Last month the University recognised 36 staff who have reached the incredible milestones of 25 or 40 years’ service to Macquarie. We asked a few of these staff to share their memories of 1993 and reflect on the changes they’ve witnessed during their time here.

Professor Judith Dawes  |  Physics and Astronomy

“I remember the scent of jasmine and lemon-scented eucalypts near E7B and the courtyard, when I started as an Australian Research Fellow in the summer of 1992. I was appointed as a lecturer in optoelectronics (and physics) about a year later.

“What has changed? The pace of change has become more rapid, and computers have infiltrated our work and our lives to a much greater extent.”

Philip Sinnadurai  |  Lecturer, Accounting and Corporate Governance          

“I was appointed in 1993 as an associate lecturer, on a one-year contract funded by my department. After working at the University for a-quarter-of-a-century, the main change I have observed is a substantial increase in the degree of accountability.

“It’s sobering that most of my current undergraduate students were born when I was a full-time staff member, enrolled in my doctorate part-time. It seems like centuries ago, since so much has happened since.”

Professor Karu Esselle  |  School of Engineering

“Obviously the campus is so different, but the change that matters to me most is the strong engineering degrees offered by Macquarie now – they didn’t exist in 1993. What is now the School of Engineering was just an Electronics discipline at that time.”

Professor Richie Howitt  |  Geography and Planning

“I was appointed as a lecturer in human geography in 1992. The remarkable thing about Macquarie at that time was the almost complete absence of conventional hierarchy. There were no departments or faculties –  just the interdisciplinary schools with elected heads and high levels of participatory engagement in school affairs. The executive was small (certainly in comparison to today) and very accessible – even to relatively junior staff.”

Congratulations to all our long-serving staff. We applaud you!

40 years of service

25 years of service