Trinity College is the oldest residential college of the University of Melbourne, the first university in the colony of Victoria, Australia.[1] The college was opened in 1872 on a site granted to the Church of England by the government of Victoria. In addition to its resident community of 380 students, mostly attending the University of Melbourne, Trinity's programs includes the Trinity College Theological School, an Anglican training college which is a constituent college of the University of Divinity; and the Pathways School which runs Trinity College Foundation Studies and prepares international students for admission to the University of Melbourne and other Australian tertiary institutions, as well as summer and winter schools for young leaders and other short courses.
In 1883 the college became the first university college in Australia to admit women when Lilian Helen Alexander was accepted as a non-resident student.[4] With the establishment of the Trinity Women's Hostel (which later became Janet Clarke Hall) in 1886, Trinity admitted women as resident students, making it the first university college in Australia to do so.[5] Among the earliest resident women was Classicist Melian Stawell.[6]
In 1989 the Trinity College Foundation Studies program was established to prepare international students for entry to the University of Melbourne.
Since 2001, Trinity has also offered summer school programs to high school age students from around Australia and internationally. In 2010 the college hosted its first Juilliard Winter Jazz School.
Situated to the north of the main University of Melbourne campus, as part of College Crescent, Trinity's buildings surround a large grassed area, known as the Bulpadock. Its built environment is a mix of stone, stone-faced and brick, in a variety of styles from the different periods of its history.
The college's main buildings include:
1870-2: Leeper Building (formerly the Lodge)
1878: Bishops' Building (named after Charles Perry and James Moorhouse, the first and second bishops of Melbourne)
The Trinity College Associated Clubs (TCAC) provides leadership for the annual orientation week program at the beginning of the academic year and facilitates a multitude of social, cultural and sporting events throughout the year. Trinity's clubs and societies run many different functions and events throughout the year. The current student clubs include an art room and the E. R. White art collection,[9] Beer Budlay, Billiards Room, Dialectic Society (formed in 1877), a drama club, Environmental Committee, Games Society, Gender and Sexuality Alliance, Independent Dining Society, Racquet's Society, several music clubs and a wine cellar. Students also run an active program of social service and community outreach, including such programs as tutoring in local schools and educational visits to remote Indigenous communities.
Trinity College participates in many different sports in intercollegiate competition, including Australian rules football, soccer, netball, hockey, athletics, swimming, volleyball, squash, tennis and badminton. The college also has a particularly strong tradition in rowing and rugby. The college has its own multi-purpose synthetic court.
The current college song was written by the fifth warden, Evan Burge (1974–1996), set to the hymn tune "Thaxted" derived from the "Jupiter" movement from Gustav Holst's The Planets.
Where Bishops' lifts its ivy'd tower and Clarke's long cloisters run.
The College Oak stands spreading forth its branches to the sun.
And here are joy and laughter and loyal friends as well;
The Bulpadock rejoices in our efforts to excel.
And whene'er we think on all these things wherever we may be,
We shall raise our voices higher and sing of Trinity.
Great God, your spirit fills this earth, your truth can make us free,
O lift us up beyond ourselves to be all we can be.
For you have made and love us, and guide us through all strife,
You gave your Son as one of us, his death’s our source of life.
In friendship bind out hearts in one, a diverse unity,
And make us worthy of your name, O glorious Trinity.
The Choir of Trinity College has become known, especially but not exclusively, for choral music in the tradition of English cathedrals and the collegiate chapels of Oxford and Cambridge universities. The choir sings Evensong in the chapel during term. Choral Evensong at Trinity has become a well-known liturgical event in Melbourne. The choir also performs locally and tours internationally and have made a number of radio broadcasts and CD recordings, including five albums for ABC Classics.
From 1956 to 2016, the college provided liturgical hospitality to a dispersed Anglican congregation, the Canterbury Fellowship. The fellowship's choir sang for choral services on Sunday mornings and Evensong out of term time.
1991 James S. Craig, Michael R. Jones (acting deans)
1992–1994 Mary Chapman
1995–1996 Jan Jelte 'Wal' Wiersma
1997 Damian Xavier Powell (acting)
1998 John Adams (Dean of Students)
Residential deans and deputy wardens
2000–2004: Stewart D. Gill
2006–2008: Peter J. Tregear
2008–2013: Campbell P. Bairstow
2014–2015: Sally A. Dalton-Brown (acting, then dean)
2016–2018: Campbell P. Bairstow
Dean of the residential college
2019–present: Leoni Jongenelis
Deputy warden
2019–present: Scott Charles (also director of advancement)
Theological deans
Leadership of theological education at Trinity was originally the responsibility of the college chaplains under the supervision of the warden. Since the 1970s there have been lecturers specifically appointed to teach in and lead the school, holding the positions of Stewart Lecturer, director and, more recently, dean.
1971–1975: Max Thomas, Stewart Lecturer
1976–1985: John Gaden Thomas, director and Stewart Lecturer
1986–1997: Richard McKinney, director and Maynard Lecturer
1998: Scott Cowdell, Maynard Lecturer and acting director
1999–2003: David Cole, director and Woods Lecturer
2003–2007: Andrew Brian McGowan, director and Munro Lecturer
2007–2010: Timothy Gaden, dean and Stewart Lecturer
2011–2017: Dorothy Lee, dean and Frank Woods Professor
2018: Mark Lindsay, Joan F. W. Munro Professor and acting dean
2019–present: Robert Derrenbacker, dean and Frank Woods Associate Professor
Pathways School deans
1990: Karel Reus (executive director, Trinity Education Centre)
1991–1998: Dennis White (executive director, Trinity Education Centre)
1999–2001: David Prest (director, Trinity Foundation Studies Program)
2002: Alan Patterson (director, Trinity Foundation Studies Program)
2003–2006: Diana Smith (director, Trinity Foundation Studies Program)
2006–2014: Barbara Cargill (dean, International Programs)
Recognised alumni with existing profiles on Wikipedia, the Australian Dictionary of Biography or other verified biographies are arranged below by the category in which they are generally associated. Many alumni served during the world wars; however, unless they pursued a military career or were killed in action it is their later achievements in the field of endeavour in which they are listed.
Will Alstergren AO KC (TC 1985) – Australian jurist, Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia and Chief Judge of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia
John Batt AM (TC 1954) – Australian jurist and Court of Appeal justice, Supreme Court of Victoria
Gardiner, Lindsay (1986). Janet Clarke Hall 1886–1986. South Yarra, Vic.: Hylland House Publishing. ISBN0-908090-87-0.
Grant, James (1972). Perspective of A Century. Melbourne: The College.
Markwell, Donald (2007). "Melian Stawell and Collegiate Education", A large and liberal education': higher education for the 21st century. North Melbourne, Vic.: Australian Scholarly Publishing & Trinity College, University of Melbourne. ISBN978-1-74097-150-8.
Miley, Caroline (1997). Trinity College Chapel: An Appreciation. Melbourne: Trinity College Council.
Nicholls, Lara (2001). In a New Light: The Art Collection of Trinity College, The University of Melbourne. Parkville, Vic.: Trinity College.
Poynter, John (1997). Doubts and Certainties: A Life of Alexander Leeper. Carlton South, Vic.: Melbourne University Press. ISBN0-522-84801-X.