The Australian, 11 May 1992

INQUIRY AT WA CAMPUS

By Victoria Laurie

The Senate of the University of Western Australia has
endorsed the decision of Vice-Chancellor Fay Gale to
appoint a new temporary executive head of the beleaguered
Archaeology Department, pending an internal inquiry by two
senior academics. 

The will have to examine a wide range of complaints, mostly
contained in a hundred-page document lodged by another
department staff member to the recently completed routine
review of the small five-member department. 

The internal inquiry comes after a long-standing clash
between Professor Sandra Bowdler, Archaeology's
departmental head (who has temporarily stood down for the
duration of the inquiry) and a senior staff member, Dr
David Rindos. 

In a lengthy submission to the original review panel, Dr
Rindos is understood to have outlined his wide-ranging
dissatisfaction with the personal and academic style of
Professor Bowdler, who has headed the department since its
formal inception three years ago. 

Although the review panel found the operation of the
department to be satisfactory in its teaching quality and
course content, it is understood that the continuing
acrimony within the department prompted the Vice-Chancellor
to seek further investigation to remedy the situation. 

Last year, Dr Rindos was transferred into an office the
Department of Geography to reduce tension, but he was
relocated to Archaeology this week.   Professor Bowdler is
continuing to teach despite temporarily stepping down from
her administrative role, which is being filled by the
Acting Head of the Division of Agriculture and Science, Dr
Mike Partis. 

Professor Bowdler who is considered a world expert on
Australian archaeology and consults widely on national
heritage and conservation matters, was until recently a
member of the State Aboriginal Cultural Materials Committee
which assesses reports on such controversial matters as
mining-related activity in Aboriginal areas.

It is understood professional differences in assessing the
value of such contract work, including various reports on
the State's most controversial mining projects at Yakabindi
and Marandoo in the State's north, are among the
wide-ranging differences of opinion between the two
department academics.