Coming to ANU in 1964, my strength was medieval Latin. Adding to Latin and English, I could work in koine Greek, Italian, French, Spanish and some German. Furthermore, my seven years in Rome as a student gave me insight into how the Vatican had handled the centuries. These advantages help to explain why I never became fully an historian of my beloved native land. Nonetheless I do claim to have made a slight contribution to our knowledge of it.

But there were other, perhaps more important factors which helped me. The History Department was a happy place whre we stood by each other. My debt to the oldies, Manning, Ken Inglis, Don Baker, Eric Fry, John Mulvaney, Dottie Shineberg and the youngsters, John Ritchie, Ian Hancock and Gerry Walsh remains immense. Let me add Bede Nairn who never ceased to push and trust me. Old age is a lonely place. They are all gone except Ian.

Add study leave, research assistants, time off to write, the NLA and the ADB itself. Put them in the setting of ANU with its immortal motto of striving to know the essence of things and you will understand why I am here today.