Online Archives Search

Discover just some of the amazing material held in the Archives.

The Online Archives Search is a limited search of the UNSW Archives' collection - please note that it does not cover everything held by the Archives.

UNSW staff can also search for archival records through the RAMS interface.

A small selection of the Archives' digital photographs are also available for searching and viewing via UNSW Digital Collections.

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    The Communications & Networks Unit was established as a result of a re-organisation of the Computing Services Department in 1991 and was given the responsibility to manage, support, implement and service the university's comprehensive voice and data communication facilities (Computing Services Department Newsletter, Vol 6(1), March 1991). As part of the Review of Academic & Administrative Computing, undertaken in 1993 - 1994, and approved at the 28 February 1994 Council meeting, from 1 June 1994 the unit was re-named the Communications Unit as part of the Division of Information Services (Focus 3 June 1994). In January 2001 the Information Services Working Party released its report recommending the establishment of a Chief Information Officer. Tim Cope took up this position in October 2001 and the Communication's Unit became a part of the Chief Information Officer section in the Division of Information Services. On 22 October 2003 the Senior Management Group approved the merging of the Communications Unit and the Admin IT Unit to form Enterprise IT Infrastructure. The Communications Unit therefore ceased to exist as an independent unit from this date. Controlling Organisation: UNSW - c. 01/03/1991-22/10/2003
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    The Department of Electrical Engineering dates back to the formation of the university itself on 1 July 1949, as it was one of the departments that had much of its origins in the Sydney Technical College. The first head of department was H. J. Brown, who was appointed on the same day as the university's foundation. When the first three university faculties were established by Council on 8 May 1950 (resolution 54), Electrical Engineering became one of the initial four departments within the Faculty of Engineering. On 10 September 1951 Council changed the designation of all departments to schools and so the School of Electrical Engineering came into existence (resolution 153). On 8 September 1980 Council altered the name of the school to the School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science effective from 1981 (resolution 80/139). On 10 December 1990 Council approved the creation of a School of Computer Science & Engineering from the Department of Computer Science within the School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science effective 1 January 1991. The name of the School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science then reverted back to the School of Electrical Engineering (resolution CL90/108v). On 9 November 1998 Council changed the named of the School of Electrical Engineering to the School of Electrical Engineering & Telecommunications (resolution CL98/80b). In 2006 the head of the School of Electrical Engineering & Telecommunications was Professor Branko Celler. Subordinate agency: UTECOM Computing Laboratory (1956 - 1960) / Digital Computing Laboratory (1960 - c.1966) / Computing Centre (c. 1966 - 1972) / Computing Services Unit (1972 - 1985) - 01/08/1956 - 03/07/1972 Subordinate agency: Department of Control Engineering (c. 1965 - 1972) / Systems and Control (1972 - 1998) - 10/06/1965 - 31/12/1998 Subordinate agency: Department of Solid State Electronics (c. 1965 - 1982) / Electronics (1982 - 1998) - 01/12/1965 - 31/12/1998 Subordinate agency: Department of Electric Power Engineering - 10/06/1965 - 31/12/1998 Subordinate agency: Department of Communications - 20/12/1964 - 31/12/1998 Subordinate agency: Joint Microelectronics Research Centre (JMRC) - 01/02/1982 - 01/06/1992 Subordinate agency: Centre for Photovoltaic Devices and Systems (1991 - 1996) / Photovoltaics Special Research Centre (1996 - 2002) - 01/01/1991 - 31/12/1999 Subordinate agency: Key Centre for Photovoltaic Engineering (1999-2003) - 01/01/1999 - 31/12/1999 Subordinate agency: Department of Electronic Computation (c. 1965 - 1972) / Computer Science (1972 - 1991) - 26/05/1965 - 31/12/1990 Controlling Organisation: UNSW - 01/07/1949-
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    The Department of Computer Science became the School of Computer Science and Engineering on 1/1/1991 with Professor John Hiller becoming the first head of school. Council at its meeting on 10 December 1990 resolved by CL90/108 (v) Proposed division of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science into two schools: 1. That a School of Computer Science and Engineering be established in the Faculty of Engineering from 1 January 1991; and 2. That the School of Computer Science and Engineering be based upon the present Department of Computer Science in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; 3. That the balance of the existing School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science be renamed the School of Electrical Engineering. Computer Science was established as its own school to give the Department greater academic, financial and management autonomy in order to pursue its range of academic interests and enterprises. Computer Science was by far the largest department within the School of Electrical Engineering and was teaching over half of the student load. Its student body was comprised not only of students of the Faculty of Engineering but also of the Board of Studies in Science of Mathematics. Staff of the Department of Computer Science felt the need for greater autonomy and thought that other departments of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science could feel stifled and constrained by the needs of the Department. Growth in computer engineering and the graduate teaching and research areas of the Department was certain and the Department would be larger than many schools in the university. The range of its activities and interests and the discipline of computer science had grown rapidly and the Department also was active in areas not especially closely related to electrical engineering, eg psychology, philosophy, computer literacy, and other areas of cognitive science. One of the largest schools of its kind, in 2004 research was grouped in the following areas: algorithms, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, computer architecture, computer systems, database systems, networks, and software engineering. That year the school attracted over $4.5 million in research funding including Australian Research Council grants and grants from industry, both local and international. The school at that time was also partner in a number of external research centres including the Smart Internet Technology Cooperative Research Centre, and the national ICT Australia (NICTA), a research Centre of Excellence in Information and Communications Technologies. In 2008 the School of Computer Science and Engineering and the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications had joint responsibility for the curriculum of the Computer Engineering program. Staff of the school was grouped into research groups of Artificial Intelligence, Computer Systems and Software Engineering. Courses in these areas were offered to students taking major studies in computer science or computer engineering, while introductory-level computing courses were available more generally to students studying Science, Arts or Engineering. Computer science had links with discrete mathematics, which furnished the theory behind the algorithms that computer software implemented, and electrical engineering, which supplied the then present technology underlying physical computing devices. Graduate employability was enhanced by CSE's strong and growing industry links. The Computer Science degree had a Co-op Scholarship program that gave students extensive industry experience from their second year; all Engineering degrees required industrial training experience. The School ran an Industry Liaison Office whose primary aim was to link students and employers both for in-course experience and for graduate employment. The head of school in January 2008 was Professor Paul Compton. Controlling Organisation: UNSW - 01/01/1991-
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    On 3 August 1995 the Vice-Chancellor gave his approval to the division of the School of Sociology into two departments - the Department of Sociology, Culture & Communication and the Department of Sociology & Social Anthropology - until 30 June 1998, when the situation would be reviewed (file 951165). This was also supported by the Academic Board at its 5 September 1995 meeting (resolution AB95/97). The first head of the department was Dr Ann Game. In mid-1997 a Committee to Review the School of Sociology was formed. In its report it determined that the School of Sociology will retain two departments for a transitional period of three years (1998 - 2000)...at the end of the transitional period the two departments will be disestablished and the school will have a unitary structure (file 961766). By the 1999 Calendar, however, the two departments no longer appear, thus suggesting that both ceased to exist at the original review date of 30 June 1998. Controlling Organisation: UNSW - 03/08/1995-?30/06/1998
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    On 14 September 1964 Professor A. E. Karbowiak was appointed to the position of Professor of Electrical Engineering (Communications) (Council resolution 64/152) and when he took up duty on 20 December 1964 the Department of Communications appears to have come into existence. On 8 September 1980 Council altered the name of the school to the School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science effective from 1981 (resolution 80/139). On 10 December 1990 Council approved the change in name of the school back to the School of Electrical Engineering effective from 1 January 1991 (resolution CL90/108v). On 9 November 1998 Council changed the named of the School of Electrical Engineering to the School of Electrical Engineering & Telecommunications (resolution CL98/80b). At the end of 1998 the department structure within the School was replaced by a series of discipline groups (file 973233, folio 49). The Department of Communications thus ceased to exist from this date. Controlling Organisation: UNSW - ?20/12/1964-31/12/1998
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    On 29 March 1993 the Department of Theatre & Film Studies was re-established as the School of Theatre & Film Studies in the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences when the School of Performing Arts was disestablished (Council resolution 93/15b). On 13 October 1997 the School of Theatre & Film Studies was re-named the School of Theatre, Film & Dance Studies (Council resolution CL97/73j). On 23 February 1998 the school was re-named the School of Theatre, Film & Dance (Council resolution CL98/15m). On 11 October 2004 the School of Theatre, Film & Dance was disestablished and amalgamated with the School of Media & Communications to become the School of Media, Film & Theatre effective from 1 January 2005 (CL04/146). Controlling Organisation: UNSW - 29/03/1993-31/12/2004
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    On 3 August 1995 the Vice-Chancellor gave his approval to the division of the School of Sociology into two departments - the Department of Sociology, Culture & Communication and the Department of Sociology & Social Anthropology - until 30 June 1998, when the situation would be reviewed (file 951165). This was also supported by the Academic Board at its 5 September 1995 meeting (resolution AB95/97). The first head of the department was Dr Mira Crouch. In mid-1997 a Committee to Review the School of Sociology was formed. In its report it determined that the School of Sociology will retain two departments for a transitional period of three years (1998 - 2000)...at the end of the transitional period the two departments will be disestablished and the school will have a unitary structure (file 961766). By the 1999 Calendar, however, the two departments no longer appear, thus suggesting that both ceased to exist at the original review date of 30 June 1998. Controlling Organisation: UNSW - 03/08/1995-?30/06/1998
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    <import_note> The imported title was longer than allowed. Full title from import file: Annual Reports / Annual Research Reports of the Department of Communications of the School of Electrical Engineering (1) (1951 - 80) / Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (1981 - 90) / Electrical Engineering (2) (1991 - 98)/ Electrical Engineering & Telecommunications (1998 - ) </import_note> This series consists of the annual reports / annual research reports of the Department of Communications. \r\nEach item is a typed, paper-bound volume on the happenings, research and changes within the Department throughout each year. Although initially these items were known simply as annual reports, from 1978 - 1984 they became known as annual research reports, before later being re-named annual reports again.\r\nThe Archives' holdings of this series are incomplete.
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    The Computing Services Department was created in April 1985 within the Division of the Deputy Principal (Planning & Information), as part of a major administrative restructure within the university. Previously the computing function had been split between the Registrar's Division, handling administrative needs via the Data Processing Unit, and the Vice-Chancellor's Unit, servicing academic requirements via the Computing Services Unit. The new department therefore covered within a single area the university's significant computational resources which included over eight major computers (CDC, DEC and Fujitsu), hundreds of terminals and the support of approximately 1000 personal computers. The Department provides a range of information and data processing services including admissions processing, examination results, student records, staff and alumni records, payroll preparation, accounting and library services (1985 UNSW Annual Report, pg 71). It originally included five units - Academic Computing, Administrative Computing, Applications Software, Systems Software and User Services - and was headed by E. H. Dobell. On 1 September 1990 the name of the Division was changed to the Division of the Bursar and Deputy Principal. As part of the Review of Academic & Administrative Computing, undertaken in 1993 - 1994, and approved at the 28 February 1994 Council meeting, the functions of the Computing Services Department were transferred to the newly formed Division of Information Services effective from 1 June 1994. Subordinate agency: Communications & Networks Unit (1991 - 1994) / Communications Unit (1994 - 2003) - 01/03/1991 - 31/05/1994 Controlling Organisation: UNSW - 01/04/1985-31/05/1994
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    The Faculty of Arts was created at the 9th November, 1959 meeting of Council, to be effective from 1st January, 1960 (resolution 59/204ii). The initial meeting of the Faculty occurred on 24th February 1960, with Professor Morven Brown as Dean. In the beginning, the Faculty had five schools - English, History, Philosophy, Sociology and Librarianship. On 10th December, 1990 Council changed the name of the Faculty of Arts to the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences (resolution CL90/108ii). In 2013 the Faculty, under Dean Professor James Donald, consisted of five schools and seven Centres. Subordinate agency: School of History (2) - 11/03/1963 - 31/01/2007 One of the schools within the Faculty Subordinate agency: French-Australian Research Centre - 10/07/1985 - 31/05/1992 Subordinate agency: School of History and Philosophy of Science (1) (1966 - 1988) / School of Science and Technology Studies (1988 - 2002) / School of History and Philosophy of Science (2) (2002 - 2007) - 09/05/1966 - 31/01/2007 Subordinate agency: School of Librarianship (1959 - 1992) / School of Information, Library and Archive Studies (1992 - 1999) - 13/07/1959 - 11/05/1970 Subordinate agency: School of Education (1966 - 1990) / Education Studies (1991 - 1999) / Education (2) (1999 - ) - 11/01/1966 - 11/05/1970 Subordinate agency: School of Education (1966 - 1990) / Education Studies (1991 - 1999) / Education (2) (1999 - ) - 01/01/1997 Subordinate agency: Department (1967 - 1968) / School (1968 - 2007) of Social Work - 01/01/1997 - 31/01/2007 Subordinate agency: School of Political Science (2) (1964 - 2000) / Politics & International Relations (2000 - 2007) - 01/08/1964 - 31/01/2007 Subordinate agency: School of French - 22/01/1968 - 31/12/1994 Subordinate agency: School of German (1968 - 1979) / School of German Studies (1979 - 1990) - 22/01/1968 - 10/12/1990 Subordinate agency: School of Spanish (1968 - 1970) / School of Spanish & Latin American Studies (1971 - 1994) - 22/01/1968 - 31/12/1994 Subordinate agency: Department of Music - 01/01/1983 - 05/02/1990 Subordinate agency: School of Philosophy - 01/01/1960 - 31/01/2007 Subordinate agency: School of English - 01/01/1960 - 31/01/2007 Subordinate agency: School of Sociology (1960 - 2003) / Sociology & Anthropology (2003 - 2007) - 01/01/1960 - 31/01/2007 Subordinate agency: School of Drama (1966 - 1985) / School of Theatre Studies (1985 - 1990) - 11/03/1963 - 05/02/1990 Subordinate agency: School of Performing Arts - 05/02/1990 - 29/03/1993 Subordinate agency: School of Media & Communications - 19/04/1999 - 31/12/2004 Subordinate agency: School of Media, Film & Theatre - 01/01/2005 - 31/01/2007 Subordinate agency: School of Social Sciences & International Studies (2007 - 2011) / School of Social Sciences (2012 - ) - 31/01/2007 Subordinate agency: School of English, Media & Performing Arts (2007 - 2011) / the Arts and Media (2012 - ) - 31/01/2007 Subordinate agency: School of History and Philosophy (2007 - 2011) / School of Humanities (2012 - 2013) - 31/01/2007 - 30/06/2013 Subordinate agency: School of Modern Language Studies (1995 - 2007) / Languages & Linguistics (2007 - 2011) / International Studies (2012 - 2013) - 01/01/1995 - 30/06/2013 Subordinate agency: School of Russian - 01/11/1967 - 31/12/1982 Subordinate agency: School of Social Science & Policy - 10/02/1992 - 31/01/2007 Subordinate agency: School of Western European Languages - 17/02/1963 - 22/01/1968 Subordinate agency: Centre for Olympic Studies - 07/05/1996 - 31/03/2004 Subordinate agency: Centre for European Studies - 14/11/1995 - 31/12/2007 Subordinate agency: Centre for South Pacific Studies (1987 - 2003) / South Pacific Studies Resource Centre (2003 - 2006) - 24/06/1987 - 31/12/2006 Subordinate agency: UNSW - UTS Centre for Research on Provincial China - 04/11/1997 - 26/07/2005 Subordinate agency: Centre for Intercultural Jewish Studies - 22/05/1997 - 10/11/2000 Subordinate agency: Korea-Australasia Research Centre (KAREC) (2000 - 2011) / Korea Research Institute (2011 - ) - 20/06/2000 Subordinate agency: Communications Law Centre - 05/08/2003 - 30/06/2005 Subordinate agency: Centre for Chinese Studies (CCS) - 17/02/2002 - 30/06/2007 Subordinate agency: Centre for Refugee Research - 02/02/1999 Subordinate agency: Research Centre for the Study of Ageing & Retirement - 03/03/1999 - 31/12/2005 Subordinate agency: Centre for the History of Health & Medicine - 05/11/1997 - 15/02/1999 Subordinate agency: Social Relations of Disability Research Network (SRDRN) - 01/04/1997 - 31/12/2003 Subordinate agency: National Centre in HIV Social Research (NCHSR) (1990 - 2013) / Centre for Social Research in Health (2013 - ) - 01/01/1999 Subordinate agency: Gifted Education Research, Resource & Information Centre (GERRIC) - 04/06/1997 - 19/02/2013 Subordinate agency: Centre for Cross Cultural Social Work Education - 01/07/1997 - 31/12/1998 Subordinate agency: Public Sector Research Centre - 13/01/1988 - 03/02/2004 Subordinate agency: Centre for Gender-Related Violence Studies - 12/11/1997 Subordinate agency: Social Welfare (c. 1976 - 1989) / Social Policy Research Centre (1990 - ) - 05/08/2003 Subordinate agency: Contemporary Asia Centre - 04/06/1986 - 31/05/1992 Subordinate agency: Centre for Interactive Cinema Research (iCinema) - 01/01/2007 Subordinate agency: Centre for Cognitive Science - 06/05/1987 - 01/06/1992 Subordinate agency: Department of General Studies - 13/05/1963 - 13/03/1972 Subordinate agency: Journalism and Media Research Centre - 04/09/2008 Subordinate agency: Aboriginal Research and Resource Centre (ARRC) - 01/01/1995 - 31/12/2003 Subordinate agency: Social Science Degree Committee - 21/03/1975 - 11/09/1984 Subordinate agency: Australian Theatre Studies Centre - 14/02/1985 - 25/05/1995 Subordinate agency: Disability Studies and Research Centre (DSARC) - 14/07/2008 - 31/12/2010 Subordinate agency: Women's Studies Centre - 04/11/1987 - 01/06/1992 Subordinate agency: School of Humanities and Languages - 01/07/2013 Subordinate agency: School of History and Political Science - 08/05/1961 - 11/03/1963 Subordinate agency: School of Political Science (1) - 01/01/1960 - 08/05/1961 Subordinate agency: Department of Political Science - 11/03/1963 - 31/07/1964 Subordinate agency: School of History (1) - 01/01/1960 - 08/05/1961 Subordinate agency: School of German & Russian Studies - 10/12/1990 - 31/12/1994 Subordinate agency: Department of Russian (1983 - 1987) / Russian Studies (1987 - 1994) - 01/01/1983 - 10/12/1990 Subordinate agency: School of Music & Music Education - 29/03/1993 - 31/01/2007 Subordinate agency: Department of Dramatic Art (1959) / Drama (1960 - 1966) - 11/03/1963 - 09/05/1966 Subordinate agency: School of Theatre & Film Studies (1993 - 1997) / Theatre, Film & Dance Studies (1997 - 1998) / Theatre, Film & Dance (1998 - 2004) - 29/03/1993 - 31/12/2004 Subordinate agency: Department of Social Science & Policy - 05/02/1990 - 10/02/1992 Controlling Organisation: UNSW - 01/01/1960-