Fix this text
UNIKEN
Fix this textTHE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Fix this textNo. 187 (No. 8 of 1984)
Fix this textPublished fortnightly by the Public Affairs Unit
Fix this textRegistered by Australia Post Publication No. NBF 4388
Fix this text1 June 1984
Fix this textSheep flock born from frozen embryos
Fix this textOn the undulating slopes near Cooma in the south east of the state there is one small flock
Fix this textof sheep with a difference all the lambs were once frozen embryos.
Fix this textThe lambs have come from an original 20 embryos collected from Merino ewes in March
Fix this text1983, stored frozen in liquid nitrogen for four months, then thawed out last July and trans-
Fix this textferred to surrogate mother ewes at the UNSW field station at Hay. Nine of the 20 ewes became
Fix this textpregnant and in the summer were taken to cooler conditions at Cooma, where they gave birth
Fix this textto nine lambs. The overall lambing rate was 45 per cent.
Fix this textThe research project, funded by the Rural
Fix this textCredits Development Fund of the Reserve Bank, is a
Fix this textco-operative venture involving Associate Professor
Fix this textEuan Roberts and Professional Officer, Mr Jeff
Fix this textEppleston, of UNSW's School of Wool and Pastoral
Fix this textSciences, Professor Neil Moore of the University of
Fix this textSydney's School of Animal Husbandry, and Dr Alan
Fix this textTrounson, Senior Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynae-
Fix this textcology at Queen Victoria Hospital, Monash Univer-
Fix this textsity. Expertise in embryo freezing was initially
Fix this textsupplied by Mr Roger Bilton, a consultant scientist.
Fix this textProfessor Roberts says the universities involved
Fix this textaim to establish a bank of frozen sheep embryos.
Fix this textThis would have a number of benefits, including:
Fix this text• once frozen, the six-day-old embryos would last
Fix this textalmost indefinitely allowing the conservation of
Fix this textrare sheep breeds in danger of extinction;
Fix this text• sheep breeders and geneticists could estimate
Fix this textthe effectiveness of their breeding programs by
Fix this textthawing the embryos some years later and com-
Fix this textparing their performance against the current
Fix this textgeneration.
Fix this textThe significance of the project goes beyond its
Fix this textimmediate benefits to primary industry into the area
Fix this textof human reproduction. As there are great similarities
Fix this textbetween the embryos of sheep and humans, the
Fix this textsuccessful experiment at Hay has implications for
Fix this texthuman in-vitro fertilization, according to Professor
Fix this textRoberts.
Fix this text'Most of the in-vitro fertilization teams in Aust-
Fix this textralia have physiologists who got their experience
Fix this textworking with animals', he says. 'Because of these
Fix this textexperiments, they have been able to work out critical
Fix this texttechniques of surgery, storage, fertilization and re-
Fix this textlocation of embryos.'
Fix this textCommenting on the success of the project, Pro-
Fix this textfessor Roberts says the team is very encouraged by
Fix this textthe birth of the nine lambs. 'Very few teams in Aust-
Fix this textralia now have the proven track record of live lambs
Fix this textfrom frozen embryos', he says. 'All of a sudden,
Fix this textcommercial trade in sheep embryos is possible, though
Fix this textthere are problems.’
Fix this textProfessor Roberts says there is already Federal
Fix this textGovernment approval for exporting frozen embryos
Fix this textfrom Australia and a consignment was sent to Eastern
Fix this textEurope within the last 12 months. 'ln the next couple
Fix this textof years permission might be forthcoming for im-
Fix this textporting animal embryos from overseas to assist
Fix this textbreeding', he says. 'The hurdle is not technology, but
Fix this textthe definition of how we should safeguard these
Fix this textembryos from being carriers of dangerous livestock
Fix this textdiseases,'
Fix this textThe advantage of being able to bring in embryos
Fix this textof overseas sheep breeds has direct relevance to the
Fix this textresearch program at Hay. The team is arranging for
Fix this textthree Finn breed rams to be imported from the US
Fix this textbut lengthy quarantine will be necessary on the
Fix this textCocos Islands and at Torrens Island in South Australia.
Fix this text'The cost of transporting the rams is about
Fix this text$4,000. If we were able to bring in 100 embryos in a
Fix this textfrozen nitrogen container, it would cost considerably
Fix this textless', he says.
Fix this textOnce here, the three rams will be used in cross-
Fix this textbreeding to provide a bigger range of genetic types
Fix this textand will allow the team to experiment with higher
Fix this textreproductive rates and change features like the fat
Fix this textdistribution on sheep carcasses. 'However, our team
Fix this textis ready and set to go any time the Government says
Fix this textwe can bring in frozen embryos', says Professor
Fix this textRoberts.
Fix this textMeanwhile, during the winter months, the team
Fix this textat Hay will collect and store more frozen embryos
Fix this textfrom high-fertility sheep called 'Hyfers', a strain
Fix this textdeveloped by the NSW Department of Agriculture at
Fix this textCowra.
Fix this textAs for the future next December might see
Fix this textanother generation of 'frozen lambs' in the paddocks
Fix this textaround Cooma.
Fix this textStretch, flex frenzy
Fix this textfires UNSW campus
Fix this textThe boom in fitness awareness has struck
Fix this texton the UNSW campus this year with a virtual
Fix this texttripling in the number of students and staff
Fix this textattending exercise classes.
Fix this textFrom February to the end of April this
Fix this textyear 6,136 people attended fitness classes in
Fix this textthe lower campus gymnasium a dramatic
Fix this textincrease on the 2,070 taking classes in the
Fix this textsame period in 1983.
Fix this textThe Head of the Sport and Recreation Centre,
Fix this textMr lan Moutray, says the surge of interest in exercise
Fix this textand fitness in the community means more people are
Fix this texttalking about diet, cholesterol levels and vitamins
Fix this textand more people are jogging, swimming and taking
Fix this textfitness classes. ‘All facilities of the Physical Education
Fix this textand Recreation Centre (PERC) including the gym-
Fix this textnasium, squash courts and swimming pool, are better
Fix this textpatronised this year than last year.
Fix this textThis is reflected in a 33 per cent increase in the
Fix this textnumber of teams competing in intra-mural sports
Fix this textlike touch football, volleyball, inner tube water polo
Fix this textand tennis in all, 164 teams compared to 123 last
Fix this textyear.
Fix this textThe day-to-day organization of the recreation
Fix this textprograms falls on PERC Supervisor, Tony Barnett,
Fix this textand Assistant Supervisor, Christine Turner. 'We are
Fix this textoffering fitness classes at different levels of intensity
Fix this textfor beginners, intermediate and advanced', accord-
Fix this texting to Tony Barnett. 'lt is basically a physical exercise-
Fix this textto-music class, structured so each person gets an
Fix this textaerobic workout, as well as flexibility and strength
Fix this textexercises.'
Fix this textBoth organizers find that about 20 to 30 per
Fix this textcent of those attending are staff, with the majority
Fix this textbeing students. 'The demand from these two groups
Fix this textis so great that we cannot take people from outside
Fix this textthe University, though we do run some activities in
Fix this textvacations for them.'
Fix this textIn looking for reasons for the fitness boom,
Fix this textChristine Turner believes the attraction in the classes
Fix this textis their individualistic appeal. 'The advantage is that
Fix this textyou can go on your own and it is over in half-an-hour',
Fix this textshe says. 'Also, you do not have to be skilled with a
Fix this textbat and ball that can discourage some people from
Fix this textcompetitive sport. Even if people are not fit and
Fix this textstart off in beginners' classes, they can see themselves
Fix this textimproving week by week.'
Fix this textAs far as students are concerned, Ms Turner
Fix this textsays many find that if they have an hour's exercise in
Fix this textthe gymnasium they are fresher than if they had
Fix this textbeen slogging away at study for four hours at a time.
Fix this textFor both supervisors, their work at UNSW is a
Fix this textnatural extension of their own sporting interests.
Fix this textTony Barnett plays for the Bankstown Bruins in the
Fix this textNational Basketball League and Christine Turner
Fix this textplays hockey for Pymble in the Northern Suburbs
Fix this textAssociation and tennis with Hornsby-Killara. 'As far
Fix this textas my basketball fitness is concerned, it is nice hav-
Fix this texting facilities available at work that I can use in my
Fix this textleisure time', Mr Barnett says.
Fix this text'lt is easier for me', says Ms Turner, 'I get a lot
Fix this textmore opportunities to keep fit taking fitness classes
Fix this textand tennis coaching.’
Fix this textFor all those staff and students not yet affected
Fix this textby the fitness boom, 20 classes are being offered
Fix this texteach week at bargain basement prices. At 50 cents a
Fix this textclass or a concession ticket of $5 for 14 classes it is
Fix this texta cheap way to good health outside the campus
Fix this textthe same instruction could cost you up to $7 a class.
Fix this textChanging lifestyles need flexible spaces
Fix this textExternally, houses being built in the year 2000 will not look much different from
Fix this textthose being constructed today, says a group of UNSW architects. But if their new con-
Fix this textcept is taken up, dramatic changes will be taking place inside. And, a model home is to
Fix this textbe built, to bring their theories to life.
Fix this textHouses in the future will be much
Fix this textmore flexible in their internal design in
Fix this textresponse to increasing diversity in modern
Fix this textlifestyles and changes away from the
Fix this texttraditional family, says the group.
Fix this textThe concept of the 'integrated
Fix this texthouse', as it is called, has been developed
Fix this textby three architects from the School of
Fix this textArchitecture's Residential Research Unit
Fix this text(RESARCH), Mr Paul-Alan Johnson, Dr
Fix this textBruce Judd and Mr Geoffrey Le Sueur,
Fix this textand sponsored by the Builders' Licensing
Fix this textBoard of NSW.
Fix this textAccording to Mr Johnson, architects
Fix this textand builders will have to re-think home
Fix this textdesign ideas in response to changes in
Fix this textwork and education patterns over the
Fix this textcoming years.
Fix this text'Based on certain projections, people
Fix this textwill be working less and the extra time
Fix this textcreated will probably be spent at home',
Fix this texthe says.
Fix this text'Our project puts forward a proto-
Fix this texttype for a housing model to suit such
Fix this textchanges.'
Fix this textMr Johnson says little has been done
Fix this textup till now to consider seriously the con-
Fix this textsequences of probable changes to work
Fix this textpatterns, leisure and education, chiefly
Fix this textbrought about by changes in technology,
Fix this texton the domestic setting.
Fix this textPeople live in all sorts of households
Fix this texttoday but Mr Johnson says current hous-
Fix this texting styles do not cater for them and are
Fix this textnot flexible enough to suit the changing
Fix this textpatterns.
Fix this text'The traditional family with two
Fix this textchildren will be supplemented by a
Fix this textheterogeneous mixture of household
Fix this texttypes including homosexual, hetero-
Fix this textsexual, adult boarders and group living
Fix this textof various kinds', he says. 'The Victorian
Fix this texthouses built 100 years ago were more
Fix this textflexible than those of today, with larger
Fix this textrooms that could be used for a whole
Fix this textrange of things. We feel there is a need
Fix this textfor further development in household
Fix this textarrangements, better able to cope with
Fix this textthese changes into the future.'
Fix this textConstruction of the 'integrated
Fix this texthouse’ is expected to begin soon on a
Fix this textsite owned by the University near the
Fix this textcampus, on Prince Street, Randwick.
Fix this textThe most striking feature about the
Fix this textdesign is that the service rooms
Fix this textkitchen, bathrooms and laundry are
Fix this textplaced in the centre, with the more
Fix this textprivate and semi-private rooms arranged
Fix this texton either side.
Fix this textMr Johnson says that by creating
Fix this textdistinct zones, communal activities such
Fix this textas talking, reading, eating and perhaps
Fix this textmusic, would occur in the central part
Fix this textof the dwelling, with the semi-private
Fix this textareas being used as workrooms, or for
Fix this textstereo, playthings, games, exercise equip-
Fix this textment etc.
Fix this text'lf you had a traditional family
Fix this textwith children, for example', he says,
Fix this text'you could imagine the kids at one end,
Fix this textadults at the other, and coming together
Fix this textat the centre for the communal activities.'
Fix this textThe prototype house is purposely
Fix this textconservative in appearance because con-
Fix this textstruction methods and materials are un-
Fix this textlikely to alter much in the next 20 to 25
Fix this textyears, Mr Johnson says.
Fix this text'The problem with many "houses
Fix this textof the future" has been that they all end
Fix this textup looking like flying saucers, with
Fix this textrounded edges and speed stripes down
Fix this textthe side', he says. 'Any major changes to
Fix this textbuilding construction are unlikely before
Fix this textthe year 2000 concrete, bricks and
Fix this texttimber will still be used. Our concept is
Fix this textfundamentally based on the way a house
Fix this textis used and not in the way it is built.’
Fix this textThe house also features solar heat-
Fix this texting and energy modifications to suit
Fix this textoccupants' demands, and remote control
Fix this textsystems in place of light switches and
Fix this textpower points for security, safety and
Fix this textcomfort.
Fix this text'I expect we will get some criticism
Fix this textbecause we have not done certain things,
Fix this textbut part of the concept Is to stimulate
Fix this textdiscussion about what the future in
Fix this texthousing should be', Mr Johnson says.
Fix this textA recently collected
Fix this textsheep embryo prior to
Fix this textfreezing. Embryos such
Fix this textas this were frozen and
Fix this textstored for four months
Fix this textbefore being thawed
Fix this textand transferred to
Fix this textrecipient ewes where
Fix this textthey developed normal-
Fix this textly till they were born.
Fix this textChristine Turner, Assistant
Fix this textPERC Supervisor, takes a
Fix this textlunch-time beginners class
Fix this textthrough their fitness rou-
Fix this texttine. Inset - PERC Super-
Fix this textvisor, Tony Barnett.
Fix this textPublic Affairs Unit
Fix this textMerino lambs bom after spending four months as
Fix this textfrozen embryos, with their surrogate mothers.
Fix this textPublic Affairs Unit
Fix this textMr Paul-Alan Johnson, Director of UNSW's Residential Research Unit (RESARCH),
Fix this textwith a model of the 'integrated house', soon to be built on a site near the campus. (Dr
Fix this textBruce Judd and Mr Geoffrey Le Sueur were unable to be present for this photograph).
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257345652
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit & University of New South Wales, issuing body. (1975). Uniken Retrieved June 6, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257345652
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit and University of New South Wales, issuing body. Uniken Kensington, N.S.W: University of New South Wales, 1975. Web. 6 June 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257345652>
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit & University of New South Wales, issuing body. 1975, Uniken University of New South Wales, Kensington, N.S.W viewed 6 June 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257345652
{{Citation
| author1=University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit.
| author2=University of New South Wales, issuing body.
| title=Uniken.
| year=1975
| section=volumes : illustrations ; 30-43 cm.
| issn=0312-7877
| issue=1984, no. 8 (1-15 Jun., 1984)
| location=Kensington, N.S.W
| publisher=University of New South Wales
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257345652
| id=nla.obj-257345652
| access-date=6 June 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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