Adelaide Teachers College - The Torch

The Torch was the magazine of the Adelaide Teachers College, and was published from 1921 to 1970.  The University of Adelaide Archives has a collection of bound volumes and single issues of the magazine in Series 849. 

This collection provides a magnificent glimpse into college life over the decades, as told through the unique voice of the students who edited and contributed to the publication.  A great deal of love and care was afforded to production of The Torch, particularly in the early years when enthusiasm for the new outlet was at its peak.

In the very first issue in 1921 (Vol.1. No.1 SA Teachers College Magazine), Principal A.J. Schulz wrote an introduction that described the magazine’s purpose to

“…strengthen the feeling of unity amidst all the diversity of the college groups – develop esprit de corps, and give to the complex body collegiate something of the nature of a single spirit, an individual character.”

The inaugural issue discussed all manner of subjects – from a debate on the value of higher education, to how to calculate the diameter of Betelgeuse.  Students contributed an account of a visit to Brisbane, sports and athletics news, social activities, poems and verse, essays, shorts stories and cartoons.  The editor implored his peers to support the magazine by writing:

“This is a students’ magazine, so it is up to you, as an individual, to make it a success. Write for it, sketch for it, photograph for it, or if you can’t do any of these, boost it, and above all, buy it.”

In the early issues, local businesses submitted advertisements targeted directly at thrifty young student teachers to entice them into their sporting goods stores, bookshops and stationery shops.

Humorous cartoons made an appearance, providing light relief from the weighty educational and philosophical essays.  These cartoons often poked fun at the young teachers’ career prospects, and the clash between expectations and reality regarding teachers’ first appointments in rural and remote areas.

The magazine published photos recording the evolution of the college and the various sites and buildings it was housed in.                                                                  

For the year 1931 only the Magazine was titled Esprit De Coll.  Up until 1932 the magazine was published several times a year, then it became an annual publication.  In 1935 the magazine officially took became The Torch.  

During World War II, each issue of The Torch was prefaced with a list of the Adelaide Teachers College students serving in the armed forces, “For King and Country”.  This list noted whether each person had given their life, was missing, or a prisoner of war.  Sadly with each passing year the crosses next to the names increased in number.

The Torch lightened in tone during the 1950s, reflecting the optimism of the post-war era.  Articles and images introduced a little more playfulness than in the austere war years.  The magazine maintained its role in showcasing students’ creative expression by publishing a variety of poems, essays, plays, sketches, cartoons, photos and artworks. 

 
The 1960 issue of The Torch heralded colour printing on select pages for reproductions of student artwork.  In the early 60s, there was a tangible sense of excitement (and consternation) regarding the construction of the new buildings on the Kintore Avenue site.

Unfortunately, by the mid-1960s the effervescent enthusiasm for The Torch had begun to wane.  As the Adelaide Teachers College fractured into multiple campuses, it seems so too did the spirit of the student magazine, and the flame of The Torch began to flicker.  The Editorial in the 1965 issue began on a disappointed note and bemoaned the lack of student contributions to the magazine.  The 1966 issue was an even sadder state of affairs, plainly type-written and reproduced on a University copier, with no photographs and little regard for presentation.  Perhaps saddest of all was the social committee report in the 1966 issue of The Torch, complaining of the lack of attendance at social functions, including the Winter Ball in July which was cancelled completely, as only 11 tickets were purchased out of a potential 1,300 students.  

The political tone of The Torch amplified with discussion of the September crisis of 1968.  Students rallied against their future employer, the Education Department.  Gone was the warm family feeling of Dr. Schulz’s era, the stoic patriotism and solidarity of the war years, and the post-war hopefulness of the 1950s.  Many student teachers became disillusioned with college life, and tuned into the Education Revolution and teachers’ strikes happening more broadly around the world.  Articles fizzed with criticism of campus life, rejection of religious influence, and derision of the “outdated” curriculum.  Doug McEachern wrote on page 33 of the 1969 issue of The Torch, “The Revolution is coming, and it is a revolution for education.”

The final issue of The Torch in 1970 even provided a template letter for students to express their dissatisfaction to the Education Department.

In addition to The Torch, the Adelaide Teachers College Student Association ran its own publication Flambeau from 1961-1978 (Series 850).  Flambeau was a less-polished publication than The Torch, each issue consisting of a photocopied and stapled newsletter style format.  However, the production was similar – surviving on a team of dedicated volunteers, student contributions of articles, essays, poems and cartoons, and discussion of prevalent issues of the time.  

Well before the advent of the Internet and social media, these publications were the platform for students’ voice within the College.  A great depth of historical and social information exists in both The Torch and Flambeau, providing many hidden gems to discover, research and enjoy.