Ms Jo Marshall, pictured with her daughter Bella, proudly wears the blazer which she donated to the University of New England on behalf of her father Geoffrey (Toby) Rose.
The blazer dates back to UNE’s formation period when it was known as the New England University College (NEUC) and ran as a college of the University of Sydney from 1938 to 1954.
Mr Rose, and his fellow students, were the first cohort to choose whether they graduate from the newly established University of New England or from the University of Sydney.
Mr Rose, having chosen UNE, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1955, majoring in Geology and Chemistry.
After graduation Mr Rose worked as a geologist in the New South Wales coal and minerals industry. For 10 years, until 1992, he was Director-General of the NSW Department of Mineral Resources and Chair of the Mines Subsidence Board. He was awarded the Order of Australia for contributions to mining and minerals research in 1993.
Dear Jo and Bella,
Ashamedly this part of Toby’s life had passed me by. I should have ‘woken up’ when you sent the email of your photograph yesterday and I asked you for details of the blazer.
Your Dad has been and still is so much part of our lives. Maybe fifty years or so when we met him through my brother-in-law Cliff McElroy.
How important to geological research was their association.
A lovely and thoughtful tribute to Toby and his wife Carmel – thank you.
David.
I am delighted to see this item. In 1954 Toby was studying Geology III and I was involved in Geology IV – i.e. the first U.N.E. honours B.Sc. program. As you noted, we both opted to take our degrees from the new U.N.E. in its first full year of independent operation. I recall clearly that Toby was my first “field assistant”! We camped in a tent in the lee of the Keepit Dam wall, then under construction, and made many breakthroughs in geological technology (mainly how to capture and re-erect a 12×12 marquee tent in a howling wind and rain storm). That was really the beginning of Toby’s enviable career in the world of rocks and mineral deposits, for which I feel at least partly responsible. My recollections of him are those of great affection.
This brings back great memories of Hut D in 1953 when many evenings were spent in Toby’s room solving the problems of the world
I recall one of his best party tricks was to eliminate moths which had gathered on the exterior of the window screen by means of a flame thrower created by blowing a mouthful of Murlex cleaning fluid across a hand held naked flame !
Good afternoon Ken and Barry,
A lovely follow on to the Toby story. Thank you both.
Barry, I do hope those were not Bogong moths? Just read an article on how the food source of the Pigmy Mountain Possum has seriously diminished due to the metropolitan lighting of sporting grounds and high rise buildings resulting in them moving from their natural habitat.
We live on the Far South Coast and on many occasions have enjoyed Carmel and Toby’s company and explored with them some of his old stomping ground!