ALIA West

December 2005

Curtin's history uncovered

Who was T L Robertson?

Anyone using the main library at Curtin's Bentley campus will know that it is called the T L Robertson Library. But who was T L Robertson and why is the library named after him?

Thomas Logan Robertson is best known as the director-general of education in a position he held from 1951 to 1966. Robertson reorganised and modernised the state's education system in the post-war period when Western Australia was seen as the Cinderella state. As Sir Charles Court stated, he 'passionately believed in the role of education to better the lives of individuals and to enable individuals, communities, states and nations to achieve their true potential'.

Robertson's influence on educational planning and development at a national level resulted in commonwealth funding for state education in the 1960s. By the time he retired in 1966, Robertson had reorganised secondary schooling, initiated curriculum and examination reforms and negotiated the establishment in 1966 of the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT) which later became Curtin University of Technology.

After retirement, among his many other activities, Robertson remained deeply involved with the development of WAIT, acting as chairman of the council until his untimely death in September 1969.

The WAIT Library was opened in 1971 and named the T L Robertson Library in recognition of the vital role Thomas Logan Robertson played in the establishment of WAIT and Curtin University.

Vice chancellors' memories bring the story of Curtin University of Technology to life

The story of the establishment and growth of Curtin University of Technology has been brought to life in a recently completed series of oral history interviews of the university's vice chancellors. In keeping with its role in supporting research within the university, the library and information service, through the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library (JCPML), took on the management of the oral history project.

Respected West Australian oral historian, John Ferrell, recorded interviews with Don Watts, director of the Western Australian Institute of Technology (1980-86) and first vice chancellor of Curtin (1987), and with vice chancellors John de Laeter (1987-88), John Maloney (1988-97) and Lance Twomey (1997- ).

The memories and reflections of the vice chancellors about their appointments and achievements during their time at Curtin paint a fascinating picture of the development of the university and provide first hand insights into significant people and events in the Curtin story.

The interviews are available for researchers to access at the JCPML and the T L Robertson Library.