The West Australian, Wed 27 May 1992

	"Inside Cover," 
	Edited by Mike Van Niekerk

ARCHAEOLOGY FACULTY BURIED AS DIRT FLIES

    The University of WA has dumped its department of
archaeology in a seemingly vain attempt to get rid of a big
problem.

    The student and academic community at UWA has been agog
at the wild stories emanating from archaeology over the
past six months, most of them containing serious allegations
against the former department head, Professor Sandra
Bowdler.

    In December, a review of the department by three senior
academics detailed claims by former and present students
that they had been ridiculed and treated unfairly,
especially when their academic interests differed from
those of Professor Bowdler.  There were also claims of
unsafe archaeological field work that resulted in illness.

    Meanwhile, the department split into two camps -- those
supporting Professor Bowdler and those against her.  In the
other camp was senior lecturer David Rindos.

    Earlier this year, while the report was still being
considered by university vice-chancellor Professor Fay
Gale, Professor Bowdler was stood down as department head
and mathematician Mike Partis was made temporary head of
archaeology.  Mr Rindos had his office moved to the
geography department. 

    Also under review was the operation of the Centre for
Prehistory, a consultancy which carried out Aboriginal site
surveys and was controlled by Professor Bowdler.

    After considering the review, Professor Gale asked the
dean of law, Professor Stan Hotop, and former deputy
vice-chancellor, Professor Doug Clyde, for further
recommendations. 

    In a press release issued last night, Professor Gale
said: "It is clearly a very small department where two
academics with quite different views about the discipline
and quite different personalities had led to a division
into two sectors.

    "An enormous amount of criticism was levelled from one
sector to another.  There were also various unconfirmed
reports of relationships within the department which were
damaging to its objectivity."

    After consulting a wide variety of people, Professor
Gale decided to move archaeology into the department of
anthropology and under the management of the head of that
department, The Centre for Prehistory will be closed.

    Last night, Professor Bowdler said she considered the
review process "improper and prejudical to myself and the
department -- it has been mishandled by the university as
an institution."  She said she had never ridiculed students
or stood in the way of their academic intentions, where
resources premitted, and said allegations of unsafe field
work had been found to be groundless.

    Professor Bowdler claimed the turn of events had been
partly brought on by mining interests "who would prefer not
to see a viable centre for prehistory operating,"
especially in relation to the sensitivity of Aboriginal
sites.