C.B. Newling Centre -the original Armidale Teachers College and Armidale College of Advanced Education building. (Source Marketing UNE, Armidale NSW)
Teachers Certificate – Armidale Teachers College/NSW Department of Education.
In completing his BA from UNE, Sandy took courses in Plant Biology, Animal Biology, in Geography including units in geomorphology, and to meet his professional requirements, courses in psychology and education.
Following a strong interest in Plant Biology he then began a two-year BLitt course. During both years he researched in the field of genecology, studying variations in live population samples of Kangaroo Grass collected from five widely spaced sites in south-eastern Australia. Both his thesis and the written exam enabled his to gain a pass with Exceptional Merit. A few years later the University Council re conferred this degree as a MLitt with High Distinction.
The BLitt/MLitt thesis is titled-
Ecotypic Variation in Themeda australis in South-Eastern Australia.
This award also enabled him to gain a Commonwealth Research Scholarship and with leave from his ACAE lectureship had three years full time study for his PhD in the Botany Department of Science Faculty of UNE.
He continued research in the field of genecology but this time studying species of Wallaby Grass especially those found in the native pastures of th Northern Tablelands and Northwest Slopes of NSW.
The thesis title for the PhD is-
Booloominbah -the original teaching base of UNE now houses the senior university administrators and the Council meeting rooms. (source; Marketing UNE, Armidale, NSW)
Danthonia DC (Gramineae/Poaceae) in the New England Tablelands of New South Wales with studies of species distribution and abundance, and the genotypic differentiation in three species. Danthonia linkii Kunth, Danthonia richardsonii Cashmore and Danthonia racemosa R.Br., arising mainly from habitat changes due to pastoral and agricultural practices in the region.’