North Shore Times (New Zealand)
New book shines light on uni’s history
It might not be quite as old as some of New Zealand’s universities but still old enough to have quite a substantial history.
Almost 90 years after its founding as an agricultural college in 1927, Massey University has brought together its history in a new book by historian and Professor Michael Belgrave.
At 528 pages, From Empire’s Servant to Global Citizen traces Massey’s history from foundation to the turn of the century.
Belgrave says the book is ‘‘very much driven’’ by the ‘‘hundreds and hundreds’’ of boxes of files going back to the 1920s, which are stored in Palmerston North as part of the university’s archives.
It documents not only ‘‘an important institution to New Zealand’’, but also the social and economic landscape against which universities developed.
Belgrave says he also wanted to answer his own questions about the philosophy of university as an institution.
‘‘At that time [1970s], universities [were] expanded and expansive, and they sort of brought together a whole lot of beliefs about science and progress, and the development of a national society.
‘‘Those were values I appreciated at the time, and I wanted to find out in my own mind whether those values were fundamental to being a university - and I still think they are,’’ he said.
The idea for a history was proposed to Belgrave before the 50th anniversary of Massey’s inauguration as a university and took around two-and-a-half years to complete.
He was research manager for the Waitangi Tribunal for six years before joining the School of Social Policy and Social Work at Massey’s Albany campus on its opening in 1993.
While writing the book, Belgrave says he was surprised to discover how diverse Massey’s student population had long been.
In the 1960s, one in six was an international student, a visible influence of the Colombo Plan. However, Belgrave says, even in the 1930s, Massey was still reaching out to international networks.
He says the ‘‘real strength’’ of the book is not just Massey’s story but the insights into how universities have operated and the challenges they’ve faced.
‘‘I think it possibly offers some material that helps people to think about what our future as a country might be, particularly in tertiary education.’’