Robert Madgwick

Sir Robert Bowden Madgwick, OBE (10 May 1905 – 25 March 1979), Australian teacher, soldier, academic and public servant, was the first vice-chancellor of the University of New England from 1954 until 1966, and chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Commission from 1967 until 1973.

Born in North Sydney, New South Wales in 1905, Madgwick was the second child of Richard and Annie Madgwick. Educated at Naremburn Public and North Sydney Boys High schools, Madgwick entered the University of Sydney on a scholarship, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Economics in 1927. After a short stint as a teacher, Madgwick returned to his alma mater as a temporary lecturer of economics in 1929.

In 1941, Madgwick joined the Army and was assigned to the Australian Army Education Service and headed the new organisation as the Director of Army Education. Madgwick worked in this role and several others until the end of the war determining the future role of the federal government in the area of education.

At the end of the Second World War, Madgwick returned to academia, first at the Australian National University, and then in 1946 he was appointed warden of the New England University College. Madgwick was later appointed as the first vice-chancellor when the college became a separate university in 1954. As vice-chancellor, Madgwick played a part setting the direction of the new university, with one innovation being the creation of distance education courses for students not studying on campus. Madgwick also worked hard on creating a relationship between the university and the general community of Armidale.

In 1966, Sir Robert retired from post of vice-chancellor and was appointed as chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Commission the following year. He served two terms as chairman, with great distinction, before being replaced by the Whitlam government in 1973.

Sir Robert died in Hornsby, New South Wales in 1979. A large public hall, a road and an annual lecture at the University of New England and a suburb of Armidale, New South Wales have been named after him.

See also

• Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• University of New England
• List of University of New England people

External links

• Entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography Online