By JO HARRISON
IN its 75th year the University of New England has been honoured by the city of Armidale with the Keys to the City at a special ceremony in the Armidale Town Hall last Friday.
Both the university and Armidale Dumaresq Council are celebrating significant milestones in 2013 with 75 years of UNE and 150 (sesquicentenary) years of local government.
Rain cancelled the planned procession through the Armidale CBD with the ceremony moved indoors to the Armidale Town Hall.
An ornamental key is presented by the city’s administration to people or organisations that are to be honoured. It dates back to medieval times when cities were protected by walls and locked at night. The key symbolises the trust bestowed on the recipient to enter and leave a city at will.
In presenting the honourary achievement to UNE Armidale Dumaresq Mayor Laurie Bishop spoke of the continued bond between UNE and the city of Armidale.
“The educational market in regional Australia is getting tougher and we need to be working together with the university to ensure their continued success and work as one,” Cr Bishop said.
“When I moved to Armidale with my family, my children started high school here.
“Now looking towards their further education they have opportunities at the university and TAFE which enables them to stay in their home town.
“We now need to ensure we have a vibrant industry here that enables young people finishing their education to have a future in this town.”
In accepting the symbolic key to the city, Chancellor of the University of New England John Watkins thanked the council and the citizens of Armidale on behalf of the UNE community.
“This is a great occasion and something that makes all of us at the university very happy and grateful,” he said.
“Because receiving the keys to the city is an ancient and rare honour and it denotes that the city sees the university as a trusted and highly regarded friend.
“We have been a part of the Armidale and New England story for a long time and that story has been deeply enriched by what the university has brought to Armidale,” Mr Watkins said.
“The energy and vitality of generations of young students, the skills the interest and devotion of thousands of staff members who have served here over the 75 years and of course the economic strength and investment that is so critical to the New England economy.”
