LC sets the parameters of its history from the Eureka Rebellion and gaining the Eight Hour Day for Ballarat stonemasons in 1856 a fortnight after their Melbourne counterparts. Since that time, the BT&LC has built the substantial Trades Hall in Camp Street, which it still occupies and hosted the Seventh Intercolonial Trade Union Congress in 1891 when the decision to seek political representation was formally endorsed. It witnessed the emergence of the new elites and the ideological struggle that became more bitter as the Catholic Church, Protestant Freemasons, and the very active Communist Party battled for supremacy, with it ending inevitably in a divisive public separation in 1955. The Whitlam years saw their resurgence with a new face to unionism as public sector workers, teachers and nurses became militant and women began to take significant roles. In Ballarat while this has meant political ascendancy since 1980, the success of the political wing has not necessarily been mirrored in the fortunes of the peak union organisation. Ballarat’s overall union membership has declined. The old loyalties have been difficult to maintain and the capacity to build new alliances is challenging. However, one thing remains clear: strong individuals who understand the underpinnings of solidarity and unity have ensured that the Ballarat Trades and Labour Council has remained a significant feature of the Ballarat public landscape.Doctor of Philosoph

Beyond Mains Water: A Study of Households that are Off-Grid for Water in Regional New South Wales, Australia

This thesis offers a new understanding of everyday life for households living off-grid from municipal water and sewerage systems. The thesis argues for household sustainability policy informed by existing adaptive capacities and experiments with alternatives to mains water infrastructure and governance systems in the Minority World. It does so through a research design that combined questionnaire surveys with semi-structured interviews and ‘home-insight tours’ conducted with participants who live off-grid for water in the Eurobodalla Shire, a non-metropolitan local government area situated on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. Building on relational ontologies of everyday life, this thesis brings into conversation concepts from social practice theory and embodied feminist scholarship, to conceptualise the more-than-human, discursive, embodied and affective dimensions that shape everyday water practices. Across the empirical chapters attention turns specifically to developing understanding of human-water relations in the non-mains water home through three inter-related everyday water practices: provision, (re)use and disposal. Attention is drawn to the embodied qualities of skills and competencies in managing the material infrastructures of domestic water supply, and the discourses, sensuous bodies and emotions invested in practices of water capture, (re)use and disposal—elements that are often ignored in water policy debates. The thesis illustrates the importance of geographical relational thinking to conceive of domestic water self-sufficiency. Practices of provisioning, (re)using and disposing of water are always contingent upon the situated socio-material arrangements through which people make sense of themselves and home

A City for Music Lovers: Creating a classical music culture in Sydney 1889-1939

Through the efforts of thousands of dedicated men and women classical music obtained a privileged position in Sydney in the early twentieth century. This neglected area of Australia’s cultural history was part of a transnational phenomenon which has divided historians and musicologists. Does it demonstrate the imposition of elite culture from above or did it emerge from the combined energies of those who believed that classical music might provide genuine benefits for the whole community? Contributing to a body of literature on the social history of classical music in Europe and the United States, this thesis incorporates a Bourdieuian analysis examining the creation of classical music in Sydney from the perspective of key stakeholders: entertainment entrepreneurs, musical institutions, performers, composers and audience. It focuses on the interaction between these stakeholders to consider the field of classical music as a dynamic, constantly evolving arena of interaction where the personal and political intersect. It takes into account social, economic, political and technological developments as Australia established itself as an independent nation grappling with a rapidly expanding population, modernity and the rise of a politically engaged working class. Such an approach brings into question previous accounts of the development on classical music in Australia which have focused on the role of the government owned Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) rather than the efforts of multiple stakeholders, community groups and committed individuals. It provides a new perspective that demonstrates the complex and iterative nature of social change and suggests ways in which our musical choices have come to define who we are

Impact of the Acute Surgical Unit on a Local and Global Scale

Introduction Traditionally, general surgical departments allocated their staff to elective operative and outpatient commitments, with emergency general surgical (EGS) patients managed ad-hoc. An acute surgical unit (ASU) model was pioneered in 1996 and spread globally. However, uptake remains slow, in part due to clinical equipoise. This thesis aims to address key gaps in the literature, to support hospitals considering establishing an ASU and EGS policymakers. Methods Locally, three retrospective studies were performed at the Lyell McEwin Health Service. For patients with appendicitis or cholecystitis, these compared cohorts ≤2.5 years pre/post ASU introduction. Primary outcomes were length of stay, time to theatre, after-hours operating rates, rates of cholecystectomy on index admission and rates of appropriate communication and management of incidental pathology (appendicitis patients only). A fourth study prospectively assessed patient reported outcomes within the Royal Adelaide Hospital ASU. Primary outcomes were factors associated with patient satisfaction on multivariate analysis. Nationally, two studies reported the results of a cross-sectional assessment of the general surgery departments in all medium-large sized Australian public hospitals. Primary outcomes were the spectrum of EGS models in use, staff satisfaction and operative exposure. Globally, two systematic reviews were performed. The first identified ASU-type dedicated models of care for emergency patients in urology. The primary outcome was the spectrum of models. The second collated for meta-analysis general surgery studies comparing the Traditional and ASU models. Primary outcomes were length of stay, cost and rates of after-hours operating and complications. Results Locally, single centre retrospective studies of 319–1,214 patients found that establishing an ASU was associated with reduced time to theatre and rates of after-hours operating, and superior rates of cholecystectomy on index admission. Length of stay was reduced for patients with cholecystitis but not appendicitis. For presumed-appendicitis patients with incidental pathology, rates of communication or appropriate management were unchanged. Nationally, the cross-sectional study enrolled 119/120 eligible hospitals. Sixty-four (54%) hospitals reported using an ASU or hybrid EGS model. Compared with the Traditional structure, hybrid or ASU models were associated with greater surgeon and registrar satisfaction. Registrar-perceived operating exposure was unaffected by EGS model. Globally, the first systematic review identified seven centres implementing a variety of dedicated models for emergency urological patients. The second review enrolled 77 publications representing 150,981 unique EGS patients from thirteen nations. Compared with the Traditional model, ASU introduction was associated with reductions in length of stay and rates of after-hours operating and complications. Financial assessments found the ASU to deliver equivalence or cost savings. Conclusion Compared with the Traditional structure, the ASU model delivers superior outcomes. The ASU model should be promoted in health policy to benefit patients, staff and health budgets. Further improvements may involve ASU wards as centres of education and excellence, linked contractual obligation and increased funding for general surgeons to deliver EGS care and greater inter-hospital coordination. Future research includes cost analyses, quality improvement initiatives measured by patient reported outcomes and assessment of ASU model utility in other surgical specialties and in low-income countries.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Adelaide Medical School, 202

Geology at ANU (1959-2009)

This history was undertaken to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Geology Department at ANU, and to honour its founding professor David A. Brown. It includes contributions from some 100 former students outlining their career successes. This history was compiled by Dr Mike Rickard, a staff member of the Department of Geology from 1963 to 1997, who also served as Head of Department for seven years. He graduated BSc and PhD from Imperial College London in 1957 and has specialised in mapping the structure of mountain chains in Ireland, Canada, Norway, and southern South America. He also mapped volcanic rocks for the Geological Survey of Fiji. He taught Structural Geology and Tectonics and has supervised field work in south eastern and central Australia. After retirement he has taught U3A courses in Earth Science

The 13th Southern Hemisphere Conference on the Teaching and Learning of Undergraduate Mathematics and Statistics

Ngā mihi aroha ki ngā tangata katoa and warm greetings to you all. Welcome to Herenga Delta 2021, the Thirteenth Southern Hemisphere Conference on the Teaching and Learning of Undergraduate Mathematics and Statistics. It has been ten years since the Volcanic Delta Conference in Rotorua, and we are excited to have the Delta community return to Aotearoa New Zealand, if not in person, then by virtual means. Although the limits imposed by the pandemic mean that most of this year’s 2021 participants are unable to set foot in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, this has certainly not stopped interest in this event. Participants have been invited to draw on the concept of herenga, in Te Reo Māori usually a mooring place where people from afar come to share their knowledge and experiences. Although many of the participants are still some distance away, the submissions that have been sent in will continue to stimulate discussion on mathematics and statistics undergraduate education in the Delta tradition. The conference invited papers, abstracts and posters, working within the initial themes of Values and Variables. The range of submissions is diverse, and will provide participants with many opportunities to engage, discuss, and network with colleagues across the Delta community. The publications for this thirteenth Delta Conference include publications in the International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, iJMEST, (available at https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/tmes20/collections/Herenga-Delta-2021), the Conference Proceedings, and the Programme (which has created some interesting challenges around time-zones), by the Local Organizing Committee. Papers in the iJMEST issue and the Proceedings were peer reviewed by at least two reviewers per paper. Of the ten submissions to the Proceedings, three were accepted. We are pleased to now be at the business end of the conference and hope that this event will carry on the special atmosphere of the many Deltas which have preceded this one. We hope that you will enjoy this conference, the virtual and social experiences that accompany it, and take the opportunity to contribute to further enhancing mathematics and statistics undergraduate education. Ngā manaakitanga, Phil Kane (The University of Auckland | Waipapa Taumata Rau) on behalf of the Local Organising Committ

The 45th Australasian Universities Building Education Association Conference: Global Challenges in a Disrupted World: Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Approaches in the Built Environment, Conference Proceedings, 23 - 25 November 2022, Western Sydney University, Kingswood Campus, Sydney, Australia

This is the proceedings of the 45th Australasian Universities Building Education Association (AUBEA) conference which will be hosted by Western Sydney University in November 2022. The conference is organised by the School of Engineering, Design, and Built Environment in collaboration with the Centre for Smart Modern Construction, Western Sydney University. This year’s conference theme is “Global Challenges in a Disrupted World: Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Approaches in the Built Environment”, and expects to publish over a hundred double-blind peer review papers under the proceedings

Measuring knowledge sharing processes through social network analysis within construction organisations

The construction industry is a knowledge intensive and information dependent industry. Organisations risk losing valuable knowledge, when the employees leave them. Therefore, construction organisations need to nurture opportunities to disseminate knowledge through strengthening knowledge-sharing networks. This study aimed at evaluating the formal and informal knowledge sharing methods in social networks within Australian construction organisations and identifying how knowledge sharing could be improved. Data were collected from two estimating teams in two case studies. The collected data through semi-structured interviews were analysed using UCINET, a Social Network Analysis (SNA) tool, and SNA measures. The findings revealed that one case study consisted of influencers, while the other demonstrated an optimal knowledge sharing structure in both formal and informal knowledge sharing methods. Social networks could vary based on the organisation as well as the individuals’ behaviour. Identifying networks with specific issues and taking steps to strengthen networks will enable to achieve optimum knowledge sharing processes. This research offers knowledge sharing good practices for construction organisations to optimise their knowledge sharing processes

Student Expectations: The effect of student background and experience

CONTEXT The perspectives and previous experiences that students bring to their programs of study can affect their approaches to study and the depth of learning that they achieve Prosser & Trigwell, 1999; Ramsden, 2003). Graduate outcomes assume the attainment of welldeveloped independent learning skills which can be transferred to the work-place. PURPOSE This 5-year longitudinal study investigates factors influencing students’ approaches to learning in the fields of Engineering, Software Engineering, and Computer Science, at two higher education institutes delivering programs of various levels in Australia and New Zealand. The study aims to track the development of student approaches to learning as they progress through their program. Through increased understanding of students’ approaches, faculty will be better able to design teaching and learning strategies to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student body. This paper reports on the first stage of the project. APPROACH In August 2017, we ran a pilot of our survey using the Revised Study Process Questionnaire(Biggs, Kember, & Leung, 2001) and including some additional questions related to student demographics and motivation for undertaking their current program of study. Data were analysed to evaluate the usefulness of data collected and to understand the demographics of the student cohort. Over the period of the research, data will be collected using the questionnaire and through focus groups and interviews. RESULTS Participants provided a representative sample, and the data collected was reasonable, allowing the questionnaire design to be confirmed. CONCLUSIONS At this preliminary stage, the study has provided insight into the student demographics at both institutes and identified aspects of students’ modes of engagement with learning. Some areas for improvement of the questionnaire have been identified, which will be implemented for the main body of the study