Publicity Officer For University

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30632, 24 December 1964, Page 1

Publicity Officer For University

The University of Canterbury has appointed Mr Hardie Silcock, assistant chief reporter of “The Press” and a member of its literary staff for 27 years, as full-time information officer. This is the first time a New Zealand university has made such an appointment involving the supervision of its public relations.

As part of the university’s programme to develop public interest in and understanding of academic and research activities, its expansion and new campus at 11am, the information officer will manage liaison with newspapers, radio and television, supervise the production of popular publications and the reception of visitors and parties touring the university, and assist in the overseeing of university ceremonies and other occasions.

For 25 years, Mr Silcock has been a specialist writer on education for “The Press.” In that time he has reported most of the developments in primary, secondary and university education and in scientific research, museums and libraries and the affairs of other educational organisations. Through his work, Mr Silcock has established extensive connexions in the field of education.

Mr Silcock was born at Ashburton and was head prefect at the Ashburton High School where he received awards for leadership. Though crippled from birth, he was school swimming champion and a Mid-Canterbury representative swimmer. World War II inter-

rupted his studies at Canterbury University College. Joining “The Press" at Ashburton in 1938, he later worked as the company’s representative at Rangiora, Lyttelton and Timaru and then in all sections of the literary staff in Christchurch. He has been assistant chief reporter since 1950. During the war, Mr Silcock handled the publicity for many patriotic organisations

and subsequently for many public appeals which included the Canterbury Museum's Centennial wing, the Town Hall project, and the combined hospitals’ chapels. He won a national Cowan prize for good journalism and has twice visited Australia in newspaper parties. Last year, he directed the Commonwealth Press Union’s course for young journalists in Wellington. Mr Silcock had long service on the Canterbury and New Zealand councils of Toe H and was secretary for both. He has been on the executive committees of the Canterbury and Westland Journalists’ Union and the New Zealand Journalists’ Association. Earlier, he was secretary and then president of the Ashburton County Debating Union and secretary of the Ashburton High School Old Pupils’ Association. He is a member of the St. Andrew’s College P.T.A. executive committee and of the Rangi-ruru School building appeal public relations committee. He is an active member of the Baptist Church. Mr Silcock will begin his new job in February. Announcing the new post last month, the Vice-Chancellor of the university (Dr. L. L. Pownall) described it as an essay into public relations in its widest sense. It would help show the public what it was getting for its large investment in the university.