The house that Hugh built: the Adelaide history department during the Stretton era, 1954–1966

Abstract

In 1954, Hugh Stretton took charge of a threadbare history department at the University of Adelaide. By the end of his tenure as department chair in 1966, staff numbers had increased fivefold and the department was recognised as one of the best of its kind in Australia. Stretton wanted his department to ‘teach history interestingly’, which was his overriding criterion in making new appointments. He also ran a democratic department that went against prevailing notions of ‘God-Professor’ departmental governance. As well as highlighting the singular features of the Adelaide department, the present paper places the growth and the character of ‘The House that Hugh Built’ within wider Australian and global contexts. The ‘Stretton era’ straddled a period of rapid expansion of the university sector both locally and internationally, which entailed a move from a generalist to a more specialised curriculum, with a greater emphasis on research and publication, and a less male-dominated faculty.