Obituaries Australia

Mr Arnold Walter Eberle, B.A., B.Comm., B.E., head of the tutorial classes at the New England University College, who died in Melbourne on 16th January, made a magnificent pioneering contribution to agricultural education. He was 43 years of age.

Mr Eberle was born in Western Australia and was educated at Melbourne Teachers' College and Melbourne University. He was president of the Students' Representative Council and represented his college at football and cricket.

He enlisted in the forces in 1941 and the following year was posted to the Northern Territory as an officer with the Army Education Service. In 1943 he was transferred to Allied Land Headquarters, Melbourne, in charge of administration of the Army Education Service, and in 1944, when appointed Deputy Assistant Director of Education, A.I.F., he went to the United Kingdom to take charge of the programme affecting ex-prisoners of war. He also visited the United States, France, and Italy. He returned to Australia in 1945 and was posted Deputy Assistant Director of the Army Education Service, which position he held until 1946 when he was discharged and placed on the list of reserve officers with the rank of Captain, and Honorary Major.

In 1948 Mr. Eberle was appointed senior staff tutor of the Department of Tutorial Classes at Sydney University, and posted to Armidale to organise adult education work in northern New South Wales. During 1949 he organised 27 groups with an enrolment of 400 students in Armidale, Guyra, and Uralla, and was also organiser and leader of the Armidale Youth Leadership School.

The major contribution which Mr. Eberle made to the pastoral industry was the organisation of schools of animal husbandry and agriculture. At these schools he was able to assemble some of the most prominent research workers, University staff, officers of the Department of Agriculture, and enthusiastic young graziers from the whole of the north eastern corner of New South Wales. All this was done in his own spare time and no doubt contributed in no small measure to the deterioration in his health and to his death.

Mr. Eberle is survived by his wife and three children.