Speleological Research Council (1964 - 2000)

History

The Speleological Research Council Limited was formed in Sydney, Australia on 1st May 1964 by members of the Sydney University Speleological Society as a non-profit company limited by guarantee, with the following aims:

1. To publish the results of scientific studies in all fields of speleology.
    
2. To promote the exploration, surveying and scientific investigation and evaluation of caves and cave systems.

A number of Speleological publishing ventures, financial grants and assistance with projects were facilitated in the following years.

In 1974 the Speleological Research Council Limited agreed to support Helictite - Journal of Australasian Speleological Research with financial assistance and it published Volume 13 (1 issue) in 1975. The first 12 volumes of journal were published by Edward A. Lane from 1962 to 1974.

On 28th February 1976 SRC acquired full ownership and took over responsibility for the production of Volumes 14 to 35 from the original editors, Edward A. Lane and Aola M. Richards.

From 1976 to 1998 the Journal was edited by Julia James together with Guy Cox, Andrew Pavey, Alan Warildand Jane Dyson, and assisted by other members of the Speleological Research Council Limited.

On 11th June 1998 the Speleological Research Council Limited became the Speleological Research Council Inc. (in New South Wales) and went on to publish Volume 36. Susan White and Ken Grimes edited that volume.

After a successful motion at the Annual General Meeting and Special General Meeting held on 2nd August 2000, the Speleological Research Council Inc. was wound up in October 2000, with the ownership of Helictite and all assets to be passed to the Australian Speleological Federation Inc. in accordance with a mutually signed agreement.

SRC Publications

In order of publication year. Compiled by Glenn Baddeley.

• Caves of the Nullarbor
  1967, J.R. Dunkley & T.M.L. Wigley (eds).
  A review of Speleological investigations in the Nullarbor plain, Southern Australia. Second edition (reprint) published December 1978, 64 pages.
   
• The Caves Of Jenolan, Volume I: The Exploration and Speleogeography of Mammoth cave, Jenolan
  1972, John R. Dunkley, assisted by Edward G. Anderson.
  A detailed history and description. Second edition published 1978.
   
• Caves through the Ages
  1974, Drawings by George Hangay, Text by Margaret Dorrell and Julia James.
  A colouring book for children. 15 pages.
   
• Papua New Guinea Speleological Expedition NSRE 1973: The report of the 1973 Niugini Speleological Reasearch Expedition to the Muller Range
  1974, J.M. James.
  69 pages.
   
• Helictite, Journal of Australasian Cave research
  Volume 13 (1975) to Volume 36 Number 2 (October 2000), 46 issues, various editors.
  A complete list of issues, abstracts of papers and tables of contents of these volumes are available at the Helictite web site.
   
• A Bibliography of the Jenolan Caves, Part 1: Speleological Literature
  1976, Compiled by John R. Dunkley.
  A detailed reference list. 52 pages.
   
• The Caves of Jenolan, Volume II: The Northern Limestone
  1976, B.R. Welch (ed).
   
• Caves and karst of the Muller Range: Report of the 1978 Speleological Expedition to the Atea Kananda,Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea
  1980, Julia M. James & Jane H. Dyson (eds).
  Published by Atea 78 in conjunction with the Speleological Research Council.
  160 pages, 71 plates, 69 figures and maps, 3 large loose-leaf maps.
   
• Wee Jasper Caves
  1985, Julia M. James, D.J. Martin & B.R. Welch (eds).
  Reprints of papers by J.N. Jennings from Helictite with additional material by Julia M. James and Andy P.Spate. 48 pages. Second (revised) edition published 1987.
   
• Caves of north-west Thailand: Report of the Australian speleological expeditions, 1983-1986
  1986, John R. Dunkley & John B. Brush.
  62 pages, maps.
   
• Jenolan caves as they were in the nineteenth century
  1986, John R. Dunkley.
  Published by SRC for Jenolan Caves Historical and Preservation Society. 59 pages.
   
• The management of soluble rock landscapes: an Australian perspective
  1988, Kevin Kiernan.
  61 pages.
   
• Vertical: A Technical Manual for Cavers
  1988, Alan Warild.
  Vertical caving equipment and techniques. First edition 152 pages. Second edition published 1990, 134 pages. Third edition published 1994, 128 pages.
   
• Thailand Caves Catalogue
  1994, John R. Dunkley.
  Information on nearly 2,000 caves. 44 pages.
   
• A Bibliography of the Jenolan Caves, Part 2: Speleological Literature
  2007, Compiled by John R. Dunkley.
  A detailed reference list. 45 pages.
   

Links

• SRC resource listing at National Library of Australia
  Contains links to further details for many SRC publications.