Cricket vs Oxford Society of NSW, Sunday 30th November

The cricket match vs Oxford took place on Sunday 30th November at St Paul's Oval. Cambridge bowled Oxford all out for 142 having set them a total of 159 to win. Thank you to Alistair Newmarch for organising this annual event.

The Vice-Chancellor addresses Responsibility in his annual message

The start of the University’s new academic year was marked on 1 October by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, giving his annual address to the University in the Senate House. This year the address focused on the responsibility to contribute to society which is borne out of the freedom granted to the University to determine its development.

We are delighted that this year for the first time we are able to send you an abridged filmed message from the VC, the link to which can be found here

We hope that you will be able to share this with fellow alumni in your group. You may also be interested to read the full text of the speech, which is available online: here

6th Intervarsity Golf Match, Monday 20th October 2014

Chris Golis, CamSoc NSW President and Golf Organiser writes: the Sixth Inter-Varsity Golf Match was drawn.

On a great day for golf, Oxford and Cambridge drew 2-2 in the sixth annual Intervarsity Golf Match. This Match was unique in that it was the first time an associate played, the delightful Lynne Pressley. Unfortunately the 5th team member for Oxford did not present himself on the day meaning Daryl Dixon was unable to compete. Results for the other four matches were as follows (Cambridge players first):

Chris Golis beat Lynne Pressley 7&6
Peter Wilson beat Robert Laurie 4&3
Richard Lyon lost to Bob Gilchrist 2&1
Peter Buchen lost to Charles Thorburn 3&2

Afterwards a select few gathered at the Buena Vista in Mosman for the $8 rump steak special and several glasses of red wine. Oxford players will be pleased to know the ribbons on the President’s Cup are now dark blue.

Next year’s match will be held in November (probably Monday 9 November 2015) because of the Rugby World Cup being played in England and the Final being on 31 October.

Winter Feast, 31 July 2014

Over 70 alumni & their guests attended the 2014 Winter Feast. Our Guest speaker was Cambridge alumni LTGEN Angus Campbell. He is currently head of Operation Sovereign Borders and since he has been in charge 19 September 2013 no boats have arrive in Australia. The prior year under the Labor Government was 20,000 people and 300 boats. Currently Australia processes 200,000 immigrants a year and the General estimated there are around 5 million wanting to get to Australia. Best answer was whether Afghanistan was a failure (he was in charge of the Australian army for its last 3 years). He said the Allies had built 7,000 km of paved road since the Taliban and currently there are 8 million kids in school of which 3 million are girls. However it is now up to the Afgans to decide what they want to happen to their country.

Third Thinking at Twilight 2014/AGM, 6pm Thursday 22nd May

The AGM was held first, followed by Professor Alison Bashford speaking on Bennelong and Malthus: The Unlikely Histories of Sydney and Cambridge. Alison’s enthusiasm was infectious and the talk was fascinating! Alison Bashford is the Vere Harmsworth Professor Imperial and Naval History, and Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge. Editor of the Cambridge History of Australia, and author, most recently, of Global Population: history, geopolitics and life on earth, she has taught modern history at ANU, Melbourne, and Sydney universities. She was the Whitlam and Fraser Chair of Australian Studies at Harvard University. Her next book is "Malthus and the New World", a project that brings her old and new homes together in unlikely ways.