FEDERATION University Australia is hoping to bestow a little touch of immortality on those who have a left a legacy with the Ballarat institution.
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The university has honoured more than 20 people who have made significant contributions to the formation and development of the university with the unveiling of new names of roads, drives and squares at its campuses.
FedUni curator Clare Gervasoni said the names were already generating discussion about who these people were.
“You can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been,” Ms Gervasoni said. “It’s a point of interest for anyone at the university: students, staff and visitors.
“I’ve been getting emails asking about who they are. It allows discussions about these people who played an important role in the university’s history.”
She said through this action, the university was recognising the commitment these people had made.
“Blizzard drive is named after Peter Blizzard, a sculptor who made the Prisoner of War Memorial in Ballarat.
“If you drive up Blizzard Drive, it leads to one of his sculptures.”
She said the story that had intrigued her was of James Bickett, who put forward the motion to establish a School of Mines in Ballarat, which led to the first School of Mines in Australia.
“Pinkerton Drive is named after brother and sister Frank and Martha who were instrumental in many cultural suits around Ballarat.
“During the depression, Frank gave a scholarship to an arts student so they could continue with their studies.”
Ms Gervasoni said all naming followed guidelines for street names as specified by VicNames, and would also assist emergency services and others in navigation around the campus, with some areas previously unnamed.
Vice-chancellor David Battersby said the university was delighted to recognise the eminent men and women who were pivotal in its growth and development.
“These new place names honour the many leading citizens who in some way contributed to the creation of Federation University and our predecessor institutions,” Professor Battersby said.
nicole.cairns@fairfaxmedia.com.au
Significant street names at the university:
• Beanland Mall – three members of the Beanland family who had significant connections to the formation of SMB
• Bickett Walk – James Bickett, who put forward a motion in 1869 to establish Australia’s first School of Mines in Ballarat
• Blizzard Drive – Peter Blizzard, former sculpture lecturer and prominent Australian sculptor widely known for his Prisoners of War Memorial at Ballarat
• Coates Avenue – Sir Albert Coates, renowned Ballarat war surgeon
• Corbould Drive – William Corbould, former SMB student, prominent metallurgist and mining engineer
• Trudinger Walk – Harold Trudinger, SMB head of Civil Engineering 1951-71
• Blainey Drive – Professor Geoffrey Blainey, historian and first Chancellor of University of Ballarat from 1994-98
• Guerin Square and Julia Walk – Julia ‘Bella’ Guerin was the first woman to graduate from an Australian university and was a much-loved principal at SMB from 1887-90
• Mildren Drive – John Mildren, federal member for Ballarat 1980-90 and former head of Department of School and Community at Ballarat College of Advanced Education
• Nemeth Steps – Jenny Nemeth, a former equal opportunity officer
• Pinkerton Drive – Martha and her brother Frank Pinkerton, who left bequests to the university
• Arblaster Walk – Harry Arblaster, principal of SMB Campus 1959-64
• Durant Drive – married couple Heather (SMB librarian) and William Durant (Head of Physics)
• Hillman Drive – Lindsay Hillman (1910-91), SMB student and later a lecturer in civil engineering and vice-president of SMB Council
• Jardine Drive – Lois Jardine, SMB chief librarian in 1962
• Mainwaring Drive – Geoff Mainwaring, war artist 1942-47, head of SMB art department 1949-75
• Trevaskis Walk – Graham Trevaskis, former principal of State College of Victoria (Ballarat) and the last principal of the Ballarat Teachers’ College on Gillies Street
Mazumdar Drive – Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the university’s only female brewing student in 1974 and now a major global pharmaceutical chief executive
• Rungkat Drive – Thelma Rungkat, head of the Department of Librarianship 1975
• Sharrock Walk – John Sharrock, appointed in 1972 as the university’s first professional student counsellor
• Tippett Walk – Edgar Tippett, SMB president from 1940-60
• Winkelman Walk – Dr John Winkelman, a philosophy professor from 1993-2003