1966 Rural Science Reunion

Fifteen of the Rural Science final-year students of 1966 met at Orange on 14-16 October, 56 years since we completed the degree. This attendance represented 50% of the original graduation cohort of 30, the largest graduation from the degree at that time. Regrettably seven colleagues are no longer with us and seven were unable to attend.

The group was honoured by the attendance of our fellow 1966 graduate Dr Dimyati Nangji from Indonesia, one of three Columbo Plan students who completed the course.

The weekend began with a presentation from Dr Richard Flavel, the recent co-ordinator of the Rural Science course, describing its current structure and philosophy. Our group was encouraged and enthused by how the course had been modernised while maintaining the generalist structure and ‘systems philosophy’ of the degree established in 1956 by the Foundation Professor and Dean of Rural Science, Professor Bill McClymont.

Following this excellent presentation and discussion with Dr Flavel the group then spent the afternoon discussing how the degree helped them in their subsequent careers, and what they saw as the most urgent needs in agricultural education and technology for the 21^st Century. A summary of these discussions will be sent to UNE’s School of Rural Science and Environment.

The remainder of the weekend was filled with social activities enabling friendships to be renewed and many reminiscences to be shared, particularly at a dinner on Saturday evening with wives and partners. The weekend concluded with visit to the agriculture-themed Millthorpe Museum with wine tasting at the Slow Wine Company of our fellow graduate Terrey Johnson.

The re-union organisers John Dalton, John Read, Ted Wolfe and Snow Barlow were thrilled with the attendance and upbeat tone of the weekend, culminating with many parting comments of ‘When are we going to do this again?’.

The spirit of UNE Rural Science lives on!

- Snow Barlow