History of Geoscience at UNE

Geoscience at UNE was built on the pioneering efforts of Alan Voisey (1911-1995) who established a rigorous teaching curriculum leveraging the diverse geology of the New England region. Voisey was appointed Lecturer-in-Charge of Geology and Geography at UNE College in 1939, and then became Foundation Professor of Geology at UNE in 1954. Voisey led student field trips to Dangar Falls, Hillgrove, Wollomombi and Taree and accumulated a rock, mineral and fossil collection that formed the basis of the now extensive collections housed at UNE.

Geoscience students at UNE are part of a rich history of geoscientific education in Australia, and are benefited by the exceptional geology right on Armidale’s doorstep. New England is part of a rich landscape that preserves half a billion years of geological history about the evolution of eastern Australia. This geological heritage has drawn specialists in all main branches of the discipline to UNE including stratigraphers, mineralogists and petrologists, economic geologists, structural geologists, tectonicists, geochemists and palaeontologists. Of course, the Palaeoscience Research Centre at UNE is now the largest and diverse palaeontological research group in Australia (The Australian, 2020).

Skills our graduates develop ensure that they are “job ready” for placement in industry, or have the capacity to pursue a research-focused trajectory. In Voisey’s day, Honours students were expected to undertake extensive field mapping projects. Today, geological mapping remains an excellent way to develop essential skills and contribute important knowledge about our region, but students have a lot more freedom to choose their projects!

Throughout its long history UNE Geoscience has persevered through devastating fires, disciplinary mergers and the persistent cycles of industrial boom and bust. Nevertheless, UNE has maintained a reputation for producing highly regarded geoscience graduates, and consistently engaged in world-class geoscientific research. Pioneering investigations into the geology and tectonics of the New England area by not only Alan Voisey, but also his contemporaries and students underpin the research themes of LithoLab UNE (LLUNE) geoscientists Drs Luke Milan and Tim Chapman. LithoLab at UNE (LLUNE) is a multidisciplinary research group that builds on UNE’s geoscientific heritage, and melds diverse expertise to tackle questions about the geology of the New England region and beyond. We are keen to keep building Geoscience at UNE, so do not hesitate to get in touch about undergraduate and postgraduate study, research and collaborations.

The 1958 fire in the Belshaw block destroyed the department’s rock collection, microscopes and other preparation equipment. Following this, UNE’s resources were built up again by generous donations from Sydney University, the University of Queensland but also Cambridge and Princeton.

Read more about the 1958 fire here.