Rutherford’s den to be memorial at old university site

Press, 15 November 1977, Page 28

Rutherford’s den to be memorial at old university site

Far from dying since the departure of the last students to Ilam, the old university buildings — reborn r: the Arts Centre —- are now the scene of a great variety of lively projects. One of the smallest of these projects may be one of the most significant, at least from a historical or international point of view.

In one corner of the north quadrangle of the old university is tucked away a tiny, semi-base-ment room (it is just over 10 metres long and just over four wide) which has been used for many pur* poses since the building was constructed in 1877 as one of the first main parts of the then fledgling university. The wear of the flagstones at the door of the room gives evidence of its continuous use.

One remembered use of the room was its housing, in the 19305, of the infant Caxtor Press. But what makes this room particularly different from the many rooms, great and small, of the old university is that in it, in the 1890 s, a young scientist carried out his first scientific researches. His name is recorded on a small plaque above the window of the room which faces into the quadrangle — Ernest Rutherford. “Rutherford’s den” now stands empty. A small committee — on which Rutherford’s successors, today’s scientists at Canterbury University, are well represented — has been set up to turn the den into a small museum which will recall the time Rutherford spent at Canterbury University. The wallboard lining will be removed and the walls sandblasted down to the original stone and brick. Half-way down the room a floor-to-ceiling glass partition will be installed. Behind this partition will stand a fullsized model of the young Rutherford wearing (provided tiie Canterbury Museum agrees to the loan) one of Rutherford’s own gowns.

The figure will appear, to visitors to the den, to be working at a table on which will stand recon»

structions of the equipment Rutherford might have used to detect radio waves at the time he occupied the den.

In front of the glass partition will be a "public” area where displays will provide information about Rutherford’s early life in New Zealand, his work at Canterbury University, and his place in the history of twentieth century science. Rutherford’s master’s thesis has, inexplicably, been lost, but a notebook which he kept in 1893-94 has survived. The Cambridge University Library, which holds this notebook, will, understandably, not make it available for the new museum, but those who are setting up the museum hope to secure a photocopy of the entire notebook for their dis» plays. The cost of setting up the museum (the biggest single expense will be having the model of Rutherford made) is estimated at $4OOO. This will have to be raised entirely by public subscription. The committee has already sought the support of organisations like the Royal Society, scientific bodies, the university, the students’ association and the Historic Places Trust.

The regional committee of the Historic Places Trust recently recommended to the trust that it grant $250 towards restoration of the den and the setting up of a display in it. The museum committee also hopes that individual members of the public will help it pay the costs of establishing its small memorial to one of Canterbury University’s most famous sons. But the committee hopes for more from the public than just money. It.hopes to gather together as complete a collection as possible of memorabilia of the time Rutherford spent in Canterbury. Already it has received, for example, a copy of the calendar of the Canterbury College Science Society for 1894, a small folded card whi<h records that E. Rutherfoid (a member of the committee of the society) addressed the society in May on electrical waves and oscillations.

One of the committee’s particular needs is for photographs taken of Rutherford in the early 1890 s. They are needed to ensure that the model of Rutherford, which will be constructed locally by an expert on the staff of the Canterbury Museum, is as faithful as possible.

In the same corner of the north quardrangle where Rutherford’s den wall be found, the Arts Centre has another project in hand which will add to the character of the corner. Although this other project is quite distinct from the Rutherford Museum project, and will be paid for separately, it ties in admirably with it. The sloping roof of the den is also the floor of one of the University’s original condition by The project is to restore this lecture room to its original condition by sandblasting the paint from the brick and stone walls and by cleaning the wooden benches and desks at which generations of students have sat, many leaving a record in the form of dee/ carvings in the solid wood of the desks.

Once restored, the room will be available for hire as a meeting room, but it will also provide visitors to the museum in Rutherford’s den with a further taste of what the university was like in Rutherford’s day.