This thesis reports a sociolinguistic study, carried out between 1981 and 1984, of the state of the Modern Greek (MG) language in Australia, as spoken by native-speaking first-generation Greek immigrants in Victoria. Particular emphasis is given to the analysis of those characteristics of the linguistic behaviour of these Greek Australians which can be attributed to the contact with English and to other environmental, social and linguistic influence. (For complete abstract open document)

Within the child protection system, children are separated from their parents in different ways and for different reasons. Family reunification following these separations, similarly occurs in a variety of ways and is experienced differently by those involved. / Through a qualitative design, this study gathered together a range of perspectives regarding the experiences, emotions and beliefs of those involved in family reunification. By interviewing parents, protective workers, caregivers, family support workers, family preservation workers, health workers and others, the researcher hoped to capture their wisdom and insight. Overall, 38 people were interviewed in relation to five examples of reunification. / Key concepts and categories were derived from the interviews in conjunction with descriptions of the cases. The researcher then developed a pathways tool which documented the journeys travelled through the process of reunification. / Although all the children in these examples of reunification returned to their parents’ care and were still there up to two years later, there were different opinions as to whether or not the reunification was successful, and what barriers hindered and what strategies led to success. The different definitions of success appeared to be greatly influenced by the participants’ assumptions and perspectives regarding the role of state intervention in the lives of families. / The findings in this research included a broader understanding of the emotional reactions of parents, caregivers and workers. The enormous sense of loss and other strong emotions felt by parents were often experienced prior to the children being removed, as well as during the separation itself. This therefore challenged the concept of filial deprivation being limited to physical separation of children from their parents and subsequently raised a number of practice issues. Many of the workers and caregivers also described feelings of powerlessness, lack of control and being confronted with limited options. Some of the workers, however, spoke of reunification as a more positive and fulfilling experience than other aspects of their work, even though it involved significant risk and difficult decisions. / The principles under lying reunification practice, as outlined in the literature, were evident in aspects of the cases to a varying extent. Opportunities for parents to be actively involved in their children’s placements ranged from no contact with the carer, to visiting almost every day and being actively involved in all decisions. There were some principles which were absent in all of the case examples, such as none of the children experienced continuity of care due to being in multiple placements. / There were descriptions of several service models involved at different times and stages along the families’ pathway through reunification, including different reunification programs. There did not appear to be any clarity regarding when a family would be referred to one type of service compared to another. There was also discussion regarding the influence of universal services, such as schools, on the family members’ experience of being included or isolated in each other’s lives. / Dilemmas and challenges which arose through reunification included those which were common to many fields in social work, such as clashes of values and beliefs and needing to make decisions between limited and inadequate options. Some of the complex issues particularly relating to reunification were the impact of the separation on children and parents, and the experience of being a ‘parentless child’ or a ‘childless parent’. This was an example of the meaning of an issue being subjective and as important as the factual information. / Some of the practice issues which arose through this study included: discussion regarding operationalising permanency planning principles rather than focussing on a parents’ rights or children’s rights dichotomy; developing a partnership perspective with parents, caregivers and workers; the importance of planning and preparation before reunification; whether to celebrate the day of home return or plan it to be as uneventful as possible; and the support and services required following the children’s return home. / There were also a number of recommendations made for future research which could further inform practice in working with children and their families through the process of reunification.

Since European settlement, alpine and sub-alpine grasslands in Victoria have been grazed more intensively and wildfires have become more frequent. Alpine plants, however, have primarily evolved in the absence of fire and grazing, suggesting that they might be particularly sensitive to these factors. Little is known about the short-term physiological responses to defoliation of these predominantly resprouting plants, and this thesis investigates changes in the carbohydrate storage reserves of alpine plants during recovery from fire and/or grazing. (For complete abstract open document)

Arena Theatre Company’s Eat Your Young is examined as an intrinsic case study. The aim is to investigate the role of a director in the creation of an original multi-media theatre production designed for young people. The study explores the current social, political and cultural position of young people and argues that they are viewed and portrayed as a marginalised “other”. The history of Arena Theatre Company is documented in relation to the development of Theatre in Education from its British roots to the Company’s current emphasis on contemporary artists exploring the possibilities of multi-art form technology. The development of multi-media usage in theatre over the past century is outlined in order to gain an understanding of Arena’s place within this technological experimentation. Utilising ethnographic methodology, including participant observation, “unstructured” interactive interviews and the construction of participant monologues, the creative rehearsal and planning process of Eat Your Young is chartered over a five month period. The outcomes of the study confirm the literature relating to the qualities of a good director: they are leadership, vision and the ability to collaborate. The metaphor chief architect is coined to describe the central figure of the director, Rosemary Myers. The case study discusses the development of a Company culture where artists work in an intensive social and interactive environment and it identifies the unique pressures and individual responsibility of the role of director.

There is an extensive range of problems and maladaptive behaviours for which people may seek counselling. One of these is problem gambling. The extent of gambling in the community and the incidence of gambling problems have become issues of great concern to many in the Australian community. Counselling in the face-to-face setting may not be available or appropriate for some individuals with gambling difficulties. Potential barriers to the provision of counselling services for problem gamblers means that innovative techniques for counselling service delivery must be developed and evaluated. Provision of counselling services using modern telecommunications technology is one such innovative strategy. (For complete abstract open document)

The introduction and establishment of a new and markedly different environment within a long established natural system provides an excellent opportunity to study the principles of adaptation and colonisation by native species. In Australia, an example is furnished by the conversion of large areas of native eucalypt forests to mono-cultured plantations of Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata). The principal aim of this study was to assess which species of native mammals, birds and higher plants are able to utilise or occupy such plantations. Successional aspects of community structure, and colonisation in pine forest systems, were investigated by considering stands of different ages. A variety of adjacent native eucalypt forests provided controls and indicated the range of potential colonisers. Various habitats in both forest types were studied with regard to potential nest sites and availability of food, in order to determine those habitats most favourable for mammals and birds. The effect, on wildlife, of clearing eucalypt forests, but leaving forest remnants along gullies, was also assessed.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, School of Historical Studies, 2009. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Australian students terminating their secondary education with completion of Form Four provided the major stimulus during the last decade for new curriculum developments in an organized study of man. To provide these fifteen-year old pupils with the necessary exposure to life for social adjustment underscored the debate between many social scientists and history teachers on the ability of their respective subject's focus. Where in the middle of the last decade Australia found herself in the middle of a communication revolution, many students, ending their educations during mid-adolescence, did not finish the normal sequence of history courses. History's dominance in the study of man was soon challenged. As a teacher and student in the Australian state of Victoria, it became soon apparent that many educational policies from abroad encountered a flexible if determined resistance. Arising from a different environment, many teachers and educators maintained that a few reforms or "enrichment" of history courses would more closely parallel contemporary needs than the more radical developments of the social sciences. A period of experimentation and uncertainty has persisted for at least the past ten years. A period which has not ended although many of the exponents of the extremes have retreated. History, a course which in 1965 was accepted by tradition, today is recognized and valuable for its own synoptic character.