Last Friday saw an unusual event in Armidale - a double anniversary with the number of years celebrated in one twice the other, and the number of years being substantial in Australian terms. 2013 marks the 75th birthday of the University of New England and the 150th anniversary of Armidale achieving city status. To celebrate the occasion, the latter bestowed the Keys of the City on the former, which comprises no less than about one-third of the city's economy. In a sense, UNE is the city's economy.
Plans for the event included a procession of university staff in full regalia from St Mary's cathedral to the town mall where the investiture was to occur in the open air. A heavy shower put paid to that and the event was transferred to the Town Hall with a short, perhaps 3 minute, procession to take place between the Council Chambers and the Town Hall. Fortunately the rain stopped in time to avoid drenching academic regalia, but it did reduce the crowd in attendance quite dramatically. The following pictures show the procession, but not the investiture.
While the city band played appropriate processional music, the academics commenced their long journey behind an army contingent presumably drawn from the reserve unit on campus. At least that corps marched briskly.
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The academics followed in what was more like a funereal amble, which is perhaps a metaphor for the disparate and individual nature of academic life. Here we see the chancellor and mayor following behind the mace - the third such weapon in this and most recent post to these pages. Further behind were quite a few academic staff.
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And bringing up the rear were numerous school children, which at least provided an audience!
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Other tasks prevented me from hearing the various congratulatory speeches.
AS
Plans for the event included a procession of university staff in full regalia from St Mary's cathedral to the town mall where the investiture was to occur in the open air. A heavy shower put paid to that and the event was transferred to the Town Hall with a short, perhaps 3 minute, procession to take place between the Council Chambers and the Town Hall. Fortunately the rain stopped in time to avoid drenching academic regalia, but it did reduce the crowd in attendance quite dramatically. The following pictures show the procession, but not the investiture.
While the city band played appropriate processional music, the academics commenced their long journey behind an army contingent presumably drawn from the reserve unit on campus. At least that corps marched briskly.
.jpg)
.jpg)
The academics followed in what was more like a funereal amble, which is perhaps a metaphor for the disparate and individual nature of academic life. Here we see the chancellor and mayor following behind the mace - the third such weapon in this and most recent post to these pages. Further behind were quite a few academic staff.
.jpg)
.jpg)
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And bringing up the rear were numerous school children, which at least provided an audience!
.jpg)
Other tasks prevented me from hearing the various congratulatory speeches.
AS
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