ANU postponed installing Julie Bishop as chancellor until the community recovers from its terrible run of fire and hail and smoke. But her words of hope are circulating on campus

“I came to know ANU exceedingly well, first as education minister and secondly as foreign minister and I believe ANU can, and does, play an important role, providing policy makers with a range of avenues to solving problems, and ensuring the best course of action is adopted,” she says.

“It is important for policy-makers and the public service to have access to such resources beyond government. When I was preparing the 2017 foreign policy white paper I relied on intellectual input from ANU.

“Universities are microcosms of the broader community and they play a role in leading the national debates. Universities have to foster a culture of tolerance of other views, challenge the status quo and continue the search for new information.

They must avoid intellectual straitjackets, and ANU, as the national university, should be leading the way.