F'OR THII7PRESS* NEWV M. 3MBERS OF AUSTRAZTAN UTITVTRSTTTES
COMMISSION.
Statement by-the Acting Prime Minister, The Rt. Hon. John McEwon, M. P
The Acting Prime Minister, the Right Honourable John McEwen,
announced today the appointment of Professor SUNDERLAND, C. MoGø,
and Mr. KENNETH MYqR, as part-time members of the
Australian Universities Commission. Professor Sunderland is Dean
of the Faculty of Medicine in the University of Melbourne, and
Professor of Experimental Neurology. Mr. Myer is Joint Managing
Director of Myer Emporium Ltdo.
Mr. McEwen referred to the establishment in 1959 of the
Australian Universities Commission to advise the Commonwealth
Government on grants for Universitins and to co-ordinate the
balanced development of all Australian Universities., He said also
that Commonwealth Parliament in its recent session had passed
legislation to increase the number of part-time commissioners from
four to sixe
Mr. McEwen said that the Commission at present comprised the
following members under the Chairmanship of SIR LESLIE MARTIN,
CB. E., F. R. S.
Professor N. S. BAYLISS, C. B. E.,
Professor of Physical Chemistry,
University of Western Australia.
Professor A. D TRENDALL, C, M. G,
Master of University House and Deputy Vice Chancellor,
Australian National University.,
Dr. J. VERNON, C. B. E>,
General Manager, Colonial Sugar Refining
Company of Sydney,
SIR KENNETH WILLS, K. B. E, MM C E. D.,
Chairman. Go R, Wills Company Ltd., Adelaide.
Since its establishment three years ago the Commission has
been faced with an increasingly complex task. At the present time
the Commission is beginning triennial visits to all Australian
Universities preparing for the 1964/ 66 triennium. At the same
time the Commission's Committee on tertiary education is examining
the whole pattern of future development of higher education in
Aus tralia, Among the more complex problems recently examined by the
Commission was a conideration of the teaching costs of medical
hospitals, Mr. McEwen said that the needs of teaching hospitals
would be considered by the Commission each triennium. Further,
the establishment of new Medical Schools at the University of New
South Wales and at Monash University poses special problems for the
Commission. Therefore the Commonwealth Government has decided to
appoint Professor Sunderland, and so to make his specialised
knowledge and experience available to the Commission.
For its second new appointee the Government had decided to
seek a person of eminence in the business and financial community.
The original Commission had been chosen to provide not only a
balance of academic and non-academic interests but as wide a
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experiment had been more than justified* Mro Kenneth Myer, in
addition to his outstanding knowledge of the business and
financial world, had shown himself to have a rare interest and
capacity in th3 organisation of many community activities of a
cultural nature and had likewise been chosen a member of the
first Council of the National Library of Australiaø
Mr. Mc-wen said that the Government appreciated the
co-operation of the part-time members of the Commission wno
gladly gave up their time to help solve the onerous problem of
higher education facing the nation, He expressed the
Government's gratitude to Professor Sunderland and Mr. Myer for
accepting the appointment.
CANBERRA. Jima. i962~ P~ M4
June. 19) 62,, P. M.