ID: 
1910
Maker's Name: 
Unknown
Where made: 
Australia
Dimensions: 
11.4 × 43 × 1.4 cm

This plaque was attached to the door of the Thomas Parnell Memorial library when it was in the Parnell Building, in the space now occupied by rooms 304 and 305.

Parnell probably set up the original Physics library in the Domain, Gardens Point. The money was raised by supporters. Also the Senate awarded a sum of money to Parnell in 1916, representing the difference between a lecturer's salary and the army pay he received serving in the Great War. Parnell donated this sum towards the setting up of the library.

Parnell died in 1948. The library moved to the new Physics building, built in 1955, and named the Thomas Parnell Memorial Library. The Building was renamed the Parnell Building by order of the Senate.

The Physics Annexe behind the Parnell building was begun in 1963, and the library moved to the Annexe, Western end top floor, now occupied by Quantum Optics.

The contents of the library moved to the Hawken Building when faculties were combined.

Finally the faculty libraries were disbanded and the books either moved to the Main Library, dumped, or passed on for sale by other bodies. Thus was lost the important Dorothy Hill collection from the Geology Library, and others. Many Physics books were collected by Prof Heckenberg and other Physics staff, and are in the Physics Museum collection.