Centenary 1950-1952

Photo gallery: Commemoration ceremony, 6 October 1950

The University of Sydney Centenary celebrations commenced in 1950 and commemorated various important phases in the foundation of the University. These included: the speech made in Parliament on 6 September 1849 by William Charles Wentworth advocating a university for Sydney; the passage through the NSW legislature of the Act of Incorporation on 1 October 1850; the first Senate meeting on 3 February 1851; and the inauguration of the University on 11 October 1852 and the arrival of the first students and the presentation of the first lectures in October 1852.

On 6 October 1950, the University of Sydney began its Centenary celebrations with a Ceremony to commemorate the passage of the Act Incorporating the University which received the Assent of the Governor on 1 October 1850.

Sydney Morning Herald photos, copies held by the University of Sydney Archives:

Distinguished arrivals

• Above: Arrival of the Rt Hon R G Menzies, KC LLM MHR, Prime Minister of Australia. Click here to view enlargement.

• Above: The Chancellor Sir Charles Bickerton Blackburn (centre) and the Deputy Chancellor the Hon Mr Justice E D Roper (on left) greeting the Premier of New South Wales, James McGirr. Click here to view enlargement.

• Above: The Deputy Chancellor the Hon Mr Justice E D Roper and the Chancellor Sir Charles Bickerton Blackburn greeting the Rt Hon the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Alderman Ernest Charles O'Dea. The car at the front is for the Premier of New South Wales, James McGirr. Click here to view enlargement.

• Above: The Chancellor Sir Charles Bickerton Blackburn and the Deputy Chancellor the Hon Mr Justice E D Roper greeting the Rt Hon the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Alderman Ernest Charles O'Dea. Click here to view enlargement.

• Above: The Rt Hon the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Alderman Ernest Charles O'Dea, and the Chancellor Sir Charles Bickerton Blackburn. Click here to view enlargement.

Guard of honour for the Governor of NSW

• Above: His Excellency the Governor of New South Wales Lieutenant-General Sir John Northcott inspects the Guard of Honour of the Sydney University Regiment. Click here and here to view enlargements.

Academic procession to the Great Hall

• Above: Academic procession. Click here to view enlargement.

• Above: Academic procession, with the Right Hon R G Menzies and James McGirr in the foreground. Click here to view enlargement.

• Above: Academic procession, with the Chancellor and the Governor of New South Wales Lieutenant-General Sir John Northcott at the rear. Click here to view enlargement.

• Above: The main section of the academic procession included, from left to right, the Chancellor Sir Charles Bickerton Blackburn and the Governor of New South Wales Lieutenant-General Sir John Northcott at the rear, the Mace Bearer, the Esquire Bedell Lieut.-General Sir Iven MacKay, the Prime Minister of Australia the Rt Hon R G Menzies and the Premier of New South Wales the Hon James McGirr, the Vice-Chancellor Emeritus Professor Steven Roberts and the Deputy Chancellor the Hon Mr Justice E D Roper, His Eminence Cardinal Gilroy and His Grace Archbishop Mowll. Click here to view enlargement.

• Above: Academic procession. Click here to view enlargement.

• Above: Academic procession. Click here to view enlargement.

• Above: The Rt Hon R G Menzies and the Premier of NSW the Hon James McGirr in the Academic procession.

• Above: Academic procession, with the Chancellor and the Governor of NSW Lieutenant-General Sir John Northcott at the rear.

The Ceremony

• Above: The Chancellor welcoming guests to the ceremony. Click here for his address and here to view enlargement.

• Above: A congratulatory address given by the Rt Hon the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Alderman Ernest Charles O'Dea. Click here for the address and here to view enlargement.

• Above: The Commemoration Oration delivered by the Rt Hon R G Menzies, KC LLM MHR, Prime Minister of Australia. Click here for the Commemoration Oration and here to view enlargement.

• Above: Listening to the Oration being delivered by the Rt Hon R G Menzies. Click here to view enlargement.

After the ceremony

• Above: The Rt Hon the Lord Mayor of Sydney Alderman Ernest Charles O'Dea with the Vice-Chancellor Emeritus Professor Stephen Wallace. Click here to view enlargement.