The University of Sydney has launched ‘BEYOND 1914: The University of Sydney and the Great War’ , an interactive and searchable online database of biographies and archival information about members of the University community involved in the First World War.

‘BEYOND 1914’ was launched by Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Marie Bashir, Governor of New South Wales, on 9 September.

One of the many features of this great resource is that you can search by the school where a person was educated before entering the University. Fifty-eight Old Newingtonians are identified in the database, though it is possible that there are more still to be identified. To find them, click on Search, expand the ‘Educated at’ list and select Newington College. The search can be filtered further by other categories.

BEYOND 1914 uses information that was provided to the University by more than 20,000 former staff, students, graduates and their families between 1916 and 1938. The information was used to compile the University’s Book of Remembrance that was first published in 1939. In addition there are digitised copies of the photographs, war service records, letters, diaries and cards that were sent to the University to help in compiling the Book of Remembrance and are now in the University Archives. Visitors with more information or archival materials are encouraged to contribute to the database.

Anyone interested in the stories of Old Newingtonians or of anyone associated with the University of Sydney in the First World War will find ‘BEYOND 1914’ a wonderful resource.

Mr David Roberts
College Archivist