Buntine Orations

A bequest to the College, made by the family of the late Dr Walter Murray Buntine, provides funding for a biennial Oration at the College Conference.

A Short History


Dr W M Buntine
(1866 – 1953)
 Dr W M Buntine was prominent in the development of education in the State of Victoria over a long period during the early 1900’s. He was born in 1866 and, after some years at Scotch College, proceeded to the University of Melbourne where he graduated Master of Arts. Following some years of private teaching, and the establishment of a private school at Wynstay Road Armadale, he accepted the Headmastership of Caulfield Grammar School in 1896 and continued there until the end of 1932 when he retired. For further information on Dr W M Buntine, see the online entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biograph.

Prof Peter Karmel

The inaugural Buntine Oration was delivered in the Wilson Hall at the University of Melbourne at the opening session of the Third Annual ACE Conference on May 18 1962, by Professor Peter H Karmel from the University of Adelaide. His Oration was titled Some Economic Aspects of Education.

College Founder and first College President Sir James Darling gave the 1972 Buntine Oration during the Annual Conference in Brisbane. His topic was Responsibility. In this 1972 Buntine Oration, Sir James Darling spoke of Dr Buntine and the background to the bequest from the Buntine family. The College Archives hold the full text of this address by Sir James Darling and also an audio recording.

Sir James Darling

 At the Silver Jubilee Conference in Canberra in 1984, the Buntine Oration was delivered by Justice Michael Kirby, on the topic Education – On Hanging In There. He also gave some interesting background on the purpose of the Buntine Oration.

Buntine Orations

  • 1962 Professor Peter H Karmel - Some Economic Aspects of Education
  • 1964 Hon Paul M C Hasluck - Australia and its Neighbours
  • 1966 Professor P H Partridge - Some Problems of Educational Policy in Democratic Societies
  • 1968 Sir John Crawford, CBE - The Accountability of Universities
  • 1970 Dr H C Coombs - Human Values—Education in the Changing Australian Society
  • 1972 Sir James Darling, CMG, OBE - Responsibility
  • 1974 Mr Michael Somare - Educating for Self-reliance
  • 1976 Hon H R Hudson, MHA - The Political Economy of Educational Advancement
  • 1978 Ms Barbara Falk - Personal Identity Making in Australia
  • 1980 Sir Zelman Cowen, AK, GCMG, GCVO, DSEJ, QC - Politics in Education
  • 1982 Professor Kwong Lee Dow - Education Policy Making in Australia
  • 1984 Hon Justice M D Kirby, CMG - Education—On Hanging in There
  • 1986 Professor Hedley Beare - Shared Meanings About Education: The Economic Paradigm Considered
  • 1988 Professor Di Yerbury - The Tradition of Scholarly Excellence
  • 1990 Dr Stephen FltzGerald, AO - Asia, Education and the Australian Mind
  • 1992 Hon Justice K J A Asche, QC - The Literacy Imperative
  • 1994 Professor Paige Porter - Women and Leadership in Education: The Construction of Gender in the Workplace
  • 1996 Hon Justice R S French - Educating for Democracy in the Twenty First Century
  • 1997 Dr Frances H Christie - Literacy Research and Teaching: Paradigms for the Late Twentieth Century
  • 1998 Professor Millicent Poole - Re-Framing Higher Education: Mind the Market
  • 1999 Mr Alan Ruby - Difference is the Essence of Humanity
  • 2000 Dr Barry McGaw - International Comparisons of Expenditure in Education
  • 2001 Professor Toh Swee-Hin - Uprooting Violence, Growing Peace: Education for Compassionate Citizenship
  • 2003 Professor Stephanie Young - Passive Consumers or Co-creators - Listening to Learners?
  • 2004 Stephen Downes - Perth - Learning Networks
  • 2006 Professor Peter Doherty AO - Plagues, Pestilences and Influenza
  • 2008 Professor Joseph Lo Bianco - Hobart