ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Firstly, I wish to acknowledge the support and contribution of my supervisor Professor Laurie Geffen who has shown remarkable grace throughout the long and occasionally fraught process of producing this thesis. Secondly I'd like to thank my associate supervisor, Dr. Margie Wright, for the steady and measured criticisms that provided such a useful foil to my headlong rush to completion. Thirdly, I would like to thank Professor Gina Geffen, and Dr. Janet Wiles who helped in the early stages. I would also like to thank those in the academic community who showed interest in my project when we met either in person, or over email. Their casual support through advice, or just good conversation, encouraged me to feel part of a community rather than- as was often the case- someone in a small room with a computer. Particular thanks goes to Alex Sergejew, David Liley, and Evian Gordon, all of whom are great company as well as stimulating thinkers. Amongst many others I also include Fernando Lopes da Silva (a fortunate seat allocation on the way to ISBET99), Paul Nunez, Richard Silberstein, Richard Clark, and James Theiler, who probably don't remember me but whose polite and good-humoured advice and comments were greatly appreciated. Finally, and most importantly, I would like to thank my partner Lani, and my children Hilde and Angus, without whom I would never have made it. Thanks.