The La Trobe University Coat of Arms incorporates the scallop shells from the La Trobe family bearings, the Australian wedge-tailed eagle to represent Australia, and sprigs of heath to represent Victoria. The origins of La Trobe can be traced back to the post-World War II era where there emerged a global recognition of the need to increase facilities for higher education. In 1957 Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies established a special committee to report on the future of Australian universities, inviting Sir Keith Murray, Chairman of the University Grants Committee of Great Britain, to chair it. The Murray Committee, in a far-reaching report submitted in September 1957, recommend a major expansion of university facilities in Australia and changes in administration and financing. As a direct consequence of the key recommendations of the Murray report, the federal government established the Australian Universities Commission (AUC) in 1959, appointing Sir Leslie Martin as its chair. Menzies appointed Martin to chair a special committee in 1961 to report to the AUC on the rapidly increasing demands for higher education in Australia. In August 1963 it released its second report, which recognised the urgency of Victoria's situation '...the resources of Melbourne and Monash Universities are not likely to meet the long-term demands for university education beyond 1966. The Commission therefore is willing to support in the 1964–1966 triennium the extension of university facilities in the Melbourne metropolitan area.' Following the recommendations the federal government passed the Universities Assistance Bill in October 1963, providing a grant for a 'third' university for recurrent expenditure in 1965 of $106,000 and $210,000 in 1966. The first capital grant was for 1966 and amounted to $1,000,000. These grants were to be matched by equivalent state grants. In April 1964, Sir Archibald Glenn was invited by the Victorian Premier, Sir Henry Bolte, to chair a "Third University Committee". In addition to Glen, 13 other members were announced on 21 May 1964. The committee, therefore, consisted of:  The terms of reference of the committee were to advise the government on all matters concerning the establishment of a third Victorian university. This consisted of 'the selection of the site, the preparation of a detailed development program, planning and calling tenders for buildings, the formulating of an administrative structure, the appointment of an Academic Planning Board and the recruitment of key staff.' It was planned that La Trobe would enrol students, if possible, in March 1967. The first meeting of the committee occurred on 2 June 1964 in the rooms of the Historical Society of Victoria on Victoria Street.