History on the page

By Emma Sun
NEWSPAPER clippings and documents detailing the establishment of Monash University’s Berwick campus from 20 years back were presented to the university on Monday.
Former Casey councillor Rob Wilson, who was heavily involved in getting the university started, handed over documentation he had collected over a number of years to Monash University Berwick campus’ Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Leon Piterman.
Mr Wilson was part of a team that investigated suitable sites for the university, which included Dandenong, Cranbourne, Pakenham and Berwick.
“The former government announced the site of the Casey airfield as the preferred site for the university and when the government changed hands, the new government gave the OK as well,” he said.
“The reason we chose it was low retention rates, with very few students going from Year 12 to university.
“The whole south-east corridor had a poor track record and a lot of students wouldn’t go to Monash in Clayton because it was too far and didn’t have good transport.”
He said the site had an extensive history.
It was originally an airfield that belonged to the late Lord Casey, the former Governor-General of Australia, who used it to travel between his homes in Edrington, Canberra and Berwick.
“The site has a long history and a lot of aviation took place there – gliding clubs also used the site,” Mr Wilson said.
Professor Piterman said he was keen to preserve the history of the campus back when it was an airfield.
“We collect a range of visual images, frame them and display them around the buildings so people have a sense of what it was like before it became a campus,” he said.
“We forget history at our peril so we need to preserve it.”
He is currently discussing the possibility of having history honours and masters students do research on the campus history as a project, which would be beneficial to both the students and the university.
“They could go about collecting additional material and interview people who were influential at the time in creating the campus, people who knew about it as an airfield,” he said.
“I’d like to ultimately have, within the campus, a museum or gallery which portrays the history of the site.
“If we can work with the history department, they can help us and get credit for the work they’re doing as part of their honours or masters project.”
Anyone who knows anything about the history of the Monash University Berwick site is encouraged to contact Professor Piterman.
“If there are people in the community who wish to contribute any archival, pictorial material, I would be very grateful to receive it and to acknowledge them in the most appropriate way,” he said.
Professor Leon Piterman can be contacted through Mary Fisher on 9904 7009.