Mrs Jocelyn Bergin, School Secretary of the Research School of Earth Sciences, died after a long illness on 21 October, bringing to a premature end the career of a loyal and dedicated member of the University.
Jocelyn joined the staff of the University in 1971 as the Departmental Secretary of the Asian Civilisations Department in the Faculty of Asian Studies. She transferred to the then Academic Registrar's Division in 1976 as the Assistant to the Faculty Secretary in Asian Studies, and in 1978 joined the Academic Staffing Section of the Division as Graduate Assistant Grade 1. Since then Jocelyn served in Graduate Students' section, the Faculty of Arts, Academic Staffing and the Faculty of Science before she was promoted to the position of School Secretary in Earth Sciences in May 1988.
In the year she joined the University Jocelyn resumed studies, completing the abridged New South Wales Higher School Certificate and in the following year commenced a Bachelor of Arts degree course as a part-time student. Having completed this and qualifying for admission to Fourth Year Honours in Political Science she was faced with the dilemma common to 'mature age' women students. She decided that as a part-time student she would not be able to do justice to herself and still fulfil her family and work responsibilities to her satisfaction. Her pass Bachelor of Arts degree was conferred in April 1979.
Jocelyn's willingness to serve the University resulted in her gaining one of the widest ranges of experience in the Registrar's Division. In each area she gained a reputation for great efficiency, attention to detail, hard work and cheerfulness. On a number of occasions she was asked to act in higher positions. She invariably accepted these responsibilities as challenges and always acquitted herself well.
She was committed to the career she had chosen in academic administration. She set herself high standards and achieved personal satisfaction from her part in the smooth running of the academic enterprise. She was notable for the care and assistance she extended to individual students, staff and colleagues and for her interest in and concern for academic policy. Jocelyn placed loyalty to the University before personal advantage. In this she provided an example to her colleagues and she will be sadly missed by her many friends and colleagues throughout the University.
Mary McCullagh, 'Bergin, Jocelyn (?–1989)', Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/bergin-jocelyn-103/text103, accessed 18 April 2024.