"Written to commemorate the University of New England's fiftieth year as an independent institution, A Spirit of True Learning tells the story of the University's early struggles, its commitment to country students and the surrounding community, its rapid growth after autonomy, its development of a strong tradition of teaching and research, and its experiences over the last decade within the context of government reform and rationalisation." "This is also the story of a unique university. Like the Australian National University, UNE was founded during the great age of Australian nation-building and Keynesian optimism. Opened as an affiliate college of the University of Sydney in 1938, New England became autonomous in 1954. Its founders saw it as a deliberate attempt to bring the special advantages and the special problems of rural life in Australia under the spotlight of higher learning."--BOOK JACKET.