Professor John Ryan, Vice-Chancellor Annabelle Duncan and Dr Suzanne Robertson were among the guests at the book launch of “Came to New England,” last Friday at Booloominbah.

The book was conceived as a project to celebrate 75 years of the institution, from its beginnings as a College of Sydney University (New England University College) in 1938, to its autonomy in 1954 and to the present.  It is intended to add to the rich history covered by Matthew Jordan’s “A Spirit of True Learning” which was published in 2004.

It contains a series of reflective pieces about coming to New England, and covers the University and Teacher’s College and generally the influence on people’s lives of spending some time in this part of the world.  In his forward, Professor John Ryan explains that the emphasis of the book is on personal revelations, “on considered career changes of direction, and on the individual’s getting of personal wisdom”.  The co-editor was Warren Newman, an educator and historian of note, who died before seeing this project finalised.  The late Eilis Magner also contributed to a chapter in the the book.

 The book can be purchased for $35 at: www.une.edu.au/came-to-new-england