The true story of ASOPA’s interregnum

Hal Wootten AC QC

In The Mail and ASOPA PEOPLE there has been discussion of the Principal's position at ASOPA between [Alf] Conlon's departure and [Charles] Rowley's arrival. I was a full time member of ASOPA Staff from 1946 to the end of 1951 and, at the time we are talking about, I was Senior Lecturer in Law. We didn't worry much about seniority, but [James] McAuley was clearly regarded as the senior member of the academic staff and we worked closely together on everything relating to the School.

I agree with the conclusion attributed to Ruth Fink that “there was no other Principal between Conlon (August 1948-September 1949) and Rowley’s appointment late in 1950.” We simply got along without a Principal. No major policy decisions were made, and any day to day decisions that arose in running the school were made by consultation and consensus.

Wilfred Arthur was a very capable and energetic Registrar, but he certainly did not become Principal, which was always clearly an academic position. He certainly exercised a comprehensive oversight to ensure that the School continued to run smoothly, and that any unpostponable decisions beyond the Registrar's powers were resolved by academic staff or referred to Canberra, as appropriate. Students may well have taken to him issues they would have otherwise taken to a Principal.

It is certainly true that the staff were greatly relieved by Rowley's appointment. For years there had been controversy and uncertainty about the future of ASOPA, and one of the reasons the staff combined in demanding Conlon's resignation was that we felt that Conlon's style of Principalship unnecessarily fanned the flames of conflict with the Department. He still harboured delusions of grandeur for ASOPA that everyone else considered unrealistic.

After he departed we were concerned that one of several things would happen - perhaps no Principal would be appointed and ASOPA allowed to run down, perhaps a nonentity would be appointed and ASOPA's reputation lowered, perhaps there would be a vindictive bureaucratic appointment. We were delighted to find in Rowley a man of real scholarship, adequate administrative ability, a shared vision of the future of Papua New Guinea, an encouraging and nurturing attitude to the mostly young academic staff, and a sensible, business-like attitude to relations with the Department.

Photos: Hal Wootten, now and then

Comments

[Loch Blatchford]

It is as you suspected but nice to be confirmed. There is no reference to an acting principal because there was none.

It never ceases to amaze me at the information that is out there. All you need to do is put out the feelers and cyberspace will do the rest. A bit like the chain letters and pyramid schemes.The question circulates until an answer is provided.

You ask the question and if people do not know the answer they pass it on to someone who may be able to help. And when it is solved everyone gets satisfaction for each has contributed. An excellent demonstration of the value of the internet and the ASOPA site in particular.