Round One

The struggle in economics started in earnest at Sydney in the late 1960s. It stemmed from two directions: the wave of student protest against Vietnam and racism that lead to questions being asked of the economics courses; and the appointment of two new professors in the economics department. This appointment was to revamp the department, revising the course framework (and making it more mathematical)

The revamping, and the arbitrary and authoritarian way it happened, led to quite a protest. A survey carried out by two tutors in 1969 showed a great depth of student feeling agains thte new courses (many were disrupted) and desire for some say in the course material.

The reaction of the Department was hostile. The two tutors were sacked at an early opportunity, in late 1970. Protest was high for a while, but without effective organisation, it soon died down. Round one to the heavies.