Stephen Henry Roberts
Encyclopedia
Sir Stephen Henry Roberts CMG
(b. 16 February 1901 Maldon, Victoria
– d. 1971) was an Australian academic, author, historian, international analyst and university vice-chancellor
.
descent, his mother Doris Elsie Whillemina, née Wagener, of German
. He attended Castlemaine High School and Melbourne Teachers' College before winning a scholarship to the University of Melbourne
, where in 1921 he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts, in 1923 a Master of Arts
, and in 1930 and a Doctor of Letters
. He had studied in the history department of Professor Sir Ernest Scott, and after graduating with first-class honours won Wyselaskie scholarships in English constitutional history and political economy, and the Dwight prize in sociology
.
, in Honolulu, where he presented a paper on Australia's role in a changing Pacific; this was published in 1927 under the title Population Problems in the Pacific.
He won a Harbison-Higinbotham research scholarship in 1929 from the University of London, where he studied at the London School of Economics
. Here he was taught by Harold Laski
and Lillian Knowles, and chose French colonial policy from the 1870s to the 1920s as his dissertation topic, carrying-out much of the archival work in Paris.
Roberts married Thelma Asche in Paddington, London in 1927, after which he returned to Melbourne as a research fellow at Melbourne University. In 1929 he successfully applied for the Challis chair of history at the University of Sydney
succeeding Professor G. A. Wood.
Roberts' original research over eight years led to the publication of six books. In 1929 his is doctoral thesis became a two-volume History of French Colonial Policy (1870–1925). This was followed in 1932 by his text for schools, Modern British History, co-written with C. H. Currey, and in 1933 the History of Modern Europe. His 1935 book Australia and the Far East concerned international studies, after which he returned to Australian history with The Squatting Age in Australia, 1835–1847. His interpretations in these works became standard and the focus for debate in their fields.
After World War II Roberts developed American studies. He had advanced breadth in the teaching of history, and in 1938 helped formulate school curriculum and history papers to his own world view as a member of the Board of Secondary School Studies. His History of Modern Europe became a core textbook. Roberts became a member of the Mitchell Library committee and trustee of the State Library of New South Wales
.
, the Sydney group of the Round Table
, and the Institute of Pacific Relations
.
His "Notes on the News" was presented on ABC from 1932. After the war his public roles took precedence over his research and precluded the writing of further histories.
Roberts had met Nazi
leaders and attended their rallies. In 1937 this, with his knowledge of central European history, led to his most noted book, The House that Hitler Built. This brought to light Hitler's Reich and the persecution of the Jews, and forewarned of a probable world war. The book, addressed to the ordinary reader, was translated into other languages and frequently reprinted.
, the full post confirmed in 1947. In 1955 he became the university's principal. He chaired the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee
in 1952–53. While principal he called for financial backing for university foundations from leaders of commerce, industry and public life. The success of these appeals enabled the university to be promoted abroad.
He developed and expanded the University of Sydney after post-war austerity ended, and oversaw a building programme extension into Darlington
. This development was aided by Sir Keith Murray's 1957 Committee on Australian Universities with concomitant funding from the Australian government.
Roberts gave support to the training of Pacific Islanders and Papua New Guinea
ns in Sydney's medical faculty, while he celebrated Charles Perkins as the first Aborigine
to graduate with a degree.
From 1952 he chaired the New South Wales State Cancer Council.
Having transformed the University of Sydney
into a modern institution of more than 16,000 students, in 1967 Roberts retired, leaving Sydney with new faculties and increased research capacity. His archives hold his notes for a major work on the The Mind of France. The project remained unfinished.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(b. 16 February 1901 Maldon, Victoria
Maldon, Victoria
Maldon is a town in Victoria, Australia, in the Shire of Mount Alexander local government area. It has been designated "Australia's first notable town" and is celebrated for its 19th-century appearance, maintained since gold-rush days...
– d. 1971) was an Australian academic, author, historian, international analyst and university vice-chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
.
Early life and education
Roberts was born into a working class background, the son of French-born parents. His father Christopher Roberts was a miner of CornishCornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
descent, his mother Doris Elsie Whillemina, née Wagener, of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
. He attended Castlemaine High School and Melbourne Teachers' College before winning a scholarship to the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, where in 1921 he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts, in 1923 a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
, and in 1930 and a Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
. He had studied in the history department of Professor Sir Ernest Scott, and after graduating with first-class honours won Wyselaskie scholarships in English constitutional history and political economy, and the Dwight prize in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
.
Early academic career
Roberts was appointed assistant lecturer and tutor in British history . His master's degree had involved original research into Australia's pioneering history, published in 1924 as History of Australian Land Settlement, 1788–1920. In 1925 he attended the first conference sponsored by the Institute of Pacific RelationsInstitute of Pacific Relations
The Institute of Pacific Relations was an international NGO established in 1925 to provide a forum for discussion of problems and relations between nations of the Pacific Rim. The International Secretariat, the center of most IPR activity over the years, consisted of professional staff members who...
, in Honolulu, where he presented a paper on Australia's role in a changing Pacific; this was published in 1927 under the title Population Problems in the Pacific.
He won a Harbison-Higinbotham research scholarship in 1929 from the University of London, where he studied at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
. Here he was taught by Harold Laski
Harold Laski
Harold Joseph Laski was a British Marxist, political theorist, economist, author, and lecturer, who served as the chairman of the Labour Party during 1945-1946, and was a professor at the LSE from 1926 to 1950....
and Lillian Knowles, and chose French colonial policy from the 1870s to the 1920s as his dissertation topic, carrying-out much of the archival work in Paris.
Roberts married Thelma Asche in Paddington, London in 1927, after which he returned to Melbourne as a research fellow at Melbourne University. In 1929 he successfully applied for the Challis chair of history at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
succeeding Professor G. A. Wood.
Roberts' original research over eight years led to the publication of six books. In 1929 his is doctoral thesis became a two-volume History of French Colonial Policy (1870–1925). This was followed in 1932 by his text for schools, Modern British History, co-written with C. H. Currey, and in 1933 the History of Modern Europe. His 1935 book Australia and the Far East concerned international studies, after which he returned to Australian history with The Squatting Age in Australia, 1835–1847. His interpretations in these works became standard and the focus for debate in their fields.
Attitudes to history teaching
Intellectually Roberts was a utilitarian who attracted other like thinkers in what became the 'Sydney school'. This school of thought espoused the importance of rigorous application of data, and was critical of a romantic view of the past.After World War II Roberts developed American studies. He had advanced breadth in the teaching of history, and in 1938 helped formulate school curriculum and history papers to his own world view as a member of the Board of Secondary School Studies. His History of Modern Europe became a core textbook. Roberts became a member of the Mitchell Library committee and trustee of the State Library of New South Wales
State Library of New South Wales
The State Library of New South Wales is a large public library owned by the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Macquarie Street, Sydney near Shakespeare Place...
.
Popular writer and broadcaster
In the 1930s Roberts became an international analyst and public lecturer, and wrote for the Sydney Morning Herald on diplomatic and political matters; later during World War II he was the newspaper's war correspondent. He was also associated with the Australian Institute of International AffairsAustralian Institute of International Affairs
The Australian Institute of International Affairs is a non-profit think tank based in Australia. Established in 1924 and formed as a national body in 1933, the organisation endeavours to promote interest in and understanding of international affairs...
, the Sydney group of the Round Table
Round Table (club)
Round Table is a social networking and charitable organisation for men in their 20s, 30s and early 40s, founded in Norwich, England, in 1927. It is open to all men aged between 18 and 45...
, and the Institute of Pacific Relations
Institute of Pacific Relations
The Institute of Pacific Relations was an international NGO established in 1925 to provide a forum for discussion of problems and relations between nations of the Pacific Rim. The International Secretariat, the center of most IPR activity over the years, consisted of professional staff members who...
.
His "Notes on the News" was presented on ABC from 1932. After the war his public roles took precedence over his research and precluded the writing of further histories.
Roberts had met Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
leaders and attended their rallies. In 1937 this, with his knowledge of central European history, led to his most noted book, The House that Hitler Built. This brought to light Hitler's Reich and the persecution of the Jews, and forewarned of a probable world war. The book, addressed to the ordinary reader, was translated into other languages and frequently reprinted.
Later academic career
In 1946 Roberts became Acting Vice-Chancellor of The University of SydneyUniversity of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, the full post confirmed in 1947. In 1955 he became the university's principal. He chaired the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee
Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee
Universities Australia is an organisation founded in Sydney in May 1920, which attempts to advance higher education through voluntary, cooperative and coordinated action. After being based for a time in both Sydney and Melbourne, its offices relocated to Canberra in 1966...
in 1952–53. While principal he called for financial backing for university foundations from leaders of commerce, industry and public life. The success of these appeals enabled the university to be promoted abroad.
He developed and expanded the University of Sydney after post-war austerity ended, and oversaw a building programme extension into Darlington
Darlington, New South Wales
Darlington is a small, inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darlington is located about 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney and is part of the region of the Inner...
. This development was aided by Sir Keith Murray's 1957 Committee on Australian Universities with concomitant funding from the Australian government.
Roberts gave support to the training of Pacific Islanders and Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
ns in Sydney's medical faculty, while he celebrated Charles Perkins as the first Aborigine
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
to graduate with a degree.
From 1952 he chaired the New South Wales State Cancer Council.
Having transformed the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
into a modern institution of more than 16,000 students, in 1967 Roberts retired, leaving Sydney with new faculties and increased research capacity. His archives hold his notes for a major work on the The Mind of France. The project remained unfinished.
Death
Roberts died as a consequence of heart disease in March 1971 on-board ship near Port Melbourne, while travelling to Europe with his wife.Quote
Honours
- 1948: Honorary doctorate, University of BristolUniversity of BristolThe University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
, England - 1953: Honorary doctorate, Durham UniversityDurham UniversityThe University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
, England - 1956: Honorary doctorate, University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaThe University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, Canada - 1956: Companion of the Order of St Michael and St GeorgeOrder of St Michael and St GeorgeThe Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, Great Britain - 1957: Honorary doctorate, University of New EnglandUniversity of New England (Australia)The University of New England is an Australian public university with approximately 18,000 higher education students. Its original and main campus is located in the city of Armidale in northern New South Wales....
, Australia - 1958: Honorary doctorate, McGill UniversityMcGill UniversityMohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, Canada - 1960: Commander of the Order of the DannebrogOrder of the DannebrogThe Order of the Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons...
, Denmark - 1961: National Order of the CedarNational Order of the CedarThe National Order of the Cedar is a prestigious civilian and military award and Medal of the Lebanese Government. This Order is the highest decoration in Lebanon and is made up of five Grades :* Grand Cordon...
, Lebanon - 1964: Order of the Phoenix, Greece
- 1967: Order of MeritOrder of Merit of the Italian RepublicThe Order of Merit of the Italian Republic was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951...
, Italy - 1967: Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
, France - 1965: Knight Batchelor, Great Britain
- 1968: Honorary doctorate, University of SydneyUniversity of SydneyThe University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, Australia
Selected bibliography
- Wood D. R. V. (1986) Stephen Henry Roberts, Historian and Vice-Chancellor, University of Sydney ISBN 0949269212
- Schreuder D.M. (1992) "A Second Foundation: S. H. Roberts as Challis Professor 1929–47" in History at Sydney, 1891–1991, editor B. Caine. University of Sydney
- Schreuder D.M. (1995) "An Unconventional Founder" in The Discovery of Australian History, 1890–1939, editors S. Macintyre and J. Thomas, University of Melbourne
- Connell W. F. (1995) Australia's First, vol 2, University of Sydney
- Walsh G. (1970) Australia: History and Historians, University of Canberra
- Gazette, University of Sydney, May 1967, p 193
- Australian Journal of Politics and History, 46, no 1, 2000, p 1
- Sydney Morning Herald: 10 April 1929, 8 September 1932, 5 March 1937, 6 July 1949, 2 January 1956, 5 October 1963, 1 January 1965, 31 August 1967, 26 January 1968, 20 March 1971
- Roberts papers, University of Sydney Archives
- R. M. Crawford papers, University of Melbourne Archives
- E. Scott papers, National Library of Australia