Display unveiling ceremony acknowledges pioneering UOW mathematician

Jun 06, 2007

Family members of the late pioneering University of Wollongong mathematician, Professor Austin Keane, yesterday (5 June) officially unveilled a display in his honour.

Professor Keane, the University's first Deputy Vice-Chancellor, died tragically at the age of 52 in 1979 following a long illness. In 1983 the former Arts, Commerce and Science building at UOW was renamed the Austin Keane Building.

The unveiling ceremony took place on the ground floor of the Austin Keane Building at the bottom of the central stairwell.

A display linked to some of Professor Keane's work, originally designed by Creative Arts students, was completed by Illawarra Glass. The ceremony heard that the vision for the sculpture originated from Professor Martin Bunder of the School of Mathematics and Applied Statistics.

Alongside an image of Austin Keane is a display based on the diagram used in the proof of Pascal's Theorem. As a third year student at the University of Sydney in 1948, Professor Keane was awarded the Norbert Quirk prize for his presentation of the proof. The triangular glass panels in the display are the triangles that can be seen in Pascal's Theorem diagram.

Among those attending yesterday's display were Professor Keane's wife, Lorna, and children Philip and Joanne; the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International), Professor Rob Castle representing the Vice-Chancellor; former and current academic staff; and some of the 18 PhD students supervised by Professor Keane.

Professor Keane’s son, Phillip, said the University of Wollongong played a big part in the life of his father.

“He lived for mathematics – it was his hobby. I would particularly like to thank everybody who helped create this display as it will put a face to a name for the younger generation at the University,” Phillip said.

Professor Keane was appointed Foundation Professor of Mathematics in 1964 at the then Wollongong University College and in 1975 was appointed UOW's first Deputy Vice-Chancellor when the University gained its autonomy. He was also the University's first Emeritus Professor following his retirement in 1978. In 1980 he was awarded posthumously UOW's first Doctor of Science degree.

Other achievements during his career included being awarded the first mathematics PhD in Australia from the University in Sydney in 1955; being in charge of teaching university level mathematics and physics diploma courses at Wollongong Technical College; becoming a Foundation Member of the Australian Mathematical Society in 1956; joining the Australian Atomic Energy Commission as Principal Research Scientist in 1961; and serving as President of the Royal Society of New South Wales in 1968.