I found this item in the Morning Bulletin, Rockhampton, Queensland.
The date: 21 August 1925.
Professor Scott-FIetcher, from the University of Queensland, delivered a public lecture in tho Mount Morgan Technical College on Wednesday night on “Recent Developments of Psychology.” The chair was occupied by the Mayor of Mt. Morgan (Alderman A, P. Bedsor).
Mount Morgan is a town located in central Queensland, Australia. It is situated on the Dee River, 38 kilometres south of the city of Rockhampton, and is 680 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane. It is far enough away, one presumes – from a twenty-first century perspective – for the newly emerging disciplines of psychology and psychoanalysis to be of little interest to people. Yet the National Library’s digitized newspaper collection, enabling an easy and closer look at the material at hand, reveals quite the opposite. From the 1920s Rockhampton’s Morning Bulletin frequently published items about psychoanalysis – in favour and not. Along with the Barrier Hill Miner in Broken Hill, Kalgoorlie‘s daily newspaper along with those of the state capital cities, it is possible to see that there was widespread and lively interest in this ‘New Psychology’ as it was called, from the early decades of the twentieth century.
Let us listen to the reporter’s account of Professor Scott-Fletcher’s address. He clearly enjoyed it.
“In the course of a very fine address, the lecturer said that psychology was the science which investigated all mental states, normal end abnormal Some years ago the subject was mainly studied as an introduction to philosophy but during this century psychology had made great advances as an independent science. Moat universities had a laboratory, in which, by means of experiments, it was possible to test general intelligence, memory, and perceptual ability. The study of the mental equipment of animals had shown that instinct in human beings was one of the main factors in behaviour. The professor then described how the discovery of the unconscious mental processes in man had opened up an immense field of research. The application of these results to education, mental disorders, and even business efficiency had been attended with great success.”
“The use of psychoanalysis by Freud was next described. The lecturer explained that the undue prominence given to sex in this method had led to several new developments, in which Jung, Adler, and Bjerre had by other methods, successfully treated pathological cases due to mental maladaptation to environment. Psychology, while deterministic in theory, yet aimed in its practical applications nt securing freedom for the individual by making his actions self-determined.”
“At the close of the lecture the professor very lucidly answered a number of questions; asked by members of the audience. The lecture, was greatly appreciated by a good audience, and a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the lecturer”.
Professor Scott-Fletcher was New Zealand born and. according to his obituary published in Brisbane’s Courier-Mail on 7 November 1947, took his Master of Arts degree at Sydney University in 1902. He won the University Medal for Philosophy. He became the Master of King’s College at the University of Queensland in 1912 and, in 1916 was appointed to Wesley College at the University of Sydney where he also tutored on philosophy. He was appointed as Professor of Philosophy at the University of Queensland in 1922 and resigned in 1938. At the time of his death he was 79 years of age.
There may be, of course, more to learn about the Professor. You can contact me via freudinoceania[at]gmail[dot]com if you would like to add to this.
Just want to say how much I’m enjoying these glimpses into the past and into Australia’s history of psychoanalysis and psychology. It’s also fascinating to realise how much material is available through the National Library’s digital newspaper collection, too. Is it something you need to have special privileges or to be in Canberra to access, or is it available to all on the internet?
Thankyou Elizabeth. It is a fascinating voyage – all made possible by digitisation. Psychoanalysis was certainly seeping into settler culture via the print media as well as through those who travelled abroad in the early decades of the twentieth century.
To answer your question: TROVE, the National Library’s gateway to its digitised collection is available to everyone via http://trove.nla.gov.au/ The newspaper site which is a thorough look at that collection can also be accessed via http://www.nla.gov.au Scroll down the left hand side of the screen while stopping in at the picture, music and dance collections and you will find the link to Newspapers.
Enjoy!
That’s good to know for future reference, thank you. I look forward to more of your posts.