University News Vol 6, No. 11, 10 July 1980.  Photo caption: "Mr. Brian O'Shea, Lecturer in Commerce. has been elected to the Council by members of the academic staff."  

Photo used again in University News Vol. 9, No. 22, December 12, 1983, p11, when Mr O'Shea was appointed Coach and Selector for the Australian Universities Rugby Team.   

Text:  "The selection of the UN's coach and first grade five-eighth in the Australian Universities‘ Rugby Team to tour Great Britain and Ireland early next year is a good performance by a small university.  Mr. Brian O'Shea, Lecturer in Accounting, will hold the position of coach and selector for the Australians and Nick Wright, Commerce I student, will take the place behind the rucks.  Australian Universities depart from Sydney on January 9 to fly to England.  The team will play Cambridge University at Cambridge on January 18, Combined Welsh Students at Cardiff on January 20, Combined Scottish Students at Aberdeen on January 25, the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne on  January 29, Loughborough College on February 1, a college team in Dublin on February 4,  a university team in Belfast on February 7 and Oxford University at Oxford on February 11.  The team returns to Australia on February 13.   Mr. O'Shea has been a member of the National Coaching Panel since 1976.  His experience includes 12 years‘ coaching Combined Newcastle and six years‘ coaching the University's First XV.   Since 1975, Mr. O'Shea has been coach of four universities teams on overseas playing tours.  He has also served as a selector for Newcastle, Combined N.S.W. Country, Australian Universities and New South Wales. 

Nick Wright comes from a wheat farm at Woodstock, near Cowra.  He learnt his Rugby at King's School in Sydney.  Last year he was Captain of the Combined GPS Team and represented Combined N.S.W. Schoolboys.  During his first season with the UN's First XV he was selected to play for Combined Newcastle."

NB: In other photos referred to below, Brian is wearing a jumper with the "Australian Universities Sports Association" (AUSA) badge.   Brian was one of the group of 6 persons on whom Honorary Life Membership of the Sports Union was first conferred in 1967.  Brian served as President of the University of Newcastle Sports Union for 5 years from 1974 - 1978. 

This image was scanned from a photograph in the University's historical photographic collection held by Special Collections, the University of Newcastle (Australia) Library.

Please contact us if you are the subject of the image, or know the subject of the image and have cultural or other reservations about the image being displayed on this website and would like to discuss this with us.

This photograph, like many of the thousands of photos on our site, was scanned by a volunteer. When we have sufficient funds in the Vera Deacon Regional History Fund, we are able to give these wonderful people some paid employment. If you would care to make a tax-deductible donation to this fund, please see http://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/benefactors/new for more information and a link to the donation form.

The image can be used for study and personal research purposes. If you wish to reproduce this image for any other purpose please contact Special Collections.