The writer set out to evaluate the extent to which the Boards of Governors of six provincial high schools in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea were conforming with the provisions of the 1970 Education Act and subsequent Departmental directives. Interviews were conducted with senior officers of the Department of Education, members of the Boards of the six schools and Mission Agency personnel. Board meetings were observed by the writer and records of past meetings and Departmental files were examined. The writer has traced the development of community participation and the sharing of decision making in Papua New Guinea education up to 1970 when school Boards were established by the Education Act, as well as subsequent developments in the relationship between the Department of Education and Boards of Governors. Histories of the six schools used as case studies are given, including accounts of the establishment and development of their Boards of Governors. In only one function, student discipline, did the Boards appear to have a largely executive role. This function was regarded by most Board members as being the area in which their Boards did their most important work. In some of the other functions listed in the Act and in subsequent directives, the Boards' role was found to be only a partially executive one or an advisory or critical one. With some of the functions assigned to them, there was little or no involvement by the Boards. Although the Boards have continued to be viable and to contribute to the effective running of their schools, they were not being used to their full potential and there was a need for their relationship with emerging Provincial Governments to be defined. The writer collected suggestions for improvements in the operations of the Boards from the people interviewed and made further suggestions based on his own observations.

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."

Thesis (M.C.A.-Res.)--University of Wollongong, 2007. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 49-54.