The Australian Archives A.C.T. Conservation Laboratory performs various tasks relating to the preservation program. The two streams of work - Treatment of Materials and Laboratory Services are considered to be of equal importance. The first deals with the actual treatment of items in the collection while the latter concerns preventive conservation, During the period of my internship I have carried out most of the Laboratory Services which I will discuss in this dissertation with the exception of Disaster Planning. I was also involved in the treatment of various objects from the Australian Archives collection as well as from other government agencies, completed with written and photographic documentation. One of the projects, taking several months of treatment, was a series of old letter books containing letters from the Administrator in Sydney to the Chief Magistrate of Norfolk Island. This project, along with the conservation of some other government records, demonstrates the difference between archival conservation and conservation of other art and cultural objects. Attendances at technical seminars and conferences are also discussed.

The role of women has become a central issue in educational debate because of the discrepancy between their representation at the administrative and policy level and their representation at the classroom level. This study identified the factors which aid the success of women in educational administration. By using structured interviews and response analysis the study identifies major facilitaters and barriers to success. The literature review surveys the position of women in educational administration. The study provides information that is crucial to aspiring female educators in individual career planning and is essential to systems in the promotion of Equal Employment Opportunities. Research was undertaken in the Australian Capital Territory and involved Government and Non Government systems.

The study aimed to gain understanding about diversity, patterns and processes in natural temperate grassland sites in the ACT. Thirty natural grassland sites were surveyed for plant composition, soil invertebrate abundance and site attributes. Floristic associations were identified using multivariate analysis. These were compared to the other site attributes to determine related characteristics. Total plant species richness was 191 species, of which 41% were exotics. Forbs comprised 56% of the total species, with 69 native forb species. There were 10 native grass species and 12 sub-shrubs recorded. The number of species found within ten 1 m2 quadrats measured in each site ranged from 23 to 56 species. Three floristic associations were identified through classification analysis using frequency data. The Danthonia association occurred in well drained sites on soils with high clay content and low nutrient levels and a greater percentage of bare ground. The sites were assessed as having been subject to moderate to high disturbance in the past and 46% were grazed and 46% mown. Species richness of both natives and exotics was high (quadrat richness averaged 37 species, with 32.8% exotic cover in spring). The Wet Themeda association occurred in poorly drained sites and had also been subject to moderate to high disturbance; 67% of sites were grazed and 25% mown. Phosphorus levels were higher in these sites and the acidity of the soil was also greater. Quadrat richness averaged 39 species, with 35.5% exotic cover in spring. The Dry Themeda association was well drained. These sites had a lower native and exotic diversity, with a mean quadrat richness of 30 species, and 11.1% exotic species cover in spring, but a high species richness in the sites (mean 65.4 species) and a high litter cover of 39.9%. All have been subject to low disturbance and none were grazed. Phosphorus levels were low (7.9 ppm). Wet Themeda grassland sites were more similar to Danthonia grassland sites in terms of species occurrence and frequency than Dry Themeda grasslands, despite both associations being dominated by Themeda australis. While trends emerged regarding management and disturbance levels in the three associations, these were not major differentiating attributes. Invertebrates were collected from soil samples from the sites and identified to order level. Twenty two orders were found, but only three orders, Acarina, Collembola and Coleoptera, were sufficiently abundant to enable statistical tests to be undertaken. Invertebrate order richness and abundance showed strong relationships with vegetation attributes that measured or reflected vegetation structure, with higher abundance in sites dominated by T. australis and where wet soil colour was darker. Both order richness and total abundance of invertebrates were highest in mown sites and lowest in grazed sites. The invertebrate order richness and abundance did not have significant relationships with the floristic associations. A field experiment was conducted in which above- and below-ground gaps were created using the herbicide, Glyphosate, to remove interspecific competition and comparing responses between the Dry Themeda and Danthonia associations. Litter load and soil disturbance were also manipulated. The subsequent establishment of species was studied over two growing seasons, a period of 18 months. Both native and exotic forb richness and cover increased as a result of gap formation. Exotic grass cover and richness showed a strong increase in the first season, but after 18 months had decreased to levels similar to those prior to the application of treatments. Native grasses had not recovered to pre-treatment levels after 18 months. Native forb richness and cover were not inhibited by litter retention, but exotic forb richness and cover were higher in treatments with litter removal. Soil disturbance to a depth of 20 mm had no significant effect on the recruitment of the species. Recommendations for protection and management of the sites were developed from the study. Conservation recommendations are based on the aim of maintaining or enhancing native species diversity and habitat, while protecting threatened species and their habitat. Management plans should recognise requirements based on the floristic associations, diversity of native species, drainage conditions and retention of invertebrate habitat, including structural requirements. Grazing should be retained as a viable management regime, particularly in sites where small species occur. Future research should aim towards a greater understanding of the effects of management on species diversity, including invertebrates, and include a monitoring component with which to determine if management actions should be modified.

(1) Aerial survey methods for estimating population size of feral water buffalo in northern Australia were examined. (2) Line transect models underestimated population size. Of six models tested the most accurate underestimated by nearly half. The models give biased estimates most probably because not all animals on the survey line were sighted . (3) Aerial strip transect surveys were also negatively biased. The extent of this bias was estimated in index-removal experiments. Experiments were carried out on two populations in areas of differing obstructive canopy cover. (4) In woodland habitat with a canopy cover of 30- 60%, a correction factor of 3.2 was required to take account of animals not seen. In forest habitat with a canopy cover of 60-100%, a correction factor of 4.9 was required. (5) Using these results, the population size of feral buffalo, cattle and horses in Kakadu National Park was estimated by aerial survey at the end of each year over 6 years. Annual rates of increase for three regions of the Park were estimated, taking into account known removals from the population. The effects of dry season rainfall and population density in the preceding year on rate of increase were examined for each species. (6) The mean annual exponential rate of increase for each species was 0.10 yr-1 for buffalo, 0.23 yr-1 for cattle and -0.14 yr-1 for horses. (7) The annual rates of increase varied greatly between years within all species and were highly correlated with dry season rainfall in the year of survey for buffalo and cattle but not for horses. (8) No significant effect of preceding density on rate of increase was found for any species. A large reduction in buffalo populations did not correspond with an increase in unharvested populations of horses, suggesting the two species do not compete for food or other resources. (9) A campaign to control populations of feral water buffalo in Kakadu National Park was assessed. Between 1979 and 1988, approximately 79,000 animals were removed, 54% by commercial live-capture, 35% by shooting from helicopters and 10% by shooting from the ground. (10) In the period 1983-1988 when population estimates from aerial survey are available, mean buffalo population density was reduced from 5.60 km-2 to 1.17 km-2 over the surveyed area of the Park. (11) The costs of removal by shooting from helicopters, capturing animals alive and shooting from the ground were compared. The mean costs per animal in 1988 were $24.13, $74.53, and $86.02 respectively. (12) The effects of initial density and time spent shooting on number of animals removed by shooting from helicopters were examined. One linear and two curvilinear models were fitted to data from four different removal exercises. The relationship between time spent shooting and number removed was best described by a curvilinear (Ivlev) function. This model was used to estimate costs of control to a specified density. (13) Model regression coefficients differed between removal exercises, suggesting that the number removed may be affected by variables other than time spent shooting and initial density. Data from the range of conditions encountered during removal is thus likely to be required for robust estimation of removal costs.

For the first time in the ACT, Social Psychology was introduced as a discrete course of study at Hawker College in 1976. Its implementation represented some eight months of research. This field study reports part of the course and its evaluation, and it comes in two distinct segments: the detailed content of the first third of the course (i.e. the first two units of a six-unit course) and its part-evaluation. The term, 'part-evaluation' was chosen with care. It serves two meanings: firstly, it refers to an evaluation of part of the social psychology course, and secondly, it indicates that the evaluation was completed by a novice, who is not qualified to investigate and operationalise either a comprehensive, or a thorough and controlled, evaluation of the units. The field study is produced in six chapters. The first provides a backcloth, as it were, to the emergence of social psychology as a discipline of study at Hawker College. The second chapter continues the theme, and it presents social psychology in a historical perspective, and it outlines the mechanism which eventually effected the implementation of the course at Hawker College. The third chapter analyses social psychology as a body of knowledge in the light of recent curriculum philosophy. The detailed content of Units 1 and 2 form the fourth chapter. Chapter 5 is lengthy, and it addresses itself to the part-evaluation process, and in so doing, makes use of Robert Stake's 'countenance model', and in particular, to his three major components: antecedents, transactions, and actual outcomes. The first part of the chapter, however, introduces the concept of evaluation and the particular stance taken towards it by the author. The last two chapters, in turn, report the major findings of the partevaluation, and relate them to the literature. This field study serves the major purpose of providing the initial research for a full and comprehensive evaluation of the social psychology course which will be conducted in the third term of 1978. (See 6.3 and 6.4).

Despite the fact that there is an increasing call from the community for principals to provide leadership in their schools, little work has been conducted in Australia into the question of educational leadership. This study attempts to describe the leadership styles of principals at one A.C. T. secondary school over the period 1961 to 1981. Immegart (1973), when considering possible alternative approaches to the study of leadership suggested that the genealogical approach, that is the study of the succession of leaders in one situation, may be a viable alternative. Taking up this suggestion the present study attempts to trial the genealogical approach in order to contribute to a body of knowledge on the leadership styles of principals in schools in the A.C.T. A shortened form of Likert's Management Systems Questionnaire was used to describe the leadership style of the principals. A brief survey of the staff was conducted in order to build up a profile of the staff with whom each principal worked. A number of hypotheses were tested. It was found that there had been a change in the leadership styles of the principals over the twenty year period, but this change was not uniform. Subscales of leadership, communication, decision making, goals and control were found to follow the same pattern as the overall result, with the exception of the subscale communication which had a more restricted range. The number of years a teacher taught at the school, previous teaching experience, qualifications and position on the staff were not found to affect teachers' perceptions of the leadership style of the principal.

An aspect of Australian education is the continued presence of the Catholic schools including those in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn. They have continued to be a significant part of Australian education after decades of ups and downs. The question today is not whether Catholic schools will survive but rather how effective they will be despite the changes which have taken place over the last few decades. Catholic schools still aim to provide all the elements of a State education, and in addition, to offer them within a Catholic setting. They have tried to create an environment that will continue to reflect the cultural values of its members. The Theses is on Catholic Education in Practice: A Case Study of a Catholic High School in the A.C.T. The Theses is based on historical and analytical approach. The results of a case study involving random sampled students, their parents/guardians and teachers in a Catholic High School in the A.C.T. sets out to investigate what factors still attract them to the Catholic school despite the significant changes that have taken place since Catholic education was introduced into Australia. By examining these three groups of people who are directly involved in Catholic schools, it is hoped that a more balanced assessment of the extent to which ideals and practices of Catholic education have been retained. The results show that students attend Catholic schools for a variety of reasons including academic and religious and because of the traditional approach to areas such as discipline. The religious values continue to be an important part of the school which makes it distinctively Catholic, but the integration is not as pervasive as previous due to the change in the nature of staff and students at the school.

The question posed in this study is whether the participatory philosophy is working in practice in the ACT school system. In particular, at the local level, does the parent community have the power in decision-making that is accorded them in theory? The field study begins by setting out some aspects of bureaucratic theory and contrasting models of participation. It goes on to look at the philosophy underlying the new ACT system of education and its deliberate rejection of the traditional, highly centralized systems of the States in favour of a particular participatory model, participation as decisionmaking. Such a model involves putting decision-making in the hands of those most affected by the decisions. In individual schools this means the parents, the teachers, the students and the community. The bulk of this study is devoted to documenting a case study of a school in conflict with the Schools Authority because it is during conflict that the realities of power in a system are revealed. The crisis in this case revolved around the proposal by the Schools Authority to move an alternative secondary school into a semi-vacant former infants building of an inner-city primary school. The majority of the parent community at the primary school were against the proposal. After several joint meetings between the Boards of the two schools and the Schools Authority, the Schools Authority decided to go ahead with the move despite the opposition of the primary school community. The final section of this study deals with an analysis of the participatory processes that were enacted at both the school level and the Authority level, in the resolution of the conflict. It would certainly appear that in this particular example both parties to the dispute moved outside the model of participation as decision-making. The Schools Authority appeared to be operating under the rationale of administrative expediency and using a participatory model foreign to the intention of the system, in which no real power was accorded to the parent community. The school, having lost faith in the participatory model as used by the Schools Authority, resorted to familiar bureaucratic lobbying practices. The study concludes that the real system in this case deviated from the participatory model of its founders. It raises the issue of how typical this case study might be of the system as a whole, and what the implications of this would be for the future of the ACT Schools Authority.

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During the latter half of the twentieth century, youthwork has emerged as an occupation responsible for the delivery of a broad variety of services for young people. During the 1970's and 80's in particular, there has been a rapid multiplication of the number of people employed in the role of youthworker. As an occupation, youthwork has had placed upon it by society certain expectations regarding the standard of the work performed. This is particularly so with respect to the interaction between the youthworker and young people with whom they work. This expectation is not unlike that placed upon other occupations working directly with people (and young people), such as teachers and social workers. It is a reasonable societal expectation that workers such as teachers, social workers and youthworkers, should provide a service of a certain standard, commensurate with the responsibility ascribed to the role of that occupation. Education and training is recognised as being fundamental to the attainment of recognised standards of competency in both teaching and social work, as well as many other occupations which have a direct service delivery role with people. A spectrum of such opportunities have been developed and provided for these occupations. There is an expectation that the practice of such occupations is fundamentally linked with the education and training provided. However, this has not been so with the youthwork occupation. The provision of education and training has not grown with the expansion in the occupation. Furthermore, the linkage between education and training, and practice, was not recognised in this field for many years. Questions about how and why this has occurred, and how and by whom it should be redressed, are to be explored in this Study. That youthwork is an occupation is a fact. There are thousands of youthworkers employed around Australia. This Study asserts that the provision of education and training opportunities provided for this occupation are inadequate in general. A cohesive policy framework for such provision is also lacking. Australian society sanctions the occupation of youthwork by providing millions of dollars of resources per annum. It expects, rightly so, a quality standard of performance from the occupation, and services who are employers. Monitoring through formal evaluation and the application of performance indicators are part and parcel of such resource allocation. But, the means to achieve such quality standards - education and training - have not been adequately recognised or provided. This situation is clearly anomalous, and must therefore be addressed and resolved.