Annual Review 2010
Research at the Centre National de Recherche Scientifique in Paris, where she continued her research on Valéry over a further twenty years; these years were marked not only by frequent publication but also by two significant colloquia on Paul Valéry’s work, in 1983 and 1998. In 1987 the University of NSW conferred on her an honorary doctorate and in the same year she was appointed to the French National Council for Research. A Festschrift, Paul Valéry à tous les points de vue – Hommage à Judith Robinson-Valéry, celebrating her research contribution to French studies was published in 2003 and, in 2005, the French Government, invested her as Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. She continued to live in Paris in retirement until failing health persuaded her to return finally to Australia. Peter Sparks based on a text by Alastair Hurst
Pam Thayer 1925–2009 Totally committed to the ideals of public service, and with a special warmth and compassion for young children, Pam worked tirelessly for the young and disadvantaged, devoting both her working life and most of her retirement to making sure their needs were met. She came up to Girton in 1945 to read History with no expectation of a full University degree. When, in 1948 she was among the first women to be admitted to a Cambridge University BA she was proud, as a Historian, to be a small part of history. As she said ‘I never expected my academic career at Cambridge to end in such a highlight’. It was probably thrown into sharper relief by the post-war austerity that she and her contemporaries had suffered in College. She remembered trading her bread ration with the men, in exchange for clothing coupons, and wrote how ‘we were only allowed three baths a week, but so was everyone, and we queued up with the Dons.’ After Girton, Pam took a Social Services Certificate at Bedford College followed by a Child Care Certificate at the LSE. She then joined Middlesex County Council for four years as a child-care officer. There she began her focus on the disadvantaged child, but also began to demonstrate her abilities in organisation and implementation. She moved to the Children’s Department of the Home Office for seventeen years then, following reorganisation, was first Principal Social Work Officer and then Assistant Chief Inspector with the DHSS. In 1985 she ‘retired’ to the Council of Europe to take part in a study of children’s day care, returning in 1986 when she was immediately invited to become VicePresident of the Pre-School Playgroups Association. She also worked for Barnardo’s and the National Children’s Homes as well as being an honorary member of the Council of the NSPCC and for twelve years Vice-President – and then President – of the Pre-School Learning Alliance. For her voluntary work she was awarded the OBE, in succession to a Companionship of the Imperial Service Order awarded on her official retirement from the Civil Service. In 1988 she published jointly Forms of Child Care. Despite the privations of her life there, Pam always retained great affection for Girton. In 1992 she discussed with Mary Habakkuk and Oonah Elliott the possibility of an Oxford-based group of old Girtonians. Out of this the following year grew the Oxford Region Girtonians – the first such group to be formed anywhere. Pam became its Chair 136