Bertram Armytage, son of a wealthy squatter, a popular sportsman who rowed for Cambridge, was the first Australian-born member of an Antarctic expedition. An expert horseman, he was given charge of the ponies in Ernest Shackleton's great 1907-1909 expedition, narrowly escaping the jaws of killer whales. In London he was decorated by royalty, but on coming home to Australia he went to his part-time city residence, the exclusive Melbourne Club, put on his dinner suit and polar medals and, at the age of 41, shot himself. This mystery-cum-biography provides a new perspective on one of Shackleton's greatest expeditions.

Records, including minutes of general meetings, 1 July 1840-3 February 1881; minutes of meetings of the Committee of Management, 6 January 1841-24 July 1884; letterbooks, 1 October 1842-26 June 1855 and 14 January 1859-16 April 1860; account book, 1853-1876; and first honorary members book, 1840-1859. Also "Melbourne's two oldest clubs. Discussion of the foundation of the Melbourne Club and Melbourne Cricket Club" by R. R. McNicoll; and an address to the President and members of the Melbourne Club by the Captain and officers of the Russian ship Rynda, 5 March 1888.

"Telling as much a social, educational, and cultural story as institutional history, this detailed account chronicles the ideological patterns, internal and countrywide conflicts, and student experiences at the University of Melbourne from 1850 to 1939. The daily life of staff, professors, and students are recounted during times of turmoil and peace in Australia, including the depression of the 1890s and World War I. The account offers a window into the pedagogical conflicts and research achievements of one of Australia's oldest continuing educational institutions."

Fay Marles has lived a life of firsts. As Victoria's first Commissioner for Equal Opportunity, she played an instrumental role in the landmark case that resulted in Ansett employing its first female pilot. Over the next decade, she battled discrimination on many fronts, overseeing the commission's rapid development and expansion. She went on to found Australia's first private equal opportunity consultancy, and made history again when she became the first woman Chancellor of the University of Melbourne in February 2001. But in these fascinating memoirs, Marles offers much more than an account of her many personal and professional achievements. She candidly explores the influences that helped to shape her outlook and interests, from her family background and schooling to her experiences as an undergraduate at the University of Melbourne in the 1940s, where she was one of Manning Clark's first students. Her recollections of working as a young social worker in Brisbane in the 1950s, and later as a lecturer in social work at the University of Melbourne in the 1970s, offer a fascinating snapshot of the development of social work as a profession in Australia. She also describes the challenges of balancing her family life and career, and of pursuing postgraduate study as a mature-age student. Along the way, she charts her growing interest in women's issues and Indigenous affairs. Throughout her remarkable life, Fay Marles has aimed for the skies. Through her commitment to justice and her firm belief in the value of education, she has helped and inspired many others to do the same.