by Monica Jacomb - Arts Student 1967
I started my Arts Degree by night at Sydney University in 1957; on marriage I transferred to Melbourne University and very appropriately graduated from Melbourne University on April Fools' Day 1967. The extended time was due to illness but also to the fact that Melbourne deemed Education post-graduate subjects. did evening students disappear under Whitlam?
My first and most important memory of both Fisher and Baillieu was in the late fifties- early sixties when the libraries suddenly began to stock multiple copies of works recommended in Arts. the days when us ppor evening students had to search for work, the only copy of which some day student had hidden elsewhere in the shelves disappeared.
My strongest memory of Baillieu Library was its large collection of records housed in the basement. I think they must have been 78s. I certainly remember listening to Milton's poetry, Shakespeare's plays and possibly other works that featured in English II or III.
My best memory of Baillieu was of very well-spoken gentlemen reference librarian who seemed almost to be part of the furniture; he held the post for so long and he was just superb at his job.
When I upgraded my library qualifications with the first Graduate Diploma in Librarianship Course from Riverina College of Advanced Education 1977-78, I think we did do a visit to Baillieu and Brownless Libraries but I think Brownless held more interest with its museum and facilities for the handicapped, that is to say injured sportsmen.
My last one is a strange personal one on my actual graduation day. I had an aunt who always claimed she had graduated from Sydney university. I was early to my graduation ceremony and I took my mother over to Baillieu. There on the ground floor near the windows were the handbooks of Sydney University and passes in subjects for the particular year in the twenties. Aunt's name was not listed. What a graduation present to learn that I was the first female in my branch of the family to get a degree. (2 males had preceded me). Years later a family genealogy was produced and all of us could write a paragraph about ourselves. Aunt again claimed she had a degree and because of comments I was able to get her record. She had spent one year at SU; studied 4 subjects and passed one. Not a bad effort at camouflage.