The University of Tasmania.

Evening Star, Issue 8279, 26 July 1890, Page 4 (Supplement)

The University of Tasmania.

At the inaugural public meeting of the University of Tasmania, held in tho Town Hall, Hobart, on the 25th June, 1890, the Chancellor (Sir W, L, Dobson, Chief J uetice), in an able address, made some highly important and valuable remarks on COURSES OP LECTURES. Within the last twenty years a totally new departure has taken place in regard to the functions of a university in the Old Country. As tho first recorded instance of the search after knowledge is to bo found when in Eden the woman ate and tempted the man to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, to become as gods knowing good and evil, so tho women were again the tempters, and induced the universities to make this departure from their ancient courses. They established associations for organising courses of lectures for ladies only, and secured, as a rule, graduates of the universities as lecturers. These lectures were so successful that free evening courses were arranged for the benefit of tho working classes and young persons engaged in business during the day. Tho general success of these lectures, and tho growing demand for their extension, proved conclusively that they were supplying a great national want. Cambridge came forward and arranged a three years’ curriculum. The scheme succeeded. The universities of London and Oxford followed and took part in this grand educational work; and now in all tho large centres of population in England one or more of these lectureships are established. In tho words of Canon Westcott, now Bishop of Durham, this new departure makes university education co-extensivc with the country. Collaterally with the toil of the mine or the forge, the warehouse or tho shop, with tho duties of elementary school life, with the duties in £iuc of all callings and of all conditions, it is now possible for English citizens of both sexes to be receiving a systematic academic education, and that at a cost little more than nominal, and without in any way interfering with bread-winning and daily duty. The subjects of the lectures embrace natural, physical, and mathematical science, history, political economy, mental science, modern languages, literature, and art. In this great popular demand for instruction the Greek and Roman classics find no place at present. It ia, however, slated that nothing is more common than to hear tho more advanced members of tho classes complaining that the more they advance iu tho study of English literature, the more they feel impeded by their ignorance of classical literature ; and tin's must be true, not as to English only, but as to most modern languages. The result may be that the popular demand will require modem languages and modern knowledge to bo made tho primary basis of education, and leave the classics to be studied when their use and their value become impressed upon the student by his previous training. The success of these lectures in England proves that, amongst a British population, there lies a deep-seated and widespread desire for higher education, and an eagerness to take advantage of it when opportunity is afforded. Where the pleasures of knowledge ere once tasted there must ever grow a desire to drink deeper and deeper of its cup. That education, wbieh is now compulsoiy upon all, must excite in the breasts of those whoso souls are not dead a desire for further knowledge ; and the more they learn the more they will desire to learn, and the more they continue to learn will they know how much there remains to be learnt, and with Dante they will feel that

He who knows most grieves most tor wasted time. They will know that their foot has but passed the threshold of the world’s treasurehouse of knowledge, the contents of which are over increasing. For the world’s history tells us that man’s command of the resources of Nature is continuously—though fitfully, it may be—progressive, and with that progress grows knowledge. With the acquirement of that knowledge will grow humility at the thought of how little of it “we that have but span-long lives” can attain. Wc may, however, console ourselves with the belief that the “ little knowledge ’’ of the poet is “ dangerous ” to him only who knows not that it is little. One part, one little part, we dimly scan Through the dark medium of life’s feverish dream. . . . . Bo humble and be wise.