Continuing "assimilation"? : A shifting identity for the Tiwi 1919 to the present
- Authors: Morris, John
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The Tiwi are the indigenous people of the Tiwi Islands, located off the Northern Territory mainland. In 1919, as a unique and distinct people they appeared to be in a position to maintain their identity, to resist absorption into western culture and to avoid some of the serious social problems that came to affect some other Indigenous communities. While aspects of the Tiwi culture and lifestyle were gradually modified or abandoned through contact with outside societies between 1919 and 2000, other traits remained strong or were strengthened. These included their relationship with the land, the local language, dancing and singing, and adoption customs. Forms of visual art, some introduced, brought fame to the Tiwi. Government policies on Indigenous matters changed dramatically over the twentieth century. The earlier ones, including assimilation programmes were discriminatory and restrictive. Later approaches to Aboriginal and Islander welfare, including land rights, had significant consequences for the Islanders, some beneficial, others detrimental in nature. From the 1970s, the departure of resident missionaries and government officers from the islands led to an influx of private European employees. The exposure to these people added to that which the Tiwi experienced as they travelled far beyond their islands. After 1972, the policies of self-determination and, then, self-management placed enormous strains on the Tiwi as they strove to meet the requirements of government, private enterprise and the wider society. New forms of land and local government controls replaced the law of the elders. A younger, western-educated generation now spoke on behalf of the people. Ultimately, under the influence of outside pressures, degrees of socio-cultural absorption occurred in the islands even though the official policy of assimilation had been abandoned. Fortunately, the strong identity of the Tiwi ensured a level of social cohesion capable of combating full assimilation into a wholly western lifestyle.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Morris, John
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The Tiwi are the indigenous people of the Tiwi Islands, located off the Northern Territory mainland. In 1919, as a unique and distinct people they appeared to be in a position to maintain their identity, to resist absorption into western culture and to avoid some of the serious social problems that came to affect some other Indigenous communities. While aspects of the Tiwi culture and lifestyle were gradually modified or abandoned through contact with outside societies between 1919 and 2000, other traits remained strong or were strengthened. These included their relationship with the land, the local language, dancing and singing, and adoption customs. Forms of visual art, some introduced, brought fame to the Tiwi. Government policies on Indigenous matters changed dramatically over the twentieth century. The earlier ones, including assimilation programmes were discriminatory and restrictive. Later approaches to Aboriginal and Islander welfare, including land rights, had significant consequences for the Islanders, some beneficial, others detrimental in nature. From the 1970s, the departure of resident missionaries and government officers from the islands led to an influx of private European employees. The exposure to these people added to that which the Tiwi experienced as they travelled far beyond their islands. After 1972, the policies of self-determination and, then, self-management placed enormous strains on the Tiwi as they strove to meet the requirements of government, private enterprise and the wider society. New forms of land and local government controls replaced the law of the elders. A younger, western-educated generation now spoke on behalf of the people. Ultimately, under the influence of outside pressures, degrees of socio-cultural absorption occurred in the islands even though the official policy of assimilation had been abandoned. Fortunately, the strong identity of the Tiwi ensured a level of social cohesion capable of combating full assimilation into a wholly western lifestyle.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Ageing under the rainbow : The interrelations between age, sense of belonging, and mental health among Australian gay men
- Authors: Morris, Simon
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This research investigated the interrelations between gay men’s age, sense of belonging (to the general community, the broader gay community, gay groups and with gay friends) and mental health by testing four models: direct, mediation, additive and moderation.
- Description: Doctor of Psychology (Clinical)
- Authors: Morris, Simon
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This research investigated the interrelations between gay men’s age, sense of belonging (to the general community, the broader gay community, gay groups and with gay friends) and mental health by testing four models: direct, mediation, additive and moderation.
- Description: Doctor of Psychology (Clinical)
Effect of lactate tolerance board training on upper body anaerobic performance
- Authors: Morton, Darren
- Date: 1994
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: "The present study was concerned with the effect of lactate tolerance training and a period of reduced training on the energy systems and associated performance."
- Description: Thesis (Master of Science (Human Movement)
- Authors: Morton, Darren
- Date: 1994
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: "The present study was concerned with the effect of lactate tolerance training and a period of reduced training on the energy systems and associated performance."
- Description: Thesis (Master of Science (Human Movement)
A conceptual re-alignment of methodology underpinning tax effect accounting : An Australian exploration of the contemporary normalising effect
- Authors: Morton, Elizabeth
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This research examines the presence and effectiveness of the ‘normalising effect’, traditionally offered as the main justification for tax effect accounting’s (TEA) adoption. TEA can be seen as a technical facet of accounting practice, ‘normalising’ the timing differences between the accounting and taxation systems. That is, income tax is recognised according to when transactions are recognised for accounting purposes in order to ‘normalise’ reported profits, thereby reflecting an income statement focus. It has been contended that this will improve the usefulness of financial reports by ‘correcting’ misleading and ‘unreal’ fluctuations in income tax. Australia’s adoption of AIFRS in 2005 entailed a major conceptual re-alignment of the methodology underpinning TEA, moving away from the income statement focus in favour of a balance sheet focus. This implied a different normalisation emphasis. It is within this contemporary setting, based on a study of 90 companies over the two regulatory periods between 2002 and 2011 (AGAAP and AIFRS), that a quantitative measure of the presence and effectiveness of the normalising effect was undertaken, additionally considering the subsequent balance sheet impact. Effective normalisation was revealed during the AGAAP period, whilst only effective after the removal of loss makers during the AIFRS period. These findings suggest that the relaxation of recognition criteria under AIFRS may have had a meaningful impact on the effectiveness of the new standard. However, when normalisation was given a more narrow definition in light of prima facie tax, deferred taxes had a more substantial impact, particularly during the AIFRS period. Such findings are consistent with the notion thatTEA enables reported tax to be ‘as if’ it were a function of accounting, without a substantial build up on the balance sheet as a consequence. These findings have implications for evaluating the efficacy of TEA and comprehending the nature of contemporary financial statements.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Morton, Elizabeth
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This research examines the presence and effectiveness of the ‘normalising effect’, traditionally offered as the main justification for tax effect accounting’s (TEA) adoption. TEA can be seen as a technical facet of accounting practice, ‘normalising’ the timing differences between the accounting and taxation systems. That is, income tax is recognised according to when transactions are recognised for accounting purposes in order to ‘normalise’ reported profits, thereby reflecting an income statement focus. It has been contended that this will improve the usefulness of financial reports by ‘correcting’ misleading and ‘unreal’ fluctuations in income tax. Australia’s adoption of AIFRS in 2005 entailed a major conceptual re-alignment of the methodology underpinning TEA, moving away from the income statement focus in favour of a balance sheet focus. This implied a different normalisation emphasis. It is within this contemporary setting, based on a study of 90 companies over the two regulatory periods between 2002 and 2011 (AGAAP and AIFRS), that a quantitative measure of the presence and effectiveness of the normalising effect was undertaken, additionally considering the subsequent balance sheet impact. Effective normalisation was revealed during the AGAAP period, whilst only effective after the removal of loss makers during the AIFRS period. These findings suggest that the relaxation of recognition criteria under AIFRS may have had a meaningful impact on the effectiveness of the new standard. However, when normalisation was given a more narrow definition in light of prima facie tax, deferred taxes had a more substantial impact, particularly during the AIFRS period. Such findings are consistent with the notion thatTEA enables reported tax to be ‘as if’ it were a function of accounting, without a substantial build up on the balance sheet as a consequence. These findings have implications for evaluating the efficacy of TEA and comprehending the nature of contemporary financial statements.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Valuing difference : A visual investigation of the contemporary depiction of Down syndrome
- Authors: Morton, Felicity
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: For over seven years I have worked within the Disability sector witnessing not only the daily challenges faced by individuals with a disability, but also the barriers placed by society. Throughout this period I have become acutely aware of the lack of representation of individuals with Down syndrome within the public domain of contemporary art. This is an area which I believe also creates barriers to society's acceptance and understanding of disability.
- Description: Master of Arts (Visual Arts)
- Authors: Morton, Felicity
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: For over seven years I have worked within the Disability sector witnessing not only the daily challenges faced by individuals with a disability, but also the barriers placed by society. Throughout this period I have become acutely aware of the lack of representation of individuals with Down syndrome within the public domain of contemporary art. This is an area which I believe also creates barriers to society's acceptance and understanding of disability.
- Description: Master of Arts (Visual Arts)
Applying reinforcement learning in playing Robosoccer using the AIBO
- Authors: Mukherjee, Subhasis
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: "Robosoccer is a popular test bed for AI programs around the world in which AIBO entertainments robots take part in the middle sized soccer event. These robots need a variety of skills to perform in a semi-real environment like this. The three key challenges are manoeuvrability, image recognition and decision making skills. This research is focussed on the decision making skills ... The work focuses on whether reinforcement learning as a form of semi supervised learning can effectively contribute to the goal keeper's decision making when a shot is taken." -
- Description: Master of Computing (by research)
- Authors: Mukherjee, Subhasis
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: "Robosoccer is a popular test bed for AI programs around the world in which AIBO entertainments robots take part in the middle sized soccer event. These robots need a variety of skills to perform in a semi-real environment like this. The three key challenges are manoeuvrability, image recognition and decision making skills. This research is focussed on the decision making skills ... The work focuses on whether reinforcement learning as a form of semi supervised learning can effectively contribute to the goal keeper's decision making when a shot is taken." -
- Description: Master of Computing (by research)
A financial stress index to model and forecast financial stress in Australia
- Authors: Mukulu, Sandra
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The series of financial crises that cascaded through and rocked much of the world over the past decade created opportunities to draw meaning from the pattern of countries succumbing to crisis and those who appear to be wholly or partially immune. This thesis examines the case of Australia, a developed country that has seldom experienced an endogenous crisis in the last few decades, but has experienced crisis by contagion. This study designs a financial stress index to measure and forecast the health of the Australian economy and proposes a custom-made stress index to: Gauge the potential for a crisis; and Signal when a timely intervention may minimise fear and contagion losses in the Australian financial market. Financial and economic data is used to design indicators for stress in the banking sector and equity, currency and bond markets. Further, this study explores how movements in equity markets of key trading partners of Australia can be used to predict movements in the Australian equity market. The variance-equal weights (VEW) and principal components approach (PCA) are used to subsume 22 stress indicators into a composite stress index. The VEW and PCA stress indexes were examined to determine monitoring and their forecasting capabilities. It was found that the VEW stress index performed better than the PCA stress index, because it provided more consistent estimates for the level of Australian financial stress. Although, both models show some promise, each model fell short of giving adequate forecasts in financial stress especially at the peak time of the 2007-2009 GFC. Thus, more research is needed to understand the complex nature of financial crisis, how crises develop and the techniques that can be used to predict the onset of financial crises.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Mukulu, Sandra
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The series of financial crises that cascaded through and rocked much of the world over the past decade created opportunities to draw meaning from the pattern of countries succumbing to crisis and those who appear to be wholly or partially immune. This thesis examines the case of Australia, a developed country that has seldom experienced an endogenous crisis in the last few decades, but has experienced crisis by contagion. This study designs a financial stress index to measure and forecast the health of the Australian economy and proposes a custom-made stress index to: Gauge the potential for a crisis; and Signal when a timely intervention may minimise fear and contagion losses in the Australian financial market. Financial and economic data is used to design indicators for stress in the banking sector and equity, currency and bond markets. Further, this study explores how movements in equity markets of key trading partners of Australia can be used to predict movements in the Australian equity market. The variance-equal weights (VEW) and principal components approach (PCA) are used to subsume 22 stress indicators into a composite stress index. The VEW and PCA stress indexes were examined to determine monitoring and their forecasting capabilities. It was found that the VEW stress index performed better than the PCA stress index, because it provided more consistent estimates for the level of Australian financial stress. Although, both models show some promise, each model fell short of giving adequate forecasts in financial stress especially at the peak time of the 2007-2009 GFC. Thus, more research is needed to understand the complex nature of financial crisis, how crises develop and the techniques that can be used to predict the onset of financial crises.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Restoration ecology in the semi-arid woodlands of north-west Victoria
- Authors: Murdoch, Fiona
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Arid areas are often overgrazed and dysfunctional with poor recruitment of desirable species, diminished control over resources and altered soil properties. Restoration ecology re-establishes these valued processes. State-and-transition models summarise knowledge of vegetation dynamics and tools for restoration, and encourage the incorporation of new information. The model developed here for semi-arid woodlands of north-west Victoria highlighted the unknown cause of observed, natural recruitment and the need for a technique, other than direct seeding and handplanting, for enhancing the recruitment of desirable species. I pursued these knowledge gaps for two dominant, woodland trees: Allocasuarina luehmannii and Casuarina pauper. Natural recruitment of juvenile C. pauper was found to be limited and primarily from root suckers. Extensive recruitment of A. luehmannii was shown to be mostly seedlings established following substantial reductions in grazing pressure since 1996. Seedlings were associated with areas devoid of ground flora near a female tree. The importance of competition between seedlings and ground flora, spatial variation in soil moisture and individual variation in the quantity of seed produced deserves further investigation to enhance future restoration success. Root suckers of both C. pauper and A. luehmannii can be artificially initiated, albeit in low numbers and this was found to be a feasible, new tool for restoration. Suckers are preceded by the growth of callus tissue on exposed or damaged, living, shallow roots. Both male and female trees can produce suckers and spring treatments may be more successful. Genetic fingerprinting of mature A. luehmannii and C. pauper trees in six populations did not identify any clonal individuals indicating that recruitment in the past has been from seedlings. Despite this, the high level of gene flow suggests that the impact of introducing small numbers of root suckers into existing populations is unlikely to impact negatively on the population genetics of these species.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Murdoch, Fiona
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Arid areas are often overgrazed and dysfunctional with poor recruitment of desirable species, diminished control over resources and altered soil properties. Restoration ecology re-establishes these valued processes. State-and-transition models summarise knowledge of vegetation dynamics and tools for restoration, and encourage the incorporation of new information. The model developed here for semi-arid woodlands of north-west Victoria highlighted the unknown cause of observed, natural recruitment and the need for a technique, other than direct seeding and handplanting, for enhancing the recruitment of desirable species. I pursued these knowledge gaps for two dominant, woodland trees: Allocasuarina luehmannii and Casuarina pauper. Natural recruitment of juvenile C. pauper was found to be limited and primarily from root suckers. Extensive recruitment of A. luehmannii was shown to be mostly seedlings established following substantial reductions in grazing pressure since 1996. Seedlings were associated with areas devoid of ground flora near a female tree. The importance of competition between seedlings and ground flora, spatial variation in soil moisture and individual variation in the quantity of seed produced deserves further investigation to enhance future restoration success. Root suckers of both C. pauper and A. luehmannii can be artificially initiated, albeit in low numbers and this was found to be a feasible, new tool for restoration. Suckers are preceded by the growth of callus tissue on exposed or damaged, living, shallow roots. Both male and female trees can produce suckers and spring treatments may be more successful. Genetic fingerprinting of mature A. luehmannii and C. pauper trees in six populations did not identify any clonal individuals indicating that recruitment in the past has been from seedlings. Despite this, the high level of gene flow suggests that the impact of introducing small numbers of root suckers into existing populations is unlikely to impact negatively on the population genetics of these species.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
When urban policy meets regional practice : Evidence based practice from the perspective of multi-disciplinary teams working in rural and remote health service provision
- Authors: Murphy, Angela
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: "In the main, contemporary research on Evidence Based Practice (EBP) has taken place within metropolitan locations, and has offered urbocentric solutions and insights. However the transferability of these developments to rural services is untested empirically. In addition, evidence development and studies on the implementation of this evidence have tended to be discipline-stream-specific; there has been very little research into either the development of multi-disciplinary evidence guidelines or the implementation of EBP from the perspective of individual practitioners working within multi-disciplinary teams. This research shortfall has provided the rationale for this study...."
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Murphy, Angela
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: "In the main, contemporary research on Evidence Based Practice (EBP) has taken place within metropolitan locations, and has offered urbocentric solutions and insights. However the transferability of these developments to rural services is untested empirically. In addition, evidence development and studies on the implementation of this evidence have tended to be discipline-stream-specific; there has been very little research into either the development of multi-disciplinary evidence guidelines or the implementation of EBP from the perspective of individual practitioners working within multi-disciplinary teams. This research shortfall has provided the rationale for this study...."
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
A differential scanning calorimetry study of some metal 2,4 pentanedionates
- Authors: Murray, John
- Date: 1987
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text: false
- Description: The sublimation enthalpy of beryllium (II), aluminium (III), chromium (III), iron (III), cobalt (III), nickel (II), copper (II), oxovanadium (IV) and zirconium (IV) 2,4 -pentanedionate complexes has been determined by vacuum Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), subsequent to benzoic acid being proposed as calibrant for this technique. In conjunction with existing thermochemical data for these complexes, metal-ligand homolytic bond dissociation energies are calculated and are rationalized in terms of the ionic size of the coordinated meta and the crystal field stabilization energies for the complex. Old and new methods for the determination of sublimation enthalpy are reviewed and the present data collectively reveal the versatility and precision of DSC fort the direct determination of sublimation enthalpies of metal complexes. The new sublimation enthalpy data presented for metal 2-4- pentanedionate complexes effectively ends the controversy associated with the previously reported corresponding data/
- Description: Master of Applied Science
- Authors: Murray, John
- Date: 1987
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text: false
- Description: The sublimation enthalpy of beryllium (II), aluminium (III), chromium (III), iron (III), cobalt (III), nickel (II), copper (II), oxovanadium (IV) and zirconium (IV) 2,4 -pentanedionate complexes has been determined by vacuum Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), subsequent to benzoic acid being proposed as calibrant for this technique. In conjunction with existing thermochemical data for these complexes, metal-ligand homolytic bond dissociation energies are calculated and are rationalized in terms of the ionic size of the coordinated meta and the crystal field stabilization energies for the complex. Old and new methods for the determination of sublimation enthalpy are reviewed and the present data collectively reveal the versatility and precision of DSC fort the direct determination of sublimation enthalpies of metal complexes. The new sublimation enthalpy data presented for metal 2-4- pentanedionate complexes effectively ends the controversy associated with the previously reported corresponding data/
- Description: Master of Applied Science
To Wandiligong : a visual journey through memory, time, space, light, landscape and fourteen layers of glass
- Authors: Murray, Kathleen
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: This research project examines the process of conceptualisation and its effects on the development of layers of meaning in a visual context. It explores a journey over time, within an observed environment. It explores the conceptual processes which, like a physical journey, runs through many landscapes. Memory and emotion, analysis and observation, recording and interpretation and as a final destination, the practical application in the making of the pictures. This exegesis compares the differences between the theoretical stances artists have taken in the pursuit of creating work based on the depiction of the landscape. It considers a variety of approaches to image and meaning and determines the effect of disruption as it relates to art practice over centuries and to my own practice. Throughout the work there is an exploration of the different forms of disruption on the landscape, from colonisation through to the visual effects of a changing climate. Consideration is given to the similarities and differences between the practices of visual art and communication design particularly in relation to the role of the audience. The process of research and experimentation in the making of 16 digitally augmented inkjet print, photographic images and an accompanying story map drawing of the journey is described. This involved the investigation of the conceptual development processes and approaches in relation to landscape imagery and the effect of a changing climate on their visual outcomes. The results of my experimentation in capturing images through drawing and photography using graphite pencils and paper and a camera, in a car moving through the landscape, are described. This is followed by a description of my experimentation of the use of a disruptive digital drawing application on photographic images located within an iPad and how the resulting images were conceptualised and created.
- Description: Masters by Research
- Authors: Murray, Kathleen
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: This research project examines the process of conceptualisation and its effects on the development of layers of meaning in a visual context. It explores a journey over time, within an observed environment. It explores the conceptual processes which, like a physical journey, runs through many landscapes. Memory and emotion, analysis and observation, recording and interpretation and as a final destination, the practical application in the making of the pictures. This exegesis compares the differences between the theoretical stances artists have taken in the pursuit of creating work based on the depiction of the landscape. It considers a variety of approaches to image and meaning and determines the effect of disruption as it relates to art practice over centuries and to my own practice. Throughout the work there is an exploration of the different forms of disruption on the landscape, from colonisation through to the visual effects of a changing climate. Consideration is given to the similarities and differences between the practices of visual art and communication design particularly in relation to the role of the audience. The process of research and experimentation in the making of 16 digitally augmented inkjet print, photographic images and an accompanying story map drawing of the journey is described. This involved the investigation of the conceptual development processes and approaches in relation to landscape imagery and the effect of a changing climate on their visual outcomes. The results of my experimentation in capturing images through drawing and photography using graphite pencils and paper and a camera, in a car moving through the landscape, are described. This is followed by a description of my experimentation of the use of a disruptive digital drawing application on photographic images located within an iPad and how the resulting images were conceptualised and created.
- Description: Masters by Research
Student mobility and transition : setting your compass for success
- Authors: Murrell, Kerry
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: With increasing levels of student mobility within Victorian schools, many educational settings experience frequent changes to their student population. These changes are often met with an ad hoc array of practices implemented by schools in an attempt to adequately manage them. This thesis addresses the impact of student mobility on an educational community and its stakeholders in Victoria, Australia. The research was undertaken in five Victorian government schools that encompassed diverse geographical locations and socio-economic profiles. Key stakeholders include: school principals, teachers and education support staff, mobile students, parents/carers of mobile students, non-mobile students and their families. Each group offered a unique perspective regarding student mobility and transition processes. Participants in this study were involved in interviews and focus groups, and completed a questionnaire. Socio-economic status was identified as a predominant factor in student mobility for both families and schools. This was evidenced by high levels of often unpredictable mobility in socio-economically disadvantaged and significantly disadvantaged participating schools. The participating non-disadvantaged school experienced mobility related specifically to perceived academic gain or parental promotion. Regardless of socio-economic status, each group was reliant on other stakeholders to be successful. No stakeholder groups stood alone as being able to successfully navigate the process of mobility and transition independently. This study, through the thematic analysis of the data collected, has uncovered many actionable and achievable recommendations for families, schools and the education system itself both within Victoria and nationwide. The participants in this research clearly indicated a need for a more strategic and planned approach to mobility. Educational communities must respond proactively in order to provide optimal academic, social and emotional outcomes for students in these circumstances.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Murrell, Kerry
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: With increasing levels of student mobility within Victorian schools, many educational settings experience frequent changes to their student population. These changes are often met with an ad hoc array of practices implemented by schools in an attempt to adequately manage them. This thesis addresses the impact of student mobility on an educational community and its stakeholders in Victoria, Australia. The research was undertaken in five Victorian government schools that encompassed diverse geographical locations and socio-economic profiles. Key stakeholders include: school principals, teachers and education support staff, mobile students, parents/carers of mobile students, non-mobile students and their families. Each group offered a unique perspective regarding student mobility and transition processes. Participants in this study were involved in interviews and focus groups, and completed a questionnaire. Socio-economic status was identified as a predominant factor in student mobility for both families and schools. This was evidenced by high levels of often unpredictable mobility in socio-economically disadvantaged and significantly disadvantaged participating schools. The participating non-disadvantaged school experienced mobility related specifically to perceived academic gain or parental promotion. Regardless of socio-economic status, each group was reliant on other stakeholders to be successful. No stakeholder groups stood alone as being able to successfully navigate the process of mobility and transition independently. This study, through the thematic analysis of the data collected, has uncovered many actionable and achievable recommendations for families, schools and the education system itself both within Victoria and nationwide. The participants in this research clearly indicated a need for a more strategic and planned approach to mobility. Educational communities must respond proactively in order to provide optimal academic, social and emotional outcomes for students in these circumstances.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Green bonds : Do they bring sustainability to environmentally friendly projects?
- Authors: Nanayakkara, Madurika
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This study was motivated by the urgent requirement to scale up the global green bond (GB) market to meet the trillion-dollar financial requirement of environmental resilience projects worldwide, and by the absence of prior scientific investigations to determine solutions to the GB market’s problems from different perspectives. Three empirical studies were conducted to provide a holistic view of the GB market. The first study investigated the perception gaps of different stakeholders in the GB market in terms of assessing the ‘greenness’ of projects funded through GBs, investors’ expectations of GB investments, and the factors hindering the growth of the GB market. A qualitative method was employed with document review, followed by interviews, a questionnaire survey and peer debriefing. The study found that both the demand and supply sides of the GB market are inadequate to meet the world’s green investment requirements. The main obstacles hindering the market growth are fear for greenwashing, definitions that lack clarity, the absence of large-scale issues, and the high costs associated with complex reporting processes and third-party certifications. The second study assessed the influence of GB principles on investor demand for GBs, using global GBs issued for the period 2007 to 2016. Bid–ask spread and yield spread were used to measure the investor demand. The results indicated a significant positive relationship between the degree of compliance and investor demand. The third study compared the credit spreads of corporate GBs and conventional bonds, measured by option-adjusted spread daily data for the period 2016 to 2017 worldwide. Hybrid method of panel data regression was employed to analyse the data, and found that GBs are traded at a premium in the world market, compared with conventional bonds. This thesis suggests several policy implications based on the findings of these studies to scale up the GB market as a new source of financing.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Nanayakkara, Madurika
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This study was motivated by the urgent requirement to scale up the global green bond (GB) market to meet the trillion-dollar financial requirement of environmental resilience projects worldwide, and by the absence of prior scientific investigations to determine solutions to the GB market’s problems from different perspectives. Three empirical studies were conducted to provide a holistic view of the GB market. The first study investigated the perception gaps of different stakeholders in the GB market in terms of assessing the ‘greenness’ of projects funded through GBs, investors’ expectations of GB investments, and the factors hindering the growth of the GB market. A qualitative method was employed with document review, followed by interviews, a questionnaire survey and peer debriefing. The study found that both the demand and supply sides of the GB market are inadequate to meet the world’s green investment requirements. The main obstacles hindering the market growth are fear for greenwashing, definitions that lack clarity, the absence of large-scale issues, and the high costs associated with complex reporting processes and third-party certifications. The second study assessed the influence of GB principles on investor demand for GBs, using global GBs issued for the period 2007 to 2016. Bid–ask spread and yield spread were used to measure the investor demand. The results indicated a significant positive relationship between the degree of compliance and investor demand. The third study compared the credit spreads of corporate GBs and conventional bonds, measured by option-adjusted spread daily data for the period 2016 to 2017 worldwide. Hybrid method of panel data regression was employed to analyse the data, and found that GBs are traded at a premium in the world market, compared with conventional bonds. This thesis suggests several policy implications based on the findings of these studies to scale up the GB market as a new source of financing.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Revealing the essence of the sacred
- Authors: Nash, Vikki
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: This research project, ‘Revealing the Essence of the Sacred’, examines the archetypal forms of the dot, cross and the mandorla. Their appearance and meaning are traced back through history and across cultures. The commonalities between the physical act of making imagery using these pared back abstracted forms and the experience, in the maker, of embodied immanence are examined. By extension the research also considers how creating and contemplating artwork can be a curative spiritual practice. I identify how the artwork correlates with, and is informed by, my spiritual practice. The research takes a phenomenological approach and is based on my own subjective experience of bodily sensed knowledge whilst making and viewing the image. Intuitively accessing the source or essence of the subject matter has been a primary motivating factor in the images used in the artwork. This approach is grounded in the innate belief that what has been distilled and purified has great transformative power. Informing this is an alignment with both the Jungian Collective Unconscious and the ancient Indian spiritual system of Tantra. The artworks, rendered within a ritualistic structure and using abstracted form, are an individual expression of the universality of intuitive mark making. A similar connection is established in the practice of contemporary artists who strongly identify with a level of spirituality in their personal lives
- Description: Master of Arts
- Authors: Nash, Vikki
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: This research project, ‘Revealing the Essence of the Sacred’, examines the archetypal forms of the dot, cross and the mandorla. Their appearance and meaning are traced back through history and across cultures. The commonalities between the physical act of making imagery using these pared back abstracted forms and the experience, in the maker, of embodied immanence are examined. By extension the research also considers how creating and contemplating artwork can be a curative spiritual practice. I identify how the artwork correlates with, and is informed by, my spiritual practice. The research takes a phenomenological approach and is based on my own subjective experience of bodily sensed knowledge whilst making and viewing the image. Intuitively accessing the source or essence of the subject matter has been a primary motivating factor in the images used in the artwork. This approach is grounded in the innate belief that what has been distilled and purified has great transformative power. Informing this is an alignment with both the Jungian Collective Unconscious and the ancient Indian spiritual system of Tantra. The artworks, rendered within a ritualistic structure and using abstracted form, are an individual expression of the universality of intuitive mark making. A similar connection is established in the practice of contemporary artists who strongly identify with a level of spirituality in their personal lives
- Description: Master of Arts
Spiritual Art : evoking the numinous using a 3D computer game engine
- Authors: Nelson, Christopher
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: The Seven Valleys is an interactive 3D installation based artwork inspired by mystical writings of the Bahá'í Faith. Created as a modification of the firstperson shooter Unreal Tournament 2003 (Epic, 2003) it subverts the original paradigm of the game to create an experience of the numinous, which in spirit, is diametrically opposed to the original intent of the gameplay design. This artwork presents an exploration of, and allusion to, the often subtle and illusive concepts found in the sacred treatise The Seven Valleys (Bahá'u'lláh, 1991) in which the user engages in an experiential journey through the work. The user is faced with conditions and situations that provide motivation to question, explore and attempt to fathom the abstract sense of the numinous. Each of The Seven Valleys contains its own individual mysteries while at the same time contributing its part to the telling of a collective story.
- Description: Master of Arts
- Authors: Nelson, Christopher
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: The Seven Valleys is an interactive 3D installation based artwork inspired by mystical writings of the Bahá'í Faith. Created as a modification of the firstperson shooter Unreal Tournament 2003 (Epic, 2003) it subverts the original paradigm of the game to create an experience of the numinous, which in spirit, is diametrically opposed to the original intent of the gameplay design. This artwork presents an exploration of, and allusion to, the often subtle and illusive concepts found in the sacred treatise The Seven Valleys (Bahá'u'lláh, 1991) in which the user engages in an experiential journey through the work. The user is faced with conditions and situations that provide motivation to question, explore and attempt to fathom the abstract sense of the numinous. Each of The Seven Valleys contains its own individual mysteries while at the same time contributing its part to the telling of a collective story.
- Description: Master of Arts
Ergonomics interventions as investments in occupational health and safety : A selected series of case studies within the Australian postal corporation
- Authors: Nelson, David
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis examines and reports upon the application of ergonomics interventions to OHS-based industrial problems. The study focuses on the values of these interventions as investment opportunieties for management. A wide review of the scientific and commercial literature, personal information, observation techniques, and a selected series of seven case studies and eleven separate data-sets within the Australian Postal Corporation have been undertaken.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Nelson, David
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis examines and reports upon the application of ergonomics interventions to OHS-based industrial problems. The study focuses on the values of these interventions as investment opportunieties for management. A wide review of the scientific and commercial literature, personal information, observation techniques, and a selected series of seven case studies and eleven separate data-sets within the Australian Postal Corporation have been undertaken.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Seated working posture : a research thesis with experimental methodology and literature review
- Authors: Nelson, David
- Date: 1990
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: Masters Degree in Applied Science
- Description: Much has been written about seated working posture - particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the furniture associated with achieving what is commonly referred to as the "German Square" postural geometry (after Mandal, 1974). The physical sciences aspects of chair, desk and associated furniture ancillary to the task required of the seated worker, have been described in the scientific literature and the standards and guideline publications of the authorities of many countries of the western world. The most important contribution of multi-adjustable furniture to the reduction of postural discomfort and musculo-skeletal complaints is recognised. As a result a variety of standards and guidelines concerning some of these aspects exists in countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, United States of America, Germany, Australia and the Scandinavian countries. The International Organisation for Standardisation published document TC136/SC7 in 1978, consolidating such existing standards. Less emphasis has been placed on the interface of the information exchange and the comfort, performance and preferences of the seated worker; ie., the practically, the comfort and the intrinsic safety of the working posture prescribed by the model established by the many standards. Existing specifications and guidelines differ in their orientation towards operator performance and comfort of the operator, in as much as some purport to be "furniture standards", for example C.E.N, Comite European de Normalisation, Paris, 1980, while others purport to be "postural standards", for example, International Organisation for Standardisation document TC 136/SC7 (1978). The standards are uniform in matters of upright trunk and 90° upper and lower limb geometry, but are divided in the lineal dimensions applied to eye height above the floor, shoulder acromion to home row of keys (or pen-grip position of the dominant hand and fingers), and eye distance to copy.
- Authors: Nelson, David
- Date: 1990
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: Masters Degree in Applied Science
- Description: Much has been written about seated working posture - particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the furniture associated with achieving what is commonly referred to as the "German Square" postural geometry (after Mandal, 1974). The physical sciences aspects of chair, desk and associated furniture ancillary to the task required of the seated worker, have been described in the scientific literature and the standards and guideline publications of the authorities of many countries of the western world. The most important contribution of multi-adjustable furniture to the reduction of postural discomfort and musculo-skeletal complaints is recognised. As a result a variety of standards and guidelines concerning some of these aspects exists in countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, United States of America, Germany, Australia and the Scandinavian countries. The International Organisation for Standardisation published document TC136/SC7 in 1978, consolidating such existing standards. Less emphasis has been placed on the interface of the information exchange and the comfort, performance and preferences of the seated worker; ie., the practically, the comfort and the intrinsic safety of the working posture prescribed by the model established by the many standards. Existing specifications and guidelines differ in their orientation towards operator performance and comfort of the operator, in as much as some purport to be "furniture standards", for example C.E.N, Comite European de Normalisation, Paris, 1980, while others purport to be "postural standards", for example, International Organisation for Standardisation document TC 136/SC7 (1978). The standards are uniform in matters of upright trunk and 90° upper and lower limb geometry, but are divided in the lineal dimensions applied to eye height above the floor, shoulder acromion to home row of keys (or pen-grip position of the dominant hand and fingers), and eye distance to copy.
Percy : A life in China - The life and times of Percy Nettle : 1886-1964
- Authors: Nettle, Rodney
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis is about the transnational life of Percival Edward Nettle (1886-1964), a young man born in Ballarat who moved from Australia to Shanghai at the end of 1906 on his way to San Francisco. He never did get to San Francisco but lived in and out of China until he died in 1964. This thesis tells his story and also addresses the perennial human management problem of achieving a co-operative fit between people from different cultural backgrounds. Percy Nettle achieved this fit with the Chinese through developing an exceptional rapport with Chinese people from the time he commenced working with them in 1907 on engineering projects, and later during and through wars and other civil engagements. He was a great success in China, the key to which was his skill with the language and later from his ability to culturally adapt and empathise with the people in the environments in which he was living at the time. Percy also found that his ‘Wesleyan’ approach to people conveniently dovetailed with the ‘Confucian’ values approach of the Chinese. Percy was able to communicate with Chinese people from Viceroys to infantry men and bandits and could win their trust regardless of social levels. Percy documented his ‘fitting in’ experience with the Chinese in his diaries, letters and journals over a fifty-five-year period until his death in Hong Kong in 1964. The analysis and contextualisation of his original records form the basis of this thesis and what is learned from this study of his exceptional life is the importance of achieving a very high level of cultural empathy and understanding with the people we deal with beginning with learning how to speak with them in their own language. Percy was also able to demonstrate the universal efficacy of strong ethical values even when they are transposed from one cultural setting to another.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Nettle, Rodney
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis is about the transnational life of Percival Edward Nettle (1886-1964), a young man born in Ballarat who moved from Australia to Shanghai at the end of 1906 on his way to San Francisco. He never did get to San Francisco but lived in and out of China until he died in 1964. This thesis tells his story and also addresses the perennial human management problem of achieving a co-operative fit between people from different cultural backgrounds. Percy Nettle achieved this fit with the Chinese through developing an exceptional rapport with Chinese people from the time he commenced working with them in 1907 on engineering projects, and later during and through wars and other civil engagements. He was a great success in China, the key to which was his skill with the language and later from his ability to culturally adapt and empathise with the people in the environments in which he was living at the time. Percy also found that his ‘Wesleyan’ approach to people conveniently dovetailed with the ‘Confucian’ values approach of the Chinese. Percy was able to communicate with Chinese people from Viceroys to infantry men and bandits and could win their trust regardless of social levels. Percy documented his ‘fitting in’ experience with the Chinese in his diaries, letters and journals over a fifty-five-year period until his death in Hong Kong in 1964. The analysis and contextualisation of his original records form the basis of this thesis and what is learned from this study of his exceptional life is the importance of achieving a very high level of cultural empathy and understanding with the people we deal with beginning with learning how to speak with them in their own language. Percy was also able to demonstrate the universal efficacy of strong ethical values even when they are transposed from one cultural setting to another.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Trading Places : integrating Indigenous Australian knowledge into the modern economy
- Authors: Newkirk, Karen
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Australia has a 30-billion-dollar knowledge industry, yet this industry barely recognises Indigenous Australian knowledge developed for over 50,000 years. This knowledge is important to understanding life on this planet. A 2012 regional Aboriginal education report noted “These ways of thinking and planning are our great gift to a world that desperately needs solutions...Unfortunately, this gift has not been accepted yet, or even noticed” (NSW Department of Education and Communities). Through continued denial of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experience, their knowledge is largely hidden from mainstream Australia and to the rest of the world. This study examines what inhibits appreciation of Indigenous Australian knowledge through two sequential interviews with 26 non-Indigenous senior managers in business, finance and economics. The constructivism research paradigm frames the use of Causal Layered Analysis as a research method to investigate the interview data. A paradox arises between the aspirational discourse for an integrated nation with recognition of Indigenous knowledge as valuable, and ingrained images that erroneously position Indigenous knowledge as only representative of early human development on a linear trajectory toward 21st Century Western thought. From the findings, a spectrum of mainstream Australian society emerges with clear gradation from strong ignorance of Indigenous knowledge to reasonably high awareness. Evident from this spectrum is that for Australian society to embrace Indigenous knowledge, a transition is required to move non-Indigenous individuals significantly to higher awareness. This thesis argues that this transition could be progressed by supportive non-Indigenous individuals taking the next step to improve their understanding of Indigenous knowledge through learning. Thus, Australian society could establish that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge is managed by its custodians, valued and in demand more broadly, is not compromised in the market, and is able to contribute to the management of Homo sapiens on Mother Earth.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Newkirk, Karen
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Australia has a 30-billion-dollar knowledge industry, yet this industry barely recognises Indigenous Australian knowledge developed for over 50,000 years. This knowledge is important to understanding life on this planet. A 2012 regional Aboriginal education report noted “These ways of thinking and planning are our great gift to a world that desperately needs solutions...Unfortunately, this gift has not been accepted yet, or even noticed” (NSW Department of Education and Communities). Through continued denial of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experience, their knowledge is largely hidden from mainstream Australia and to the rest of the world. This study examines what inhibits appreciation of Indigenous Australian knowledge through two sequential interviews with 26 non-Indigenous senior managers in business, finance and economics. The constructivism research paradigm frames the use of Causal Layered Analysis as a research method to investigate the interview data. A paradox arises between the aspirational discourse for an integrated nation with recognition of Indigenous knowledge as valuable, and ingrained images that erroneously position Indigenous knowledge as only representative of early human development on a linear trajectory toward 21st Century Western thought. From the findings, a spectrum of mainstream Australian society emerges with clear gradation from strong ignorance of Indigenous knowledge to reasonably high awareness. Evident from this spectrum is that for Australian society to embrace Indigenous knowledge, a transition is required to move non-Indigenous individuals significantly to higher awareness. This thesis argues that this transition could be progressed by supportive non-Indigenous individuals taking the next step to improve their understanding of Indigenous knowledge through learning. Thus, Australian society could establish that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge is managed by its custodians, valued and in demand more broadly, is not compromised in the market, and is able to contribute to the management of Homo sapiens on Mother Earth.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Development and evaluation of a pilot program to reduce stigma of mental illness among rural adolescents
- Authors: Newnham, Krystal
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Two forms of stigma – social and self – represent barriers to receiving professional help for rural Australian adolescents with mental health issues. Characteristics of rural communities such as self-reliance, social proximity and social exclusion are thought to compound experiences of stigma, creating a fear of seeking professional help. The aim of this project was to design and evaluate a stigma reduction program for rural secondary school students. A two-stage quasi-experimental research design was developed. Study 1 involved working collaboratively with seven students from a rural secondary school to develop a population specific program. The curriculum development process was evaluated and the final form of the intervention documented. Study 2 involved delivering and evaluating the intervention within the same secondary school. The aim of Study 2 was to decrease adolescents‟ stigma of mental illness, as measured by social and self stigmatic attitudes, desired social distance, and help-seeking intentions. The treatment group comprised students from year 7, 8, 9, and 12, and the control comprised a delayed treatment group of comparable students from these year levels. After accounting for attrition, the treatment group comprised 31 (16 females) participants, and the delayed treatment group 36 participants (16 females). Measures of stigmatic attitudes, desired social distance and help-seeking intentions were taken at pre-, post-, and 12-week follow-up. The intervention comprised two sessions each of 90 minutes spaced one week apart. Focus-group discussions held post-intervention expanded evaluations of the program; and suggested areas for improvement. The first hypothesis, that prior to intervention, adolescent boys would have significantly higher social stigma, self stigma, desired social distance from those with mental illness, and perceived barriers to seeking help than females, was supported. The second hypothesis, that participants in the treatment group would report lower social- and self-stigma, desired social distance, and fewer perceived barriers to seeking help post-intervention than pre-intervention and compared to the control group was supported in part. The third hypothesis, that reductions in social stigma, self stigma, desired social distance, and barriers to seeking help would be maintained at follow-up also received mixed support. Qualitative data confirmed that student attitudes towards those with mental health issues improved slightly; however, it also indicated that more change was possible and provided direction for future programs. Results have implications for anti-stigma campaign development and implementation. Suggestions for developing more effective anti-stigma programs that will help to lift the burden of stigma and to increase help-seeking behaviours for rural youth are discussed.
- Description: Doctor of Psychology
- Authors: Newnham, Krystal
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Two forms of stigma – social and self – represent barriers to receiving professional help for rural Australian adolescents with mental health issues. Characteristics of rural communities such as self-reliance, social proximity and social exclusion are thought to compound experiences of stigma, creating a fear of seeking professional help. The aim of this project was to design and evaluate a stigma reduction program for rural secondary school students. A two-stage quasi-experimental research design was developed. Study 1 involved working collaboratively with seven students from a rural secondary school to develop a population specific program. The curriculum development process was evaluated and the final form of the intervention documented. Study 2 involved delivering and evaluating the intervention within the same secondary school. The aim of Study 2 was to decrease adolescents‟ stigma of mental illness, as measured by social and self stigmatic attitudes, desired social distance, and help-seeking intentions. The treatment group comprised students from year 7, 8, 9, and 12, and the control comprised a delayed treatment group of comparable students from these year levels. After accounting for attrition, the treatment group comprised 31 (16 females) participants, and the delayed treatment group 36 participants (16 females). Measures of stigmatic attitudes, desired social distance and help-seeking intentions were taken at pre-, post-, and 12-week follow-up. The intervention comprised two sessions each of 90 minutes spaced one week apart. Focus-group discussions held post-intervention expanded evaluations of the program; and suggested areas for improvement. The first hypothesis, that prior to intervention, adolescent boys would have significantly higher social stigma, self stigma, desired social distance from those with mental illness, and perceived barriers to seeking help than females, was supported. The second hypothesis, that participants in the treatment group would report lower social- and self-stigma, desired social distance, and fewer perceived barriers to seeking help post-intervention than pre-intervention and compared to the control group was supported in part. The third hypothesis, that reductions in social stigma, self stigma, desired social distance, and barriers to seeking help would be maintained at follow-up also received mixed support. Qualitative data confirmed that student attitudes towards those with mental health issues improved slightly; however, it also indicated that more change was possible and provided direction for future programs. Results have implications for anti-stigma campaign development and implementation. Suggestions for developing more effective anti-stigma programs that will help to lift the burden of stigma and to increase help-seeking behaviours for rural youth are discussed.
- Description: Doctor of Psychology