Professor Matthews returned from leave to encounter the funding hiatus described elsewhere in this issue and discussions concerning this were a major preoccupation as the new academic year began. On 20 September, he entertained visiting Australian writer, Roger McDonald (author of 1915, and Shearer's Motel among others). On 21 September he attended a working lunch at The Lodge, residence of HE Dr Neal Blewett, High Commissioner for Australia, to participate with other members of the Australian community in London in a wide ranging discussion of the High Commission's recently drafted Cultural Policy. Later the same day, he welcomed SRMCAS Writer-in-Residence, Rod Jones and his family and on 22 September took took part in a farewell to Helen Trinca, European Correspondent for The Australian and a great friend and supporter of the Centre. On 28 September he chaired writer Kathy Lette's Literary Links appearance in the Exhibition Hall of Australia House and the following day was interviewed for the Bulletin by Australian freelance journalist, David O'Reilly on the Centre's work and prospects and on aspects of his own writing and career. In the same month he spoke on ABC Radio and ITV Television programmes on questions relating to the Australian Republican debate.
At the beginning of October, Professor Matthews had the pleasant duty of welcoming Professor Geoffrey Bolton, foundation Head of the Centre, who was beginning study leave in Britain. On 4 October he presided with John Arnold, National Centre for Australian Studies, Monash University, at the book launch that concluded the 'People and Places' conference (see elsewhere in this issue). On 3 October, Professor Matthews published in the Melbourne Age a feature essay on his extraordinary involvement in the literary/political furore, the 'Demidenko Affair' and, as a result, did a number of television and radio interviews over the next couple of days. On 5 October, at the invitation of the Australian Embassy in Paris and the painter, Phillip Hughes, Professor Matthews attended the opening of Mr Hughes' exhibition of Australian paintings. Professor Matthews had earlier accepted Mr Hughes' commission to write the catalogue entry on his paintings for the exhibition, which was held in the gallery area of the Australian Embassy in Paris. On 7-9 October Professor Matthews attended the EASA Conference in Copenhagen where he gave the final Plenary Address - a paper entitled 'The Demidenko Affair'. On 12 October he held discussions with AVCC Secretary, Mr Frank Hambly, and visiting historian, Professor Henry Reynolds. On 13 October he accepted an invitation to meet journalist Linda Christmas to discuss the proposed 'New Images' initiative shortly to be launched jointly by the Australian and British Governments and briefed her on various aspects of her impending visit (on an SRMCAS Visiting Fellowship) to Australia. On 16 October he had discussions with John Arnold (NCAS, Monash) on the future of the SRMCAS/Monash Lectureship and on 18 October chaired Professor Geoffrey Bolton's paper, in the SRMCAS seminar series, on Edmund Barton. On 23 October he was interviewed by THES journalist Huw Richards on aspects of his involvement in the 'Demidenko Affair'. On 30 October he chaired a reading by well known Australian writer and polemicist, Tom Keneally, in the Literary Links series at the Exhibition Hall, Australia House and the following day met former South Australian Minister for Agriculture, Brian Chatterton, his wife Lynne and Professor Tony Allan (SOAS) all of whom were very interested to hear about and register their interest in the forthcoming 'Ecology and Empire' conference.
In early November, Professor Matthews attended the Menzies Lecture and Reception - one of the Centre's two major public lectures annually (see elsewhere in this issue) and was interviewed by journalist Sue Corrigan for a feature in the Higher Education Supplement of the Australian. On10 November he met Mr Doug Townshend, Australian Ambassador to Kazakhstan, to advise him on various Australian studies and cultural initiatives he is about to undertake there. Later the same month he contributed to briefing discussions with Michael Hedger of the British Council. On 16 November he attended Australia House for the launch of 'New Images' - hosted by the Right Honourable Malcolm Rifkind QC MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and His Excellency, the Honourable Dr Neal Blewett, AC - a large scale Australian/British initiative establishing a year-long programme of events to take place throughout Australia and Britain during 1997 to celebrate 'the modern evolving relationship between Britain and Australia' and to highlight 'the cultural diversity of our two nations.'
As the academic term ended, Professor Matthews met with Rebecca Hossack and Deputy High Commissioner David Goss to plan the 1996 Literary Links series and travelled to the University of Stirling to take part in a meeting of the BASA Conference Committee at which papers for the 1996 Conference were chosen from submitted abstracts.
Dr Griffiths commenced a new year of teaching in late September and welcomed students to the Centre's undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Dr Griffiths continues to teach the core subject for the MA in Australian Studies entitled Australia: Twentieth-Century Social and Cultural History and, together with Nick Economou, is teaching the BA History of Australia course.
On 15 September, Dr Griffiths met with Rebecca Hossack of the Australian High Commission and Alan Saunders from ABC Radio National to talk about plans for a day celebrating and analysing Australian cuisine (provisionally scheduled for October 1996). On 26 September, Tom Griffiths joined Brian Matthews and Nick Economou in an informal discussion with Rosie Goldsmith from the BBC about a proposed documentary on Australia. On 27 September, Dr Griffiths chaired a panel discussion at the Menzies Centre on Australian Reactions to the French Nuclear Tests. On 4 October, he convened a very successful half-day conference at the Menzies Centre entitled People and Place: Australian Heritage Stories. On 6-9 October, he attended the European Association for the Study of Australia Conference in Copenhagen, and presented a paper on `The antiquarian imagination in Australia'. On 11 October, Dr Griffiths chaired the Northcote Graduate Scholarships Committee meeting. On 30 October, he met with Dr Howard Morphy of the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford to discuss the forthcoming Canberra conference in honour of John Mulvaney, and on 31 October he attended, with several postgraduate students from the Centre, the opening of a retrospective exhibition of Fred Williams' art in London. On 1 November he attended a reading by the Menzies Centre's Writer-in-Residence, Rod Jones, who was introduced by the Australian writer, Gillian Bouras. On 2 November, he spoke to a class of MA students in archaeology and anthropology at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge. Dr Griffiths continued to participate in the successful series of `Literary Links' functions at Australia House in honour of Australian writers.
On 24-25 November, Dr Griffiths, together with Dr Tim Bonyhady of the Urban Research Program at the Australian National University, organised and spoke at a conference in Canberra in honour of the archaeologist and historian, John Mulvaney, entitled The Making of a Public Intellectual: John Mulvaney, the Humanities and Public Policy. On 30 November he attended a meeting of the National Advisory Board of the Australian Science Archives Project (ASAP) in Melbourne. On 8 December he presented a paper at a conference on The Literature of Australian Natural History at the Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra. Dr Griffiths also met with staff at the National Centre for Australian Studies at Monash University.
Dr Griffiths continued organising two 1996 Menzies Centre conferences on Aboriginal Land Rights and Ecology and Empire: The environmental history of settler societies. Further details of both conferences are included in this newsletter.
Despite highly libellous rumours of a permanent diversion to a Greek Island and the opening up of a bank account with the bank of Cyprus, Nick Economou finally arrived from Australia to take up the Monash University Lectureship in Australian Studies. His first week was a baptism by fire. In the midst of the on-going brouhaha about French nuclear testing in the South Pacific, Nick immediately attempted to gain some gratuitous publicity for himself by claiming that it was New Zealand rather than Australia that was taking the lead in anti-testing politics when he gave a paper entitled "What's leading the debate? The domestic reaction and Australian foreign policy on French nuclear testing" at a seminar organised within the SRMCAS.
By way of ensuring that he realised that he was here to work rather than to gawk with awe at Westminster, he was put in charge of the "Australia and the World Since 1901" post-graduate course, and then drafted to assist Tom Griffiths with the "Australia Since White Settlement" course.
Nick's repeated claims that he was seen wandering around Soho simply to give an address on the state of internal Australian Labor Party politics to the ALP Society in late October have not really been believed by members of staff. His performance at the League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers, where, as part of a briefing of visiting teachers about to be sent to Australia, he gave a long, emotional and highly polemic overview of Australian education policy, was all too believable. His advice on transport options in Australia ("You'll need a car, and I have a cousin who can help ...") was just one highlight of this all too infamous address.
Then, just when it was thought that Nick had finally been nailed to the chair in his office and that his self-seeking search for publicity had been terminated, along came the CHOGM meeting and requests from the BBC and CNN for a talking head to discuss matters Commonwealth for the benefit of US and UK television viewers. Nick duly obliged.
Yet another speaking engagement gave Nick the opportunity to pretend he was Alexie Sayle meeting Peter Reith when he gave a paper at a seminar held jointly by the ALP Society and the SRMCAS in the Downer Room at Australia House entitled "Australia's Place in the World" that was notable mostly for its lack of depth. But, in a total form reversal, he travelled to Manchester (looking for Eric Cantona, it has been claimed) to give a paper entitled "A Centralist Wolf in New Federalist Sheep's Clothing: Australian Federal-State Relations Under Labor 1982-1992" to the Department of Government at Manchester University (as distinct from Manchester United, which is where he thought he was going).
It has been a great honour and pleasure for me to be Writer-in-Residence at the Menzies Centre for the autumn term.
People sometimes ask me what being a writer-in residence involves. They ask: Do you sit in a room and write?
There is no simple mission-statement. Some universities like you to teach creative writing classes. An overseas university once asked me to design and teach an undergraduate course on contemporary Australian literature. some writers are asked to give master classes.
I think the wisest council is to let the writer do what he does best: write. It is not after all, as teachers or cultural ambassadors that we are known, but as producers of books. Such wise council reigns at Russell Square.
In the paper I gave in the Menzies Centre's Autumn Seminar Series, I talked about the relationship between the writer and the academy. I pointed out that this is often a difficult and strained relationship (not least because writers are often difficult people). Artists and academics are in various ways dependent on each on each other. The dialogues between the sacred and the profane elements of art and analysis often bump into each other, resulting in bruised egos all around.
I am happy to report that my residency at the Menzies Centre has not been at all difficult. I count myself lucky in having such a stimulating and generous-spirited colleagues here. My main focus has been writing, which is as it should be. During my time here I have been working on a manuscript of a new novel set in Australia.
I have also given papers and readings in Paris, Cambridge and Copenhagen. With regard to the latter, I would like it to be known that the chap who was drinking Elephant Beers with Bacardi chasers and dancing the salsa on the table at the EASA conference was not me, but a fellow who is often mistaken for me.
I am grateful for my splendidly enjoyable residency at the Menzies Centre, and for the opportunity it has given me to make progress on my new novel. I have made not only many words here but also many good friends.
The Sir Robert Menzies Centre maintains a small library of Australian material, for which books are collected on an ad-hoc basis through donations. If you would like to donate Australian books to the library please contact Ms Louise McSeveny at the Centre.
Thank you to the following people who have donated to the library and the work of the Centre: Australian High Commission, Luisa Percopo, University of Melbourne Bookshop, Kate Shephard, John Black, Geoff Peel (The Gelong College), Ass. Prof Tony Dingle, Dr Barry York
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