Sir Robert Menzies Centre for Australian Studies

Research Facilities

The Centre welcomes those researching and writing on Australian studies or from Australian universities working in the UK on any subject.

The Menzies Centre is open to visiting academics, postgraduate students and scholars who are researching in Australian studies or Australian university researchers on any subject wishing to work in Britain. It provides Australian scholars in Britain with a research base and a useful starting point for their visits to other institutions, libraries and individual academics throughout the country. Similarly, the Centre facilitates wherever possible the research of British scholars working on Australian topics. We see these provisions as being among the most important of our diverse academic, intellectual and cultural commitments.

To enable us to carry out this ambitious range of activities and services, we have a limited budget, three academic staff, Public Service Fellow, and a secretary. We therefore rely very heavily on the willingness of our visitors to contribute to the work and life of the Centre.

We realise that visitors will be here on leave from their home institutions to do their own writing and research, but we ask nevertheless for a modest rent in return for the use of our facilities and expertise! You can pay up intellectually by offering a paper for one of our Wednesday staff seminars and by attending the seminars given by others. Even where you are not an expert in the field covered by a particular paper, your contribution as a thinking Australian will be highly valued no matter what the topic. We are trying to provide a forum for the discussion of Australian themes and issues 12,000 miles from home: so, just as you will quite properly expect a reasonable audience when you give your paper, we ask you to help provide the same conditions for your visiting colleagues. We would also like possibly to call on you during your stay to teach a class, or give a guest lecture on behalf of the Centre at another institution, perhaps offer advice in your specialist field, and, where appropriate, to be prepared to appear occasionally in the media.

The following Australian universities subscribe to the Menzies Centre and their students and staff are welcome to use our facilities free of charge:

• ADFA
• ANU
• Australian Catholic University
• Bond
• Charles Sturt
• Deakin
• Edith Cowan
• Griffith
• La Trobe
• Melbourne
• QUT
• VUT
• Western Australia
• Western Sydney

Visitors from other Australian institutions should budget to pay according to the schedule below (all fees in pounds sterling, those in "()" are average commercial London rates)

Length of service provided:
1 Month	3 Months	6 Months	1 Year
DESK RENTAL (share office with PC)
120 (288)	240 (682)	720 (1365)	1440 (2730)
MAILING fax/email/phone answering
40 (80)	100 (200)	200 (360)	400 (600)
U OF LONDON Library Subs
60	60	60	120

• A pleasant work room in which you may have the use of a desk and computers, including e-mail and the internet; a card for the University of London Library; a mailing address.

• We will help you wherever possible to make the contacts necessary for your work. In return we would appreciate any help you can give us towards publicising the Centre's activities and expanding its range of influence.

• To avoid misunderstandings and false expectations, we have to tell you that, because of our very limited human and financial resources, we simply cannot offer secretarial support or overseas telephone calls.

Hours

The Centre's office, in Room 27, is open 9.30-5.30, Monday to Thursday.

The Burney Room (Room 34)

This room is set aside for Visitors to the Centre requiring the use of a desk during their stay. A key can be obtained from the Secretary in Room 27 for a �10.00 refundable deposit. This room should be locked when not in use.

1999-2000 Term Dates

1st Term: late Sept 99 - mid Dec 2000
2nd Term: mid Jan 2000 - mid Apr 2000
3rd Term: early May 2000 - mid Jun 2000

Photocopying

Photocopying cards can be purchased from the ICS Library on the ground floor.

Telephone

There is a telephone in the room which Visitors may use to make local calls (0171 or 0181 numbers) for business or research purposes only. Other calls must be made outside the Institute. Visitors should dial 9 for an outside line.

Fax

Visitors will be charged for faxes sent: UK - 50p; Europe - �1.00; Rest of the World - �1.50. Payment should be given to the Centre's Secretary with whom arrangements for faxing can be made.

Mail

The Centre will cover the cost of second class postage for work-related letters and light envelopes within the UK, but cannot pay for heavy items. Outgoing mail should be left in the tray outside Room 27 by 3.45pm. Any incoming mail for Visitors will be left in the same location. You are expected to check it regularly. Please leave a forwarding address with the Secretary to ensure any mail received after your departure is forwarded to you. If you are based at the Centre for some time, please cancel it as an address on any subscription lists when you leave.

Stationery

The Secretary can supply a limited amount of Centre letterhead and envelopes for official use by visitors during their stay.

Seminars

Seminars on a wide range of Australian subjects are held in the Menzies Room, 0n Wednesdays in termtime at 5.15pm. Visitors are encouraged to participate and attend as many seminars as possible. Anyone interested in giving a seminar should Dr Susan Pfisterer. Visitors must arrange seminars prior to their visit. The Centre also organizes conferences throughout the year.

Common Room

You are cordially invited to join us for coffee or tea in the Hancock Room at 10.45am and 4.00pm. This is an ideal time to meet fellow visitors and members of staff. We serve ourselves in the kitchen. Tea and coffee cost 25p a cup.

Secretarial Staff/Computers

The Centre does not have the staff to provide Visitors with secretarial services. There are two computers (a Mac and a PC) in the Burney Room which you are welcome to use.

April 1999

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