Wyndham and history

This article is an edited version of the author's acceptance speech when presented with the 2011 Wyndham medal by the Australian College of Educators. In the address he outlines Sir Harold Wyndham's contributions to educational administration, leadership and the discipline of history. He provides a description of Wyndham's life events, and discusses the key educational policy projects headed by Wyndham, in particular the Wyndham Committee of Inquiry into Secondary Education. This began in 1953 and after four years resulted in what came to be called the 'Wyndham Report'. It took another four years from 1957 to 1961 to turn the report's recommendations into legislation. The Wyndham Report has turned out to be one of the most influential documents in Australian education and, in its own way, ranks with the Karmel Report of 1973.