UWA has welcomed an interactive addition to the grounds of the Crawley Campus.
Located at the southern end of James Oval, the Muriel and Colin Ramm Sundial has been unveiled after three years of design, research and construction in a collaboration between artist and University of Tasmania Honorary Research Associate Tony Sprent, donors David and Sue Ramm and the UWA Workshop team headed by Matt Arpin.
Representing themes of time, connection and love over the ages, the sundial design is inspired by physics apparatus developed by Colin Ramm for the heavy-liquid bubble chamber used in CERN’s first neutrino experiments and a love story that started at UWA in the 1940s.
Muriel first met Colin when she was working in UWA’s Physics Department conducting a psychology project dealing with aspects of colour vision. Her work required a specific optical apparatus and, as fate would have it, this equipment was developed for her by Colin.
Muriel obtained her BSc with a double major in Psychology and Zoology in 1945. Colin obtained his BSc(Hons) in Physics in 1942, followed by a MSc in 1947, and became interested in cosmic rays, klystrons and teaching. Colin also worked as a junior lecturer in the Physics Department for two years from 1945 and was involved in the regular maintenance of the clock in the Winthrop Hall tower. After obtaining her degree, Muriel worked as a Careers Guidance Officer for the Education Department.
In 1947, Colin accepted an invitation from Marcus Oliphant to lecture at Birmingham University, where Europe’s first proton synchrotron was being built. While Muriel taught biology at various high schools, Colin would obtain his PhD from Birmingham University in 1949 and work with the synchrotron team to design and build the injection system. He was then invited to join CERN’s newly formed proton synchrotron division and the family moved to Geneva in 1954.
Colin would become leader of CERN’s Nuclear Physics Apparatus Division and his group developed what was then the world’s largest heavy-liquid bubble chamber – the Ramm chamber – which was used in CERN’s first neutrino experiments in 1960. Upon returning to Australia in 1972, with their three children, Colin took up the position of Dean of Science at the University of Melbourne (1972-83) and later as a professor in the Physics Department (1983-88).
Following Muriel’s death in 1996, Colin set up the UWA Muriel and Colin Ramm Postgraduate Scholarship in Physics, the University of Melbourne Muriel Ramm Science Bursary, and Ramm Prize in Experimental Physics. Colin died in 2014.
Three generations of the Ramm family were present for the unveiling, as the family retold stories of happy memories their parents had of meeting, studying and working at the UWA Crawley campus.
These memories stayed with them, even as they moved on with their lives contributing significantly to science both locally and internationally. And if you’re wondering, to read the time on the sundial, align the movable arm in a direct line with the sun. As you do, all involved hope you take the time to enjoy the sunshine and the appreciate the community spirit we share at UWA.
Image: David Ramm, Vince Wallace, Sue Ramm, Tony Sprent and Ian McArthur unveiling the Muriel and Colin Ramm Sundial..