OUR HISTORY - THE NEW & THE OLD
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The history of ELSOC can be traced back to the earliest days of UNSW. The Society has a rich legacy, and has been providing undergraduate Electrical Engineering students the best support and regular social events for over half a century. After being ‘in a state of semi-formation for some time’, an Electrical Engineering Society was established in 1954 to coordinate student social activities and to serve as a communication channel between current students and School alumni. In its first year of operation, the Society hosted an excursion to see the Borovansky Ballet and also a dinner for Year Four students, graduates and senior lecturing staff who ‘were unanimously elected honorary members of the society’.
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Over the next few years, the Society Dinner became an annual event, and other activities included theatre parties, car trials, golf days, barbecues and the publication of an occasional newsletter, Under Current. In 1959 the society was briefly known as Brotherhood of Electrical Engineering Rabble (BEER), although University opposition led to a name change back to the more prosaic Electrical Engineering Society (ELSOC). |
The 60's |
Activities of ELSOC during the 1960s included scientific film screenings, Freshers Welcome events, undergraduate dinners and frequent social evenings that included ‘about fifty students or members of the stuff for an informal period of argument, yarning and elbow bending’.
In 1964 ELSOC members were foremost in instigating a Miss Engineering Competition; an event the society has been meaning to bring back. During the 1980s ELSOC activities expanded to include harbour cruises, keg parties and sporting tournaments, while the annual graduation dinner was as popular as ever. According to a report on the 1984 dinner: ‘The standard of dress was extremely high. Special mention must be made of John Olip in tails, red bow tie, jeans and runners, and Mat Collins who appeared in a suit that his grandfather had apparently died in.’ |
Now |
Today, ELSOC continues to be an important hub for Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications students. Regular activities allow opportunities for undergraduate students to chat informally with academic staff, to find industry connections and work placements, to welcome new students and to compete at Engineering Sports Days.
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