If you have a longer story or other things like photos to share, you can also share them using the submissions page.

The post Share Your Memories first appeared on Roger Eyland Memorial.

Delivered at the Memorial Service for Roger on 19th January, 2018.

Roger’s family has invited me to speak about Roger’s activities as a member of both the Sydney University mathematics community and the wider community of mathematics teachers – two communities which have a long history of beneficial interaction, going back to the early 20th century. I think it will be helpful for me to sketch briefly that history, as it provides a context for my subsequent remarks.

The University of Sydney was the only NSW university until the mid-20th century and its academics were much involved with the development of secondary education in NSW from the early 1900s onwards. In particular, in 1910, H. S. Carslaw (the then Professor of Mathematics at Sydney) founded in Sydney a branch of the British Mathematical Association, which I’ll abbreviate to MA(NSW), and which, like its parent body, was created to facilitate communication between school teachers of mathematics and their academic colleagues. Carslaw encouraged his staff to interact with teachers via this body and also to engage in areas such as their professional development, the school mathematics curriculum and in setting and marking the final school examinations. This practice continued under his successor, T.G. Room, so that, for example, when I joined the department in 1960, several senior colleagues were involved with extra-curricular activities of this kind and new arrivals were encouraged to contribute. The introduction of ‘new math’ school syllabuses here in the early 1960s certainly boosted this, and also increased collaboration with MA(NSW).

Higher education in Australia grew rapidly during the 1960s and the recruitment of additional staff in mathematics became a high priority during the 1960s and 1970s. When Roger joined us in 1968, he found us all working hard to cope with an expansion of research interests on the one hand, and with rapidly growing class sizes and a need to meet the demand for more, properly qualified, teachers of mathematics and for more teacher inservice activities on the other. He rapidly became an effective and capable contributor to our work, willing to accept a variety of teaching duties and their associated administrative requirements, and engaging in the full range of discussions and arguments about our curriculum, our philosophy and our role as a department within the faculty and the university that to me was an especially significant part of academic life in the 1970s and early 1980s. Roger’s love of mathematics, steady temperament, his strong sense of equity and justice and his ease with students and colleagues alike, combined with a dry wit, always characterised his actions. I wish to single out one important component of our curriculum which Roger was much involved with over several decades –the third year unit History of mathematical ideas.

Our third-year topics always included several that were not only of general interest but also were considered of value to school teachers wishing to broaden their understanding of the mathematical topics in the school curriculum. (In fact, for some years, we offered an evening M A course intended for teachers, which included such topics.) In 1973, Gordon Monro and Jim Ward proposed a third year unit on aspects of the history of mathematics, modelled on a unit Gordon had studied at Monash university. Their proposal suggested a new way of organising content, tutorials, assignments and assessment, naturally provoking concern amongst their colleagues, but nevertheless it was accepted on a trial basis and its reception carefully monitored, with the resulting outcomes stimulating spirited discussion based on both student and lecturer/tutor feedback. Roger’s own interest in the history and philosophy of mathematics lead him to suggest some gradual modifications to this unit, especially with regard to its aims and its reference material.

More emphasis was placed on the ideas underpinning the development of the mathematics covered, and its focus became the development of the ideas leading to the creation of the calculus. Also, instead of some general references as part of the content development and with much input from Roger, there evolved an accompanying sourcebook, containing a careful selection of extracts from relevant historical documents. ( The process of evolution of this sourcebook is fascinating in itself – Gordon Monro recently sent me the first few pages of its 1997 version, labelled as the fifth preliminary edition, with diagrams by Graham Tilly and the TeX input by Cathy Kicinski and Roger Eyland.) What is clear here is that Roger remained actively involved with this most interesting topic for several decades.

However, my mention above of the marvellous TeX software, which revolutionised the preparation of mathematical and scientific printed material, provides me with a natural transfer of attention to Roger’s long and valuable involvement with MA(NSW) – for some time now the independent MANSW – and again I will focus on one aspect only of his work with this important teacher association, that of the preparation and production of reports, articles, journals, proceedings and other printed material for distribution to NSW mathematics teachers and educators in particular. I am pleased here to inform you that the following presentation has been prepared with considerable help from the MANSW and especially from its former President, Mary Coupland, and its current President, Maria Quigley, and is a tribute to Roger from that Association.

“Roger was involved with MANSW from the mid-1970s and was an absolutely essential part of its publications activity for well over a decade. In 1980, he was appointed Publications Editor and held that position for several years. This entailed the overall (hands-on) supervision of the production of journals, the ever-popular HSC Exam Solution Booklets and the regular newsletters. In those pre-internet and pre-email days, much time was spent checking copy, proof reading, liaising with the printers, preparing, attaching and sorting postal address labels according to Australia Post specifications and posting/delivering the final products. Most of this activity was based in Roger’s office! Eventually in 1984, a computer and printer were purchased and over the next few years Roger pioneered the move from typewriters and dot-matrix printers to laser printing and also to the use of better mathematical software packages, always improving the efficiency of the process and the quality of the final product. He also became expert in editing and preparing for publication the Proceedings of major conferences organised by MANSW or the AAMT – the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, founded in 1966 as a national body linking MANSW and similar organisations across the country.

“Roger was one of the important links between between high school teachers and university mathematicians. His knowledge of the History of Mathematics was extensive and was shared willingly with any who were interested. Attending the History of Mathematical Ideas course introduced one to the human side of mathematics – valuing the purpose of the enterprise and learning how the discipline has been shaped by people reacting in their turn to the intellectual and scientific demands of the day.

“Roger made a significant contribution to MANSW and it was fitting that he was given Life Membership in 1992.”

For me, the instances mentioned above, of Roger’s work in mathematics and mathematics education, exemplify his life as an academic colleague. He addressed tasks with enthusiasm, thought deeply about what was entailed, attended with great care to detail while focusing on their outcomes, encouraged team effort, and pitched in whenever that extra ‘push’ was necessary, always in friendship and good humour.

Surrounded by such colleagues, how could I not have enjoyed every minute of my time as a member of the mathematics and mathematics education communities to which I belonged and which I reflect upon with deep satisfaction? I feel confident that Roger’s colleagues would share similar memories. To his family, on behalf of all of us, I offer our thanks and appreciation for the benefits we derived from Roger Eyland’s life and work.

The post Vale Roger Eyland first appeared on Roger Eyland Memorial.

Good afternoon everyone.

Thank you for joining us to farewell and celebrate my dear brother Roger.

As you can see part of Roger’s life story is printed in the order of service and Ann has asked me to share some personal reflections and memories of my oldest brother today.

I have only the warmest affection and memories of Roger but as I am the “baby” of the family, being born over 16 years after Roger, some memories are stronger than others.

To this end I’ve re-read my Dad’s autobiography to refresh my thoughts and am grateful to my brother Peter for his recollections too.
Roger was born at the Moreton-in-Marsh Hospital in the Gloucestershire Cotswold’s on Thursday the 18th May 1939.

Apparently there was great excitement at his birth as he was the first Eyland boy of his generation. In particular his paternal grandfather was especially pleased that his family name would carry on.

Roger died on New Years day 2018 so that meant he had lived for 78 years, 7 months and 15 days.

As Job Chapter 14 verse 5 reminds us “a man’s days are numbered” and for Roger that number was 28,719 days.

I struggled to find any deep mathematical insight to this number – apart from the fact that it is the postcode for both Bremen in Germany and for a lovely small town called Cherokee in North Carolina in America.

I’m no mathematician but I was kind of hoping it would be a transcendental number (like ) so I could relate it to Roger’s current whereabouts but no such luck. I think any numerical relevance is best left to better mathematical brains like his wife Ann and good friend John Mack.

Roger was born into historic and trying times at the beginning of the Second World War in September 1939. I can only imagine what his first years were like in England at that time of fear and great sacrifice but there is no doubt that his early experiences shaped his character into one of kindness, patience and forbearance.

The winter of 1947 was very harsh and noted for its effects across Europe and especially in the United Kingdom.

It caused severe hardships in economic terms and living conditions. There were massive disruptions of energy supply for homes, offices and factories. Animal herds froze or starved to death and people suffered greatly from the persistent cold.

It was at this time that Roger and his two younger brothers, Julian and Peter, all came down with measles followed by pneumonia and were hospitalised.

Julian sadly succumbed to these illnesses and Mum always recalled the terrible severity of that winter as even the gravediggers had difficulty digging through the frozen earth of Julian’s grave at Wednesbury Cemetery.

Dad remembered that both Roger and Peter struggled through this time ‘at some cost’.

These adversities prompted thoughts of a new life with Dad considering options of staying in Walsall to run the family firm “Eyland & Sons” (established 1760) making buckles, immigrating to Kenya to run a Tin Mine or to British Colombia Canada. Canada was seen to be too cold so to Australia’s good fortune our part of the Eyland clan immigrated as “£10 Poms” to Australia arriving at Woolloomooloo Wharf in the early morning of the 13th June 1949.

However Roger remembered arriving in Australia on his 10th birthday.

I fact-checked in preparation for today and sure enough that’s the date that the SS Ranchi arrived at Fremantle.

I remember Roger reading Tintin to me as a child and as a small aside it turns out that the S.S. Ranchi was the ship Tintin boarded in Shanghai in the The Blue Lotus with the intent of returning to Bombay, India.

On arrival down-under the family immediately moved to Kulnura on Mangrove Mountain (about 22 kilometres inland from Gosford) to live with our Great Uncle George Downes who helped pioneer the citrus-growing industry in the area.

While Dad sought work Roger stayed with Mum and Peter at Kulnura but they found the conditions trying with very cold weather – not a great deal different to what they had so recently escaped in the UK.

After a short time in a cottage in Wamberal where the family’s health improved Dad secured work in Sydney and was able to reunite the family to a house built over the water (a boatshed really) at the end of Burraneer Bay.

Although subject to high tides and seasonal weather which meant water would sometimes come through gaps in the floorboards the home was very convenient to the local school that Roger started attending – Cronulla Public School.

A family story relates how Roger came home one day with a note from the headmaster saying that he thought that Roger should have his eyes tested. It seems that his teacher asked Roger if he could see the blackboard to which Roger replied ‘What blackboard?’

He went to an optometrist named Dr. Merory in Macquarie Street,who declared Roger almost legally blind without prescribed spectacles.

The first evening he wore his new glasses he looked up into the sky and said “Oh look, I can see the stars!” At ten years old this was the first time that Roger had seen them.

It turns out Roger was quite bright after all!

In 1951 our parents bought a block of land at Engadine; about twenty-five kilometers south of Sydney and at this time a very rural locality with a population of just a few hundred scattered around the bush.

Roger worked alongside my Dad and brother on the hard laboring work of clearing land. During this time the family lived in a tent and then in a temporary dwelling which later became a garage.

Quite an excellent boys own adventure for a young man although I often wonder how my mother coped with the heat, flora and fauna.
Dad drew up plans and specifications to self-build a house.

In his autobiography my father states that Roger helped with the design and construction of the house and wrote “Roger kept an eye on things and saved me from making a mistake on several occasions”.

This was serious praise from Dad indeed who was a product of his time and not given to expressing overt approval even though we knew he loved us all deeply.

It was around this time that Roger hand built a superb radiogram which to you younger listeners was a combination of a radio and gramophone. He painstakingly soldered all the single components of resistors, capacitors and transformers onto a motherboard. No chips here thanks!

I remember that the speakers were enormous – each a cube of around 1 meters a side and being very hefty as they were made out of thick solid wood. He had to source some special heavy-duty shepherd casters to support it. And what a sound it produced!

With the aid of Readers’ Digest Classic LPs he introduced the family to an appreciation of Classical music that has lasted to today.
My partner Georgina expressed surprise at an early family gathering she attended hosted by the ever generous Ann and Roger. As we were about to start a roast lamb lunch Roger led the family, with much merriment, in the chorus of “Sheep may safely graze” (Bach Cantata Number 208). This was only the start of a conversation punctuated by many popular and choral song phrases in preference to pedestrian conversation!

While at Cronulla Public he competed for and won a place at Sydney Boys High and his academic brilliance continued on from there as you can see in the biography printed in the order of service.

I’m reliably informed that Roger first met his future wife, Ann Whight, at Sydney University where they were both tutoring before he sailed for England and further studies in the early 1960s.

As a nine year old I was lucky enough to travel to the UK with Mum on the SS Orcades and was met by Roger in his Morris Oxford car. This was a strange car, purchased from Arthur Daley Motors or somewhere – it was terribly underpowered and a left hand drive!
We all had a truly excellent adventure driving from Lands End to John o’ Groats staying at amazing and sometimes creepy bed and breakfast lodgings.

My best experience by far was when Roger let me have Whisky Marmalade on my breakfast toast in a hotel on Loch Ness.

There was a terrific incident where Roger had inadvertently done something wrong at a round a bout where a roving policeman caught him out.

Having pulled over at the policeman’s insistence Mum politely listened to the officer lecturing her on the misdemeanor committed by her and we were sent on our merry way with a wave and a smile. The officer hadn’t realized that Mum was the passenger in the left-hand drive car and Roger was the driver.

Not long after, our family delighted in listening to an LP recording sent home by Roger and Ann of their January 1965 wedding. If you’d like to see the actual church where they married (St Peter & St Paul Church Blockley) look no further than the Father Brown TV series now showing on the ABC.

Of course we listened on Roger’s speakers at the Engadine house!

I have lived a life full of Roger’s kindness and patience and seen his pride and delight in his beloved wife Ann, son David and daughter Cathy. More recently he was blessed with the added joy of a loving daughter-in-law, Sarinya, his granddaughter, Lilly and grandson, Will.

Unsurprisingly Roger met his increasing physical frailty with stoicism and strength – his family close by at all times.

I am so proud of him and rather than think of Roger gone I now look to the stars he eventually saw with delight as a young boy and know him to be there.

There are no better words to finish on than the words his family chose for the funeral announcement:
A great mathematician
And a quiet and unassuming man
Who devoted his life to study and education.

To which I would only add and ‘who loved his family dearly’.

Simon Eyland

The post Reflections by Simon Eyland first appeared on Roger Eyland Memorial.

Roger was born in Moreton in Marsh Hospital, England, on the 18th May 1939. There was great excitement at his birth as he was the first Eyland boy of his generation.

During the late winter of 1947, he and his two brothers were taken ill with measles, they all developed pneumonia. He struggle through, but his younger brother Julian died on March 9th.

In 1949 he left England, by ship with his parents and surviving brother. On the Bay of Biscay, Roger was in the bunk above his father and when the sea became rough. Roger fell out of the upper bunk, but his father managed to grab him and broke his fall just before he hit the steel deck. He was quite shaken but not badly hurt.

Roger said he arrived in Australia on his tenth birthday. The family immediately moved to Kulnura NSW, to join his Great Uncle George, who owned a citrus orchard.

At first, Roger stayed with his mother and brother at Kulnura, but they found the weather very cold and conditions rather trying. They moved then to a cottage on the coast at Wamberal, where they all picked up in health. As his father had a job in Sydney and was away during the week, it was decided to move to Cronulla to get the family together. The house there was built over the water at the end of Burraneer Bay. It was very convenient to the local school where Roger started attending Cronulla Public School.

Roger came home one day with a note from the headmaster saying that he thought that Roger should have his eyes tested as he was having difficulty in reading the blackboard.

This could have been the origin of a classic comic skit.

Teacher: Roger, read what is on the blackboard.
Roger: What blackboard?
Teacher: The one on the wall in front of you!
Roger: What wall?

He went to an optometrist, named Dr. Merory in Macquarie Street and he was duly prescribed spectacles. After he collected them, next evening he looked up into the sky and said “Oh look, I can see the stars”. At ten years old, this was the first time that he had seen them. It was a bit surprising that the condition of his eyesight wasn’t picked up before this.

In 1951, his parents bought a block of land at Engadine, about twenty miles south of Sydney and at this time a very rural locality. While at Cronulla Public he competed and won a place at Sydney Boys High.

The Engadine land was cleared, with Roger joining in on this hard labouring work. During this time the family lived in a tent and then in a temporary dwelling which later became a garage. His father drew up plans and specifications for a house.

His father said that Roger helped with the design and construction of the house. His father also wrote “Roger kept an eye on things and saved me from making a mistake on several occasions”. This was a serious praise from his father, who was not given to expressing approval.

Roger adopted a walk during High School where he would not swing his arms. He firmly held his school case on one side and grasped his jacket on the other. He had a great knowledge of English grammar and so would enlighten the family and correct them when necessary.

He hand built a superb radiogram, which was a combination of radio and gramophone. He soldered the single components of resistors, capacitors and transformers onto a motherboard. The speakers were enormous and very heavy. Then with the aid of Readers’ Digest Classic LPs he introduced the family to an appreciation of Classical music.

He had a number of friends at High School and Uni, but as Engadine seemed the distance equivalence of Bathurst today, they did not end up coming to the house.

His father also wrote: “In his Leaving Certificate Examinations he was in the top bracket in the state of New South Wales and had his photograph on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald. He attended Sydney University and gained his B.Sc. with first class honours in Pure Mathematics. He studied for and was awarded his M.Sc with first class honours. On the excellence of his thesis he was awarded a special scholarship for him to attend Cambridge University to study for and gain his Ph.D. his main subject, again Pure Mathematics.”

Roger left by ship for England in the early 1960s and returned, now married, to Australia in the late 1960s. Roger and Ann sent home an LP of their wedding.

He became a Lecturer at Sydney University until his retirement. It may have been due to a back injury at the time, but this is an alleged story about a University lecture he gave. He arrived and lay down horizontally on the desk at the front of the lecture theatre. He pulled a piece of paper out of one pocket and read it. When finished, it was crumpled up and thrown neatly into a nearby bin. Another piece of paper would then be pulled out of a pocket and so this continued until the lecture ended, when he walked off. The person who told this was much impressed.

Peter Eyland

The post Roger’s Life by Peter Eyland first appeared on Roger Eyland Memorial.