Coming from a working-class background in England, career options for James Ayliffe were pretty limited in the 1960s and going to university was not an option.
“The idea of studying at university was considered frivolous and indulgent,” he said. “My dad would say, ‘get a trade, son, that’s our station in life’.”
“It didn’t seem to make much sense trying to pursue the idea.”
But now, at the age of 74 and living in southern Tasmania, not only has James completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Tasmania, he is also in the final stages of his Honours year, working on a thesis that focuses on social justice issues.
Coming to Australia in 1969 as a “ten-pound pom,” 18-year-old James’s original plan was just to spend a year here for a holiday and then go back to the UK.
But once he arrived in Sydney, experienced the warmer weather, and started work at the ANZ Bank, he realised he didn’t want to go home.
While working full-time for the bank, he spent his weekends and spare time as a reservist with the 1st Commando Company.
It was this military service that led him to his next job in the Sultanate of Oman training Omani soldiers in the Province of Dhofar.
Returning to Australia, he worked in merchant banking for a time before resuming with the Australian Defence Force, eventually moving to Tasmania where he helped develop the Australian Army’s risk management capability out of Anglesea Barracks.
In the final years of his career, with weekends to spare – and after the urging of his daughter to try something new – James decided he might finally give university studies a go, enrolling in a Bachelor of Arts with the University of Tasmania.
“A big part of my motivation to study was that the Army had agreed to support it as professional development and agreed to pay for my initial enrolment at university.”
James found it surprisingly easy to shift into student mode, saying his work history prepared him well for absorbing information and applying himself to his studies.
“When I selected a course, I made sure I studied something that was interesting to me. I tried some subjects I had never thought of before.”
He majored in history but took some electives in social justice as well. And it was the latter that became his focus for his Honours year.
“My project is researching the professionalisation of justices of the peace,” he said. “There’s a lack of academic writing about the fraternity in Australia, compared to the United Kingdom, and I thought it was important to contribute something.
“JPs are essentially the gatekeepers of the justice system, but most people just see them as people who witness and sign documents.”
However, JPs can have a significant impact on the justice system. They are involved in issuing search warrants, handling preliminary legal proceedings, and sometimes, when specifically authorised, JPs conduct bail hearings. These responsibilities require careful judgement and can influence the course of justice.
For his Honours research, James was awarded the Sandy Duncanson Social Justice Scholarship, which is awarded to research a topic that has a role in shaping and influencing the administration of social justice in the community.
“The scholarship was a huge help, financially,” he said. “My thesis focuses on the Queensland system, which is regarded as an exemplar JP administration system.
“That meant making regular trips to Queensland for my research, and the bursary covered the associated costs.”
- The University of Tasmania offers hundreds of scholarships and prizes to help you with your studies. And the Sandy Duncanson Social Justice Scholarship is open for applications until 28 February, 2025.