The Department had its beginnings at Canberra University College with Charles Manning Hope Clark as Professor of History, July 1949-1960. Under the Act passed in March 1960 CUC was amalgamated with the Australian National University and became associated with the ANU as the School of General Studies. Professor Clark became founding professor and Head of the Department of History, School of General Studies from September 1960. He was succeeded as Head of Department by Professor Charles Murray Williams in 1973. Another early staff member of the Department, Eric Charles Fry, began as a Senior Lecturer in 1960 and was promoted to Reader from July 1967 to 1986. Robin (Bob) Allenby Gollan was appointed as Manning Clark Professor of Australian History in the Department in 1976, retiring in 1981. In 1979 the School of General Studies was formally renamed The Faculties. In 2006 seven ANU Colleges were formed, grouping together Research Schools, Faculties and Centres.