Yet still there are strong pockets of activity at the University. Cadigal Green, for example, is set up for the Inner West Open Air Cinema — the first time we have used one of our great open spaces for such an activity. It has been selling quickly, but you may still be able to catch one of the excellent films on offer.
We are pleased to share our lovely grounds, and in March we used the lawns adjacent to the Quadrangle for an outdoor concert featuring Aboriginal performers Troy Cassar-Daley and Dan Sultan, alongside well-known folksinger Paul Kelly. The event was the culmination of our celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first Freedom Ride in 1967, and we were immensely proud to share it with the local and wider community. The University picked up the award for Best Community Event in NSW at the recent prestigious Australian Events Awards — great recognition for our dedicated events team and our Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy and Services).
Close to Cadigal Green, the new Sydney Business School in the Abercrombie Precinct is coming alive as staff move into the offices. The building is all but finished and will be in full use in the first semester of 2016. It has taken longer than we anticipated, and we do understand that building works in the local area can be difficult for everyone. On behalf of the University, I thank you, our neighbours, for your patience.
I hope you agree that it is a lovely building, and – with its beautiful patina of terracotta hues – one that suits its surroundings. We will be opening the Sydney Business School up to the public for a series of events in 2016, so you will have a chance to come in and experience it for yourselves. Keep an eye on our website for more details.
Across the road from the Business School, the Sydney University Sports and Aquatic Centre will remain open for the summer holidays, and is offering school holiday programs including school holiday sports camps and swimming lessons for children. Of course, all the usual wonderful array of facilities and fitness classes are also available to everyone.
And early in the New Year, our grounds will again echo with the excited voices of young people investigating the future, as we open the University for Info Day on January 5. A range of activities is planned. Potential students may speak with faculty representatives, attend mini lectures and explore the campus. I hope you will be there too.
In the meantime, I wish you a safe and enjoyable holiday season, and a very happy New Year.
