A Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer has completed a ten year project to enhance and preserve the Bathurst home of former Labor Prime Minister Ben Chifley. Dr Robin McLachlan, an adjunct senior lecturer in history and cultural heritage studies at the School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies on the University's Bathurst Campus, said the aim of the project was to create a critical mass of public history ‘products’ in support of the Chifley Home in Bathurst. “This work involved some of my history students, and I led the team of consultants who produced the first ‘product’, a heritage assessment and management plan for the Chifley Home which recommended that Bathurst Regional Council (BRC) purchase the adjoining terrace house for the better conservation of the Chifley Home. BRC now owns that property and has announced that it will be developed as an educational museum and administrative office,” Dr McLachlan said. Another project product is the play A Local Man, co-written by Dr McLachlan and Mr Bob Ellis. The final product was the film documentary The Chifleys of Busby Street – A Community Remembers, which was launched in Bathurst on 25 June.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) has appointed a new Head of Campus at Bathurst who has strong long-term links with the community and inland NSW through his upbringing, education, work and sport. Mr Col Sharp, who is also Director of the CSU Office of Planning and Audit, said he was honoured by his appointment. “I hope to strengthen the links between CSU and local communities in order to build understanding of CSU’s role in the community and what it has to offer,” Mr Sharp said. “It is important for people to know that CSU is a large and diverse University with campuses in Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Wagga Wagga, Albury-Wodonga, Goulburn and Canberra. Its courses are essential for attracting and developing the professionals who will serve our regions. The University’s distance education courses reach students nationally and internationally, and it conducts research into many issues that are critical to Australia’s future. CSU’s success is fundamental to the current economic strength of its campus cities and surrounding districts, and for their long term future.”

Research at Charles Sturt University (CSU) will explore the everyday experience of primary school-aged siblings of children with additional needs, particularly at school. Ms Jacqui Barr, a primary school teacher and PhD student in CSU’s School of Teacher Education, said her research aims to give an authentic account of these children’s experiences. “I need to speak with families and children in the Bathurst area who have children in Year 3 or above at primary school and are the sibling of a child with additional needs. The study will involve interviewing the sibling, as well as other significant people in their lives, such as parents, the brother or sister with additional needs, and their teacher. Each participant will be interviewed once, with interviews taking between 15 minutes and 1 hour,” Ms Barr said. The results of the study will be used to inform educators about the significant experiences of siblings of children with additional needs. People interested in participating in the research project should contact Jacqui Barr on (02) 6332 9107 or send an email for more information.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) may be the University of Inland Australia but that hasn’t stopped one of its students excelling at the recent Australian University Surfing Championships held at Narrow Neck on Queensland’s Gold Coast from Monday 7 to Wednesday 9 July. Ms Lisa Matuzelis, a ‘natural’ stance surfer (ie left foot forward) from Wollongong who is studying for a Master of Applied Science (Library & Information Management) by distance education, won a gold medal in the women’s body board event and a silver medal in the women’s short board (stand-up) event. The contest was held in excellent conditions with a solid three foot swell and good banks which offered both left and right hand breaks. “The competition was good and very close, and I am happy with my outcome, which was better than I expected,” Ms Matuzelis said. “I have enjoyed studying with CSU, and although at times it can be a little challenging studying by distance education, it does seem to get easier each year. The best part of being a distance education student is that I can still live near the coast and complete a degree from a university that is far from any beach.”

Seven sports teams comprised of 70 students from Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Albury-Wodonga, Wagga Wagga and Bathurst campuses have performed well at the East Coast Challenge (ECC) - University Games staged in Sydney from Sunday 6 to Wednesday 9 July. CSU entered men’s and women’s hockey teams, two men’s and a women’s water polo teams, a women’s netball team, and a rugby league seven-a-side team. Mr Nik Granger, a CSU student support officer and the Team Manager, said all the CSU teams performed strongly in the eleven-sport one thousand-competitor Games. “The women’s netball team, made up of Bathurst and Albury-Wodonga students who had never played together before, convincingly beat all opposition to win the ECC championship. The hockey teams continued their dominance of the University Games with the CSU women’s hockey team becoming the ECC champions for the third year in a row, while the men’s team won the bronze medal. The men’s number 1 water polo team dominated the competition and was undefeated to win gold, while the men’s number 2 water polo team won the bronze medal. The rugby league ‘sevens’ team of students from Wagga Wagga and Bathurst Campuses won the silver medal. The women’s water polo team was unplaced in their first time in the competition. It is a testament to our students’ attitude to competition against much larger universities that CSU placed fifth overall, and again won the ‘Spirit Award’ as it did at the 2007 Australian University Games,” Mr Granger said.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) has a long history of producing champions in various fields and it hasn’t lost its touch with the recent inclusion of All Luck, a horse sired by CSU thoroughbred Bao Lack, in Australia’s Olympic three-day event team. “Bao Lack is a 16.2 hands-high thoroughbred with a wonderful temperament,” CSU’s Equine Business Management lecturer Dr Amanda Warren-Smith said. “I’m not surprised he has produced a horse that can compete at Olympic level.” Mr Shane Rose will make his debut at the Beijing Olympic Games riding the 13 year-old horse. Mr Rose and All Luck will feature in three days of fierce competition in three disciplines; dressage, cross-country and show jumping. “We’re thrilled that Bao Luck has sired this Olympic contender,” Dr Warren-Smith said.

As students return to Charles Sturt University (CSU) this week for the start of the second semester, the University welcomes Red Frogs founder Mr Andy Gourley to Wagga Wagga and Bathurst Campuses to discuss his initiative aimed at encouraging a safe alternative at social events. Founded in 1997, Red Frogs now connects university students with more than 1 800 volunteers to assist them through some of the most important years of their lives. Manager of Residential Operations, Mr Peter Bell, said CSU supports a fun yet safe lifestyle for all students and wants to promote responsible alcohol consumption. “Volunteers are the key to the success of Red Frogs. Students will be encouraged to volunteer to participate in the program, which will give them a chance to help fellow students and develop and use leadership skills.” Red Frogs aims to change the atmosphere of an event and promote a sense of looking after your mates by handing out red frogs and ice blocks, cooking pancakes and running coffee crawls to help support students through their studies.

About 230 administrative staff from across Charles Sturt University (CSU) are expected to attend the biennial Admin Focus Conference 2008 which will be held on Bathurst and Wagga Wagga campuses in the coming week. Held for the first time in 2000, the biennial conference provides an opportunity for the University’s administrative support staff to gain new professional skills and updated information. The 2008 conference will be held on the Bathurst Campus on Thursday 24 and Friday 25 July.  Admin Focus aims to recognise the significant contribution of administrative staff in office and support positions, and to foster networking and a sense of community among administrative staff across the University. The event will include keynote addresses from senior staff, skills development workshops, and an exhibition of services and projects at the University.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic will be track-side with competitors in the Indonesian Olympic Team at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, China, having coached athletes in several disciplines since late 2007 to develop the team’s strength and conditioning. Dr Stephen Bird, a lecturer in the School of Human Movement Studies, said “I am very happy with our input into the athletes for these games and really look froward to getting over there. Strength and conditioning preparation of the Indonesian Olympic squads has gone well, with all athletes making significant improvements in their conditioning levels.” Dr Bird is involved with archery, weightlifting, badminton and track and field, and will continue to assist the athletes in their quest for peak performance. He does not think the air pollution in Beijing will impact on the Indonesian competitors. “Although most European teams have expressed concerns, I don’t believe this will be a major issue for the Indonesian team as they experience similar conditions on a daily basis in Jakarta. I also believe that China will do everything possible to ensure that conditions are a good as possible.”