No 14 11 September 2003 - Communications

HIT Lab joins key
Australian initiative.
Prestigious award for
marine biologist.
U n i ve rs i t y o f Cant e rbur y • Chr istch u rch • New Z ealan d
Volume 38
•
No. 14 •
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Glider project given a lift.
Author to research
‘Ice breed’.
Canterbury expert involved in new amphibious vehicle
C
anterbur y University
engineering know-how has
helped propel a high-speed
amphibious vehicle onto the
international market.
Dr Keith Alexander, a senior
lecturer in mechanical engineering,
acted as a consultant to
Christchurch-born entrepreneur
Alan Gibbs, whose British
company, Gibbs Technologies, is
behind the launch of the Aquada.
The Aquada, which transforms
from sleek sports car to jetpropelled boat at the touch of a
button, looks like something
straight out of a James Bond movie.
Powered by a 175hp V6 petrol
engine, the Aquada can reach
speeds of up to 160kmh on land
and 50kmh on water. It has a price
tag of around $400,000.
Mr Gibbs, who studied engineering
at the University of Canterbury,
Dr Keith Alexander with a publicity photo of the new Aquada.
believes the technology behind the
surrounding the project has
Aquada is the most significant
“It has a shaft connection to the
prevented him from speaking out
development in the automotive
engine so the engine drives an
about his involvement.
world since the Model T Ford.
impeller – a type of propellor that
He was first contacted by Mr Gibbs
It is the result of seven years’ work sits inside the jet. It is like a jet
boat arrangement but it also drives for advice in 1997 and has since
by a team of 70 engineers and
the wheels,” Dr Alexander
been involved in on-going
designers. Working with the team
explained.
consultancy work through
in England for the past year has
Canterprise, reviewing the jet
been Canterbury engineering
“Previous amphibious vehicles
design and developing the impeller
graduate, Alastair Rose.
tended to go at displacement
in particular. He went to England in
speeds, that is up to about 12kph
The problem with previous
2001 to brief the staff about water
on
the
water.
This
one
gets
up
on
a
amphibious designs was the drag
jets.
plane
and
can
go
50kmh
–
it
can
created by the wheels as they
even
tow
a
water
skier.
It
is
not
the
Dr Alexander also spent last
moved through the water. With the
first
amphibious
vehicle
to
plane
December and January in England
Aquada the wheels are raised while
but it is certainly the first
working with the team testing on a
remaining connected to the drive
commercial one.”
private lake south of Coventry, fineshafts.
tuning the vehicle in preparation for
Dr
Alexander
has
watched
with
Dr Alexander, a former design
its launch.
interest
the
media
frenzy
manager at the Hamilton jet plant
in Christchurch, said the Aquada
worked on the same principle as a
jet boat.
surrounding the launch of the
Aquada on the River Thames last
week. Until now, the secrecy
“It was hard work. We were testing
it in the middle of a British winter.
p.2
STOP PRESS
Marsden success
The University has received 12
Marsden Fund awards worth more
than $6.6 million. This compares to
nine awarded last year totalling $3
million.
The research projects to benefit from
the 2003 funding round will be
detailed in the next issue of Chronicle.
1
Dame Ann Ballin 1932 – 2003
of Social Policy (1987), a member
of the Hillary Commission (1987)
and chair of the Victims’ Task
Force (1989).
In 1981 she was awarded a CBE
and in 1992 was made a Dame
Commander of the British Empire
in recognition of her pioneering
work to bring greater justice for
crime victims. In June last year she
was appointed to the Order of New
Zealand, the highest of the Queen’s
Birthday honours.
N
ew Zealand’s pioneering
victim’s rights advocate
and champion of social causes,
Dame Ann Ballin, has died at the
age of 71.
A neurological condition that
attacked her spinal column in her
mid-teens confined Dame Ann to a
wheelchair but she refused to let it
slow her down.
Dame Ann gained a BA from the
University in 1961. She was one of
the first students to undertake the
University’s postgraduate clinical
psychology programme, graduating
with an MA in 1964. In 1974 she
returned to Canterbur y as a
counsellor at the Student Health
Centre, a role she held until 1986.
The 1980s saw Dame Ann’s
emergence on the national stage.
She was chair of the International
Year for Disabled Persons (1981),
chair of the New Zealand Council
for Recreation and Sport (1985), a
member of the Royal Commission
The University recognised Dame
Ann’s contribution to the
community with the awarding of an
Honorary Doctor of Letters on her
birthday in 2001.
In his oration, Human Resources
Director, Associate Professor
Bruce Jamieson described Dame
Ann as a “genuine and highly
principled role model”. He said
three words personified Dame Ann
– “intelligence, compassion and
courage”.
“Of intelligence – that sharpness of
intellect which characterises those
who ask of others ‘Why?’ and ‘Why
not?’. Of compassion – that
empathy which recognises we are
not all born equal. Of courage,
which never accepts conditions by
which others may be defeated.
“Taken together, and found within
one person, a woman destined to
have a lasting impact on her
friends, her colleagues and those
who she served in so many ways.”
New approach to Maori issues
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor
Roy Sharp, has outlined to the
University Council a number of
initiatives he is adopting for
dealing with Maori issues on
campus.
At its August meeting, Council
agreed to the formal
disestablishment of its committee,
Te Kaunihera Tikanga Rua, and
noted the substitution of a series of
alternative means of addressing
Maori issues.
A Treaty of Waitangi Advisory
Committee will be established to
provide advice through the Senior
Management Team and the ViceChancellor to the Council on the
Council and the University’s Treaty
responsibilities.
The Advisory Committee will be
chaired by the Vice-Chancellor or
the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and will
comprise invited representatives
from inside and outside the
University who are expert on Treaty
issues, as well as senior members of
the University.
Professor Sharp will continue his
fortnightly meetings with Te
Akatoki, the Maori students’
association, to provide a forum for
airing student issues and concerns.
There was no forum for the issues
and concerns of Maori staff, but the
Canterbury branch of Te
Matawhanui, the national Maori
University Kaimahi Association, has
reconvened under the
chairmanship of Jonathan ManéWheoki, who is a member of the
Canterbury expert involved in new amphibious vehicle
p.1
The flashy James Bond image
pales pretty quickly when you are
out there in the freezing cold.”
But Dr Alexander said it was
exciting taking the vehicle for a
test drive.
“It is uncanny because all the cues
inside the vehicle say you are
driving a car, but outside it’s a
boat. You are sitting there at the
steering wheel, with your foot on
the pedal but instead of the
roadside going past, it’s water.”
Dr Alexander sees the Aquada as a
forerunner to a future range of
workhouse vehicles.
University of Canterbury Chronicle
“This is the flash sports car version.
I’d rather have a pick-up truck
version. There are huge
possibilities for amphibious vehicles
in other fields including emergency
services and the military.”
In a briefing paper to Council,
Professor Sharp said Te Kaunihera had
not been particularly effective as a
means of dealing with Maori issues,
probably because it was too large and
because it was a Council committee
that had become involved in
management issues.
To help improve the situation he has:
appointed Mr Mané-Wheoki to SMT; set
up regular meetings with Te Akatoki;
met with Mark Solomon and Tahu Potiki
of Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, and with Dr
Te Maire Tau; herd a planning day with
Tahu Potiki and Te Maire Tau; and met
with Henare Edwards and Norman
Dewes of Nga Maata Waka.
He also noted that effective recruitment
of Maori students remained the
responsibility of Maori Liaison Officer
Hemi Inia, within the Recruitment and
Liaison unit.
With respect to Maori student support
services, he said there was a number of
parties involved, including Hemi Inia,
who also manages the co-ordinator and
budget of Te Whare Akonga o Te
Akatoki (the Maori study centre) and
the Maori component of Special
Supplementary Grant funding, the
Student Services Department and Te
Akatoki itself.
Professor Sharp said rationalisation of
the Student Services and Liaison Office
activities was under consideration, as
was better support in the management
of Te Whare Akonga.
– continued
research for some time so it was
not surprising that Mr Gibbs
contacted the University for
advice.
“If you want to make a car you go
to the English Midlands but no
area in England specialises in
During his PhD studies at
jets. Canterbur y does. This is
Canterbur y University in the
early 1980s, Dr Alexander worked where Hamilton jets star ted, this
on amphibious designs and made is where the jet boat developed.
It is quite appropriate that the
his own radio-controlled model.
expertise should be found in
He is now developing a full-scale
prototype but stressed the design Canterbur y and in this
was quite different from that used University.”
in the Aquada.
Dr Alexander said his department
had been working on water-jet
SMT. Te Matawhanui will also hold
regular meetings with Te Akatoki.
Next Issue:
2 October, 2003
Deadline:
26 September, 2003
Editor:
Jeanette Colman
Ext 6260 or 364 2260
Sub-editor:
Col Pearson
Artwork:
Marcus Thomas
Distribution: Kate Frew
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HIT Lab joins key Australian research initiative
A
new and highly innovative
Australian centre for
interaction design has invited
the University of Canterbury’s
HIT Lab NZ to become a key
player in its research effort.
Interim Chief Executive Officer of
ACID, QUT’s Professor Jeff Jones,
said HIT Lab NZ would play an
essential role in developing the
establishment of “an innovation
system in the Asia Pacific region,
particularly in the fields that are
merging design and interaction
with technology and creative
industries”.
“Dr Mark Billinghurst [HIT Lab NZ
director] is a globally recognised
innovator and we are excited about
the possibilities for new research
and commercialisation that he and
his New Zealand partners bring to
the list of other Australian
participants.
Photo by Duncan Shaw-Brown, C&D
The Australian Federal
Government has committed A$12.4
million over seven years to the
Australasian Cooperative Research
Centre (CRC) for Interaction
Design (ACID), based at the
Queensland University of
Technology (QUT) in Brisbane.
And QUT and its industry and
academic partners will invest a
further A$7.4 million to develop
creative technologies for improving
access to the digital world and
creative industries.
Janet De Lu from the IT department tries out the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System simulator at HIT Lab’s recent
open day. Talking her through the process is PhD student Philip Lamb. The SRMS simulator is an immersive virtual
reality simulation of the control interface to the robotic manipulator arm on the NASA Space Shuttle.The simulator
allows human performance to be measured.
“We see Mark and his Lab as the
key element that makes ACID an
organisation that is truly global
and truly Australasian,” said
Professor Jones.
The HIT Lab will be contributing
staf f time and its technologies to
a number of collaborative
research projects and will also
host visiting researchers from the
five Australian universities
partnering in ACID: QUT, the
University of Queensland, the
Royal Melbourne Institute of
Technology, Murdoch University,
and Grif fith University.
Prestigious award for marine biologist
The New Zealand Marine
Sciences Society presented its
most prestigious award to
Associate Professor David
Schiel (Biological Sciences) at
a conference banquet held in
Auckland last week.
The Life Membership award was
presented by Dr Bob Hickman on
behalf of the society, with a followup citation from Dr Neil Andrew,
the Executive Director of Marine
Programmes, NIWA.
Dr Hickman noted the award,
presented only eight other times
in the society’s long histor y, was
in recognition of Dr Schiel’s
“outstanding contributions to
marine science in research,
super vision of postgraduate
students and many years of
ser vice to the society.”
Dr Andrew added that the award
to Dr Schiel would meet with
great approval both nationally
and internationally in the marine
science community.
The award consists of a bronze
sculpture of an internal spiral of
a conch shell, an engraved plaque,
and lifetime membership to the
New Zealand Marine Sciences
Society.
NZMSS is one of the oldest
scientific societies in New
Zealand and its members
represent all marine disciplines.
Dr Billinghurst said he was very
excited about the ACID
initiative and was thrilled the
Lab had the opportunity to work
with such an “impressive set of
partners”.
“Involvement with large
research ef forts such as ACID
is vital for the HIT Lab’s
engagement with the
international community. ACID
will definitely be one of the
major centres for innovation in
interaction design.”
ACID is one of 11 new
Australian national Cooperative
Research Centres chosen from
over 60 proposals. In addition to
federal government funding
ACID has major industr y
backing and core commercial
partners such as SGI, Auran
Technologies and New
Zealand’s Cloud 9 Screen
Entertainment Group.
ACID research projects will
begin in the later part of 2003
and will continue for the next
seven years.
3
Engineers visit NI seats of power
Charter
consultation
operated by the Department of
Electrical and Computer
Engineering, with the tour
itinerar y focused on the South
Island.
The University’s draft Charter
has been circulated widely as
part of the consultation process.
On 1 August all staff and
students, 3000 alumni and 150
The 2003 trip focused on the
key external stakeholders were
North Island, and the tour
itinerar y consisted of sites in the notified of the process and
referred to the University’s
upper North Island, within the
Auckland and Hamilton area. It is website for copies and a
response form. The faculties and
set to become an annual
Academic Board have also
EPECentre-organised event.
“It was a great success, and was a discussed it.
The submission period closed on 8
thoroughly enjoyable and
September and amendments and
educational experience for all
corrections will be incorporated
who attended. We received
before it goes to Council at its
tremendous support from the
power industr y by facilitating site September meeting and then to the
tours, and also with their funding Tertiary Education Commission by
30 September.
for the EPECentre,” Mr
Enjoying the camaraderie of the field trip, front from left Kush Maddumarachchi
Lawrence said.
Work is also continuing on the
and Jullada Homtientong, with Hayden Nikolajenko (right back) talking to a
interim Profile, a recast Statement of
Site visits included the
tour guide at BHP Steel.
Objectives. Feedback and input from
Glenbrook Steel Mill (BHP New
2003 Power Systems field trip
hirty-eight engineering
faculties and Academic Board will be
Zealand Steel), the Otahuhu B
students, from first to third was to allow electrical
incorporated during September and
Combined Cycle Power Plant
professional years, took part in engineering students to obser ve
a copy tabled at Council’s September
(Contact Energy), the Huntly
operating power equipment,
a highly successful field trip to
meeting, before dispatch to TEC on
Power Station (Genesis Power),
question engineers working in
the North Island at the end of
30 September.
as well as Mighty River Power
the power industr y, “and at the
last month, organised by the
operations: the Hamilton Control Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor
same time enjoy the scenic
University’s Electric Power
Centre, the Mokai Geothermal
Bob Kirk, who has been leading the
beauty of New Zealand”.
Engineering Centre
Power Plant, and the Maraetai
Charter and Profile development
(EPECentre).
Hydro Power Station.
The trip was funded by the
process, said TEC had
EPECentre. Previous Power
EPECentre co-ordinator Joseph
acknowledged that the Profile
Lawrence said the purpose of the Systems field trips had been
timeline left little opportunity for
extensive consultation.
T
Ambassador’s visit strengthens ties
While on campus the Ambassador
also visited Gateway Antarctica and
the Department of Civil
Engineering and presented a public
seminar on Chilean economic
business partnerships.
On hand to meet him at the School
of Forestry were four Chilean
students all undertaking graduate
studies at Canterbury.
Andres Susaeta, from the
University of Chile, is studying
towards a Master of Forestry
Science and will be undertaking
research on models of wood supply.
Also from the University of Chile is
PhD student Horacio Bown who is
carrying out research on forest
nutrition for his doctorate. Arturo
Bascunan, from the Catholic
University in Santiago, is studying a
Master of Forestry Science and is
researching wood stiffness while
University of Canterbury Chronicle
Photo by Duncan Shaw-Brown, C&D
The Chilean Ambassador to
New Zealand, His Excellency
Carlos Appelgren, was able to
experience first hand the strong
links between his countr y and
the University of Canterbur y
when he toured the campus last
week.
Professor John Raine, Pro-ViceChancellor (Enterprise and
International), said the
Ambassador’s visit had been a
success.
“I believe the Ambassador found
his visits to Gateway Antarctica,
Forestry and Civil Engineering
fascinating, and he felt there were
significant opportunities for
Back row, left to right: Andres Susaeta, Horacio Bown, Arturo Bascunan and teaching and research
Jean-Pierre Lasserre. Front row, left to right: Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy collaboration with Chilean
universities. Overall I think he had
Sharp, His Excellency Carlos Appelgren and Professor Roger Sands.
a most enjoyable day and
Jean-Pierre Lasserre, from Austral
The Head of the School, Professor
appreciated his meetings with
University in Valdivia, is
Roger Sands, said the Ambassador members of the Senior
researching silviculture for wood
was interested in further
Management Team and other
quality as part of his masters
strengthening the links with the
staff.”
degree.
School and universities in Chile.
High altitude gliding attempt gives Canterbury project a lift
nited States millionaire and
adventurer Steve Fossett
hopes to glide into the record
book with help from scientists
at the University of Canterbury.
In return the University’s
Physics and Astronomy
Department will gain an
unprecedented glimpse of the
upper atmosphere.
Since Christmas, physics lecturer
Dr Adrian McDonald and
technician Geoff Graham have
been working on a small,
unmanned glider designed to take
atmospheric samples. A review of
their work on the department’s
website attracted the attention of
Mr Fossett’s Perlan Project which
is attempting to break the world
gliding altitude record.
A member of the Perlan Project
contacted Dr McDonald and
offered him the chance to place
instruments on Mr Fossett’s glider.
It is hoped the instruments will
verify the stratospheric conditions
required to lift a glider to 100,000
feet.
The Perlan project team, including
co-pilot and former NASA test pilot
Elinar Enevoldson, had hoped to
attempt the record last month but
conditions over Omarama in the
Mackenzie Country were not
suitable. The team hopes for better
conditions in either late September
or early October. Based on current
aircraft limitations, phase one of
the attempt is limited to 62,000 feet.
Currently the world record is
49,009 feet set by Bob Harris in
California in 1986.
The millions spent by Mr Fossett
on the Perlan Project is a far cry
from the $5000 spent by the
Physics Department developing its
prototype glider. The glider, with a
wingspan of 1.5m, is equipped with
a set of meteorological
measurement sensors that record
pressure, temperature, relative
humidity, wind speed and direction.
Meteorological agencies around
the world launch millions of
rawinsondes each year to gather
data for numerical weather
prediction models. Most are
expendable packages attached to
helium or hydrogen-filled weather
balloons and only a small number
of the sensors are retrieved.
Canterbury’s prototype is different
in that it will be able to
autonomously glide itself back to
the ground station with the aid of a
digital compass and a global
positioning system.
“This makes it cheap and
reusable,” said Dr McDonald.
“The use of a recoverable
rawinsonde package could
significantly reduce the cost of
routine observations by
meteorological services and thus
may be important in increasing the
amount of atmospheric information
measured. The cost-effectiveness
of such a system may be of
significant use in increasing the
number of launches made in third
world countries.”
The glider is designed to be
launched from a weather balloon.
The difficulty and expense of
frequent balloon launches means
the prototype has its own engine
and can take off from the ground.
The prototype has been tested at
the Kaiapoi Model Air Club Field at
Swannanoa but the range of the
radio-control system has limited
test flights to less than 2km.
The Perlan Project is not the only
party interested in the work being
carried out by the Canterbury team
with the National Institute of Water
and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)
also expressing interest, Dr
McDonald said.
“NIWA are particularly interested
in the prototype’s ability to make
measurements at low altitudes.”
With the help of undergraduate
student Andreas Baumgartner
unique observations of the sea
breeze have already been made,
added Dr McDonald.
Photo by Duncan Shaw-Brown, C&D
U
Geoff Graham takes the controls of the prototype glider being developed in
the Physics Department.
Academy Motor Lodge
(opposite Canterbury University)
Licensed Restaurant
Now open to the public
Finances healthy
The University’s finances are
continuing to track ahead of
budget.
For the period to the end of July,
income was $1.3 million ahead of
budget and expenditure $1.1 million
below budget.
The end of July surplus of $11.22
million is $2.464 million ahead of
budget. The full year budget
forecasts a surplus of $2.7 million.
• Breakfast 7–10am 7 days
•␣ Lunch 11.30–2pm Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday (or by arrangement)
• Dinner 6–9pm (or closing) 7 days
Complimentary glass of wine or beer upon
presentation of this advertisment.
Phone 0800 18 47 18
62 Creyke Road —opposite Engineering Rd
5
Napoleonic ‘what if’ causes stir in UK
hat would have
happened if Napoleon
had landed in Britain in 1803?
That is the question posed by
Professor John Cookson
(Histor y) in an article in the
British journal History Today.
The article has attracted great
attention in the UK and Professor
Cookson has debated the issue on
the BBC’s Today programme with
well-known British military
historian Professor Richard
Holmes.
“There has been a lot of interest in
Britain, partly because it is 200
years since Napoleon began
organising himself for invasion but
also because of the British focus on
Europe today. It strikes a pretty
rich chord, I think,” Professor
Cookson said. “In 1803 you have a
classic confrontation of Britain up
against a powerful continental
state. Britain traditionally has
perceived itself as separate from
Europe but now has to consider
He admits there are a lot of dangers
in dabbling in “what if” scenarios.
itself as part of Europe. These
historical confrontations are
interesting to the British.”
“Most historians are wary of
engaging in ‘what if’ history but it
does have its usefulness in that it is a
way of sharpening our
understanding of the context in
which events occur. Problems arise
when one assumes that because one
event happened a whole sequence of
events inevitably followed.”
In the article, Professor Cookson
argues that Napoleon not only had
serious war aims but also the
means. He started out in 1803 with
27 seaworthy gunboats in the
Channel ports but by August 1805,
the Boulogne flotilla numbered
nearly 2000 vessels. The Kent coast
would have been the most likely
landing site, which would have put
the French army on the “short
route” to the ultimate prize –
London.
Asking the question “what if”
captures the public imagination and
is a lot of fun, Professor Cookson
added.
Photo by Duncan Shaw-Brown, C&D
W
“If the French could not be
intercepted at sea, Britain would
have been at great peril.”
During the radio debate on the
issue, Professor Holmes, now at
Kings College University of
London, challenged Professor
Cookson’s idea that a French
invasion of Britain at that time was
possible.
Professor John Cookson
“He didn’t disagree that if
Napoleon had got an army ashore
the British would probably have
been defeated as the balance of
military advantage was with the
French rather than with the British.
He disagreed with me that the
French had any chance of getting
ashore.”
Professor Cookson is not surprised
at this response to his article. “I
still think the British have this idea
that as an island nation they are
pretty invulnerable to invasion.”
“I enjoyed it and I learnt something
from the exercise. It never occurred
to me, for instance, to think in terms
of the international context; that if
the French had landed in Britain,
that Britain’s allies and potential
allies would have been forced to
make terms with the French as they
would no longer have been able to
rely on British naval and military
support. Europe would have looked
quite different.”
Professor Cookson has just been
awarded a Canterbury Fellowship at
Oxford and will take up the threemonth position in April. He will use
the time to research further aspects
of British military history, including
the ways in which Scottish
regiments in the British army
became icons of Scottish national
identity.
Pair hit the big Time!
Chemistr y professors Murray
Munro and John Blunt have
been branded “cool Kiwis” in a
recent issue of Time magazine.
The pair, who head the University’s
Marine Chemistry Group, featured
in an article “Secrets of the Sea”.
The article looks at the work the
two are doing in the field of
“bioprospecting” – searching
nature for bioactive material that
could be turned into something
valuable such as pharmaceuticals
or herbal medicines. From 10,000
samples, the pair has isolated more
than 100 bioactive compounds and
already three are in pre-clinical
trials with a Spanish drug company.
The article was one of a series of
stories in a special feature called
University of Canterbury Chronicle
“New Zealand Journeys: Cool
Kiwis; Why it’s suddenly HOT on
the edge of the world” in the
special double issue of Time.
Adult Learners’ Week celebrates lifelong learning
T
he efforts, achievements
and contributions of adult
learners, educators and
providers are celebrated this
week as part of Adult Learners’
Week 2003, He Takata
Matauraka.
Every year, thousands of adult New
Zealanders pursue a wide range of
learning opportunities. The
University of Canterbury has 3340
mature students across all levels
which accounts for just over a
quarter of the student population.
Michelle Dalrymple (28) had no
aspirations to go to university and
certainly no long-term career plan.
She left school at the beginning of
the sixth form for no particular
reason. Later that year she became
pregnant at 17-years-old, was
unemployed and had no thoughts
of further education. Eleven years
later, Michelle has submitted her
PhD thesis in Statistics and is
embarking on a teaching career.
Photos by Duncan Shaw-Brown, C&D
The theme of the week is “Lifelong
learning – of COURSE you can do
it”. This focuses attention on
learning as a process that takes
place in a wide variety of forms and
contexts throughout life.
Celebrating Adult Learners’ Week are Canterbury students Melanie Featherstone (left) and Kevin Murray.
lectures and she studied while he
was asleep. “I got myself into a
routine. I thought this is my lot in
life and this is what I had to do. In
the beginning I didn’t even know
PhDs existed, but I kept plugging
on as I really enjoyed the research
side of my degrees.”
students. To learn how to write an
essay, she attended the Writing
Skills And Study workshop, a
service that the University provides
to help students get top marks. New
undergraduates can attend a fivelecture course focusing on problem
areas like taking effective lecture
notes, constructing an argument,
essay writing and referencing.
Individual help is also available
throughout the year.
The courses Michelle chose were
chosen around her son and his
childcare schedule. “I couldn’t pick
early morning or late lectures, and
long labs were a pain, but I also had There are many hurdles to
a very supportive family who
overcome when attending university
helped
out.”
as an adult student, but there are
“I knew I didn’t want a dead-end
many benefits too, Melanie says. “I
job, but one that was intellectually
Michelle is now enrolled at the
know exactly what I want to get out
stimulating and I knew that I
New Zealand Graduate School of
of life, I’m now self-motivated.” In
needed more than fifth form
Education and is training to be a
tutorials she asks questions, and has
certificate.” So, Michelle completed secondary school teacher. “I now
her sixth form certificate by
feel that I have more options in life a thirst for learning that younger
students don’t seem to have.”
correspondence while her baby
and have a bit more control.”
was small and then enrolled at
Melanie Featherstone pleaded with When Melanie decided to attend
Hagley Community College for her her parents to let her leave school, university she made a pact with
seventh form year as it had a
herself to network and meet people.
but they made her stay until she
crèche.
This has enabled her to keep going
finished her sixth form year. She
then left promptly and started work through the tough times. “I meet
Michelle decided to enrol in a
with friends and find they are often
in a bank. “I was not in the right
Bachelor of Science majoring in
in a similar situation, so things don’t
zone to think about going to
Maths and Statistics at the
seem too bad.”
university
back
then,
it
was
the
last
University of Canterbury as they
were subjects that she was good at thing on my mind.”
When he turned 40, Kevin Murray
and enjoyed when at school.
went through a mid-life crisis. He
Now in her 30s, Melanie is in her
was unemployed and had to think
second year of a Bachelor of
At the beginning Michelle found
long and hard about his future. “I hit
Science, majoring in psychology
attending lectures a daunting
that magic age of 40 and thought
and
health
sciences,
at
the
prospect. “Turning up to class with
where am I going and what am I
University
of
Canterbury.
She
has
200 people, who you think are
doing with my life. I had to have a
done her OE, lived in London and
much brighter than you, is scary.”
change in direction.”
But she is quick to point out that it Australia, and owned her own
business. With all those life
does get easier.
Deciding that he should update his
experiences behind her she has a
skills and return to university was a
Although it was a challenge for
definite vision of where she wants
courageous decision. Not only is
Michelle she stuck at it. She
to be.
Kevin a mature student, he is also
became an expert at time
At first writing an essay seemed an
blind, so he envisaged the hurdles
management, juggling parenting
impossible task. Melanie stresses
to be quite daunting. He visited
and study. Her son went to
that there is support to help adult
student services at the University
childcare while she attended
of Canterbury and decided that
he could tackle the challenge
and enrolled in a Bachelor of
Arts, majoring in political
science, and a Bachelor of Law.
“I knew that I had to update my
skills to match the changing
needs of society and to do that I
had to go to university. When I
investigated the options and
spoke to various people at
Canterbury I became very
enthused about getting another
degree. The support for mature
students and disabled students is
absolutely fantastic here. I believe
you are only limited by your
imagination, so I went for it.”
Kevin has a Bachelor of
Business from Australia that he
completed in his early 20s. He
says it is a lot easier studying 20
years on as most of the
pressures he had before have
gone. “I don’t feel I’m competing
with anyone, I have all my life
experiences behind me now, so I
get on and study. I’ve had the
house and mortgage, been
married and have children. I’m
in a better space to enjoy the
atmosphere now.”
Being a mature student mixing
with young students is beneficial
Kevin says, as it helps him keep
young in mind, if not body. “I feel
young and fresh in this
atmosphere, it’s vibrant and
exciting. And, you are only as
old as you feel.”
Jane Lucas
7
Author arrives to research ‘Ice breed’
“For too long Antarctic stories
have been presented as
essentially British stories. I
believe New Zealanders’ role in
how we understand the Ice has
been, and continues to be,
profound.
L
eslie Roberts has travelled
from the American mid-west
to track down a rare breed of
people – Antarcticans.
Leslie, a Fulbright Fellow, will
spend a year at Canterbury
University’s Gateway Antarctica
writing a book examining New
Zealand’s relationship with
Antarctic exploration and how it
has influenced life in Lyttelton and
Christchurch. An essayist, with a
Master of Fine Arts in creative
writing from the University of Iowa,
Leslie hopes to piece together the
stories, anecdotes and experiences
of the many Kiwis who have made
the journey south to the Ice.
“It is in New Zealand that we
find the ‘little stories’, as
carefully preser ved as the pony
snowshoes in the museum. It’s
a great cultural gift, to keep
track of the oral traditions of a
place with no indigenous human
population.”
Leslie said the book could only
be written in Canterbur y.
“There is no other place where
the histor y is so deep and
pronounced. L yttelton is the
Cape Canaveral of Antarctic
exploration.”
“The book is unique in that it is
attempting to define a culture most
people don’t recognise as such –
Antarcticans. It is also trying to
trace a line through the long
lineage of Antarctic history here in
Canterbury. Where does the
connection between these small
islands and that great ice land
begin? How is it changing?”
“We know who we are, we
Antarcticans. We feel a compelling
connection with a place very, very
few people will ever visit.”
Leslie fell under the spell of the
Antarctic 15 years ago when she
spent four months at sea working
as a news reporter on a
Greenpeace ship.
Photo by Duncan Shaw-Brown, C&D
In attempting to define an
Antarctican, Leslie said she was
reminded of the comments of a US
Supreme Court justice when asked
to define pornography. “He
couldn’t define it but he knew it
when he saw it.
Leslie Roberts in front of a copy of Frank Hurley’s famous photograph of
Ernest Shakleton’s ship, Endurance, trapped in ice.
“I was never able to forget the
Antarctic and really wanted to get
back to it. So I made a conscious
decision about six years ago to
Lecture series profiles region’s artists
Pictorial Collections, Hocken Library,
University of Otago) on Doris Lusk;
9 October –
Lara Strongman
(Programme Manager, City Gallery,
Wellington) on Shane Cotton; 16
October – Kirsten Rennie (Art
Consultant, CoCA, Christchurch) on
The programme is: 18 September – Seraphine Pick.
Dr Rodney Wilson (Director, The venue for all lectures is the
Auckland Museum) on Barr y Christchurch Arts Centre, Hurst
Cleavin; 25 September – Dr Dorothee Seager room, at 7pm. Admission by
Pauli (Lecturer, Theory of Art and gold coin.
Design, Christchurch Polytechnic This event is made possible by funds
Institute) on Rhona Haszard; 2 from the University’s Harkness
October – Linda Tyler (Curator, Bequest.
The University of Canterbury’s
School of Fine Arts is hosting a
public lecture series titled A
Degree of Excellence, where
graduates of the School’s Art
Histor y department will speak
about Canterbury artists.
University of Canterbury Chronicle
radically change my life and I
packed up my family and moved
from San Francisco to the mid-west
to pursue creative non-fiction
writing.”
Leslie estimates that there are
upwards of 10,000 Antarcticans
worldwide with a couple of
thousand living in New Zealand.
“I am interested in hearing their
stories. I am interested in how the
Antarctic inhabits people’s minds,
whether they have actually been
there or just find themselves
reading about it or thinking about it
beyond the hobbyist level. I am
very curious to learn about their
first point of contact with it because
part of the book is an investigation
as to how the Antarctic inhabits
New Zealand culture and forms
New Zealand culture.
She said Christchurch was rich
in Antarctic resources.
“Gateway Antarctica of fers a
unique, dedicated Antarctic
research centre and the city is
home to two of the best
Antarctic museum collections in
the world – at the International
Antarctic Centre out by the
airport and in the Canterbur y
Museum. Even the new art
galler y has a dedicated space
devoted to the Antarctic.”
The book is to be titled
Amundsen’s Knife.
“Amundsen’s knife is in the
Canterbur y Museum and it’s
the knife that he used to cut the
bamboo that they used to fly the
first flag when they ‘discovered’
the South Pole. I chose it as the
name for the book because it’s a
simple seaman’s tool that
represents an important
moment in man’s quest for the
unknown. It begins to speak to
a lot of the ideas that I’m tr ying
to get at in this book which is
how we know ourselves by
knowing place, and what the
Antarctic represents for us as
human beings.”
•␣ Leslie would like to hear from
anybody with an Antarctic
stor y to share. She can be
contacted via email at
lro24@student.canterbury.ac.nz.