The Monaro Volcanic Province (MVP) is an Oligocene-Eocene intraplate basaltic lava field situated in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales between the towns of Cooma and Bombala. The lava pile of the MVP consists of basal sub-alkali rocks (olivine tholeiite, transitional basalt) capped by a number of thick ankaramite lavas, above which lie less numerous alkali rocks including alkali olivine basalt, nepheline basanite and olivine nephelinite. Intercalated with the lava flows are massive and matrix-supported alkali and ankaramitic hyaloclastites, alkali pillow basalts, rare tuffs, bauxitic weathering profiles, lacustrine sediments and reworked late Cretaceous to early Tertiary river gravels. The lava pile is intruded through by numerous volcanic plugs and dykes and rare maars. Volcanic centres are principally concentrated in two NW-SE trending zones parallel to major crustal-scale fractures in the Palaeozoic basement. Centres almost always lie over the intersections of two or more conjugate strike-slip or transverse fractures. The stratigraphy, whole-rock geochemistry and Sr and Nd isotopic signatures of rocks from the MVP indicate magma-genesis initially from an asthenospheric source with EM1 characteristics, gradually becoming more lithospheric with DM source characteristics. The long-lived nature of the MVP rules out a mantle plume-type source for magmas. Instead, a diapiric source is envisaged. The MVP mantle xenolith suite appears to have equilibrated at slightly higher temperatures for given pressures than the Newer Volcanics Province suite suggesting the palaeogeotherm for the MVP was slightly hotter than the "South East Australian" geotherm. Large amounts of amphibole (pargasitic hornblende, pargasite, ferroan pargasite and kaersutite) occuring within the more silica-undersaturated rocks of the MVP, and rarely within Iherzolitic xenoliths, are interpreted to have formed as selvages on mantle veins in contact with peridotite beneath the MVP. Amphiboles were later sampled by magmas rising through the same conduits and were brought to the surface. MVP ankaramite lavas feature < 2cm clinopyroxene porphyrocrysts, the cores of which are shown to have crystallised at ca. 18 kb pressure or ca. 54 km depth. This defines the base of the local crust within the MVP region. Data from the MVP support a landscape evolution model based on the isostatic rise of the Southern Highlands due to voluminous magmatic underplating since the Cretaceous. Data further support limited denudation since the Early Tertiary based on a pulsatory but high palaeogeotherm.

Master of Architecture / The period under consideration saw the growth and fruition of a radical approach to architectural design in the Government Architect's Branch of the New South Wales Public Works Department. High aesthetic standards were set: the application of these standards in an atmosphere of enthusiastic dedication produced a new, vital architectural expression for the public buildings of New South Wales. The quality of the Government Architect's work brought the Branch to the forefront of the architectural profession, whence it exerted a beneficial influence on many private practitioners. E.H. Farmer, the Government Architect of the period, gained the high respect of his peers and in 1972 he was awarded the R.A.I.A.'s Gold Medal - the highest honour which can be bestowed on a member. The early chapters of this study describe, in broad chronological order, the developments which took place in the Government Architect's Branch. Mention is also made of the influence which many leading architects, as well as other professionals, had on the Branch's design work. In later chapters the buildings designed by the Branch are classified into broad use-types and each type is then examined in chronological order. While this method of analysis necessitates some back-tracking and repetition, it provides a better understanding of the evolution of the various building types than would be provided by a broader survey. The appendices include a chronological list of significant events, in precis form, for convenient reference. Apart from a few short papers on specialised subjects, there has been no comprehensive documentation of the history of the Government Architect's Branch during the period being examined. Consequently the story of the Branch's development has been pieced together from interviews with many people who were members of the Government Architect's Branch during this period. Some accounts of events have appeared conflicting. It is natural that individual comment may be unintentionally biased. Every effort has been made by the author to present an accurate and balanced assessment. E.H. Farmer delivered the Hook Memorial Address on 11th May, 1973. In the course of this address the beliefs which contributed to his leadership of the Branch were succinctly revealed: "...if the voioe of the architect goes unheeded, humanity is that much closer to the abyss."

Master of Architecture / The period under consideration saw the growth and fruition of a radical approach to architectural design in the Government Architect's Branch of the New South Wales Public Works Department. High aesthetic standards were set: the application of these standards in an atmosphere of enthusiastic dedication produced a new, vital architectural expression for the public buildings of New South Wales. The quality of the Government Architect's work brought the Branch to the forefront of the architectural profession, whence it exerted a beneficial influence on many private practitioners. E.H. Farmer, the Government Architect of the period, gained the high respect of his peers and in 1972 he was awarded the R.A.I.A.'s Gold Medal - the highest honour which can be bestowed on a member. The early chapters of this study describe, in broad chronological order, the developments which took place in the Government Architect's Branch. Mention is also made of the influence which many leading architects, as well as other professionals, had on the Branch's design work. In later chapters the buildings designed by the Branch are classified into broad use-types and each type is then examined in chronological order. While this method of analysis necessitates some back-tracking and repetition, it provides a better understanding of the evolution of the various building types than would be provided by a broader survey. The appendices include a chronological list of significant events, in precis form, for convenient reference. Apart from a few short papers on specialised subjects, there has been no comprehensive documentation of the history of the Government Architect's Branch during the period being examined. Consequently the story of the Branch's development has been pieced together from interviews with many people who were members of the Government Architect's Branch during this period. Some accounts of events have appeared conflicting. It is natural that individual comment may be unintentionally biased. Every effort has been made by the author to present an accurate and balanced assessment. E.H. Farmer delivered the Hook Memorial Address on 11th May, 1973. In the course of this address the beliefs which contributed to his leadership of the Branch were succinctly revealed: "...if the voioe of the architect goes unheeded, humanity is that much closer to the abyss."