Newman College, Melbourne

Newman awards financial aid in the form of scholarships and bursaries to around 75% of residents. Scholarships are awarded to both domestic and international students, of total value of up to $10,000.[2]

Newman applicants may also apply for the University of Melbourne Residential College Access Scholarship, which supports Indigenous students and regional students from a disadvantaged financial background to stay in college during their degree.[3]

The college hosts regular Irish studies seminars which are open to the public.

Newman College hosts a number of endowed chairs at the University of Melbourne. They include the Gerry Higgins Chair of Irish Studies, the Gerry Higgins Lecturer in Philosophy, the Gerry Higgins Lecturer in Medieval Art History, the Gerry Higgins Lecturer in Shakespeare Studies and the Gerry Higgins Chair of Positive Psychology.

Newman College
Dining room façade
Former names	Roman Catholic College
General information
Type	Residential college
Architectural style	Gothic Revival Chicago influence
Address	887 Swanston Street, Parkville
Town or city	Melbourne
Country	Australia
Construction started	April 1916
Completed	March 1918
Owner	Roman Catholic Trusts Corporation
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Walter Burley Griffin; Marion Mahony Griffin
Main contractor	Bart Moriarty
Awards and prizes	Australian Institute of Architects (Victorian Chapter) Heritage Architecture Award 2010
Designations	Register of the National Estate (1978); Australian National Heritage List (2005); National Trust of Australia; Melbourne City Council Heritage Register; RAIA National Register of Twentieth Century Architecture; Victorian Heritage Register
References
[5]

The original set of campus buildings were built during 1916 to 1918 and were designed by American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin. The Burley Griffins also designed furniture for the college, including distinctive chairs, tables and bookshelves for the dining room and the original bedrooms of the college. Much of this furniture remains in day to day use at the college, but some of it has found its way into various art galleries and private collections.[6] This was recognised by its inclusion on the Australian National Heritage List on 21 September 2005, citing "one of the best examples of Griffin’s architecture in Australia" and "Newman College is significant as an outstanding expression of Griffin’s architectural style".[7] The stonework has had substantial renovation to repair over 80 years of damage through exposure and natural degradation of the original stone and received the Australian Institute of Architects (Victorian Chapter) Heritage Architecture Award 2010.[5]

At its opening in 1918 the administration of the college was entrusted to the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) who continue its administration to the present day.

The college council, chaired by the Archbishop of Melbourne, oversees the governance of the college. Members include the Rector, the other three diocesan bishops of Victoria (Sandhurst, Ballarat and Sale dioceses), college alumni and members of the university. Members are appointed by the Archbishop. Each year the Provost selects two students to be members as student representatives. The presidents of the Students' Club and SCR are observers who reports to the council on the life of the college.

The college council has instituted the positions of Provost, Deputy Provost, Dean of Studies, and Dean of Students to oversee the everyday administration of the college. The Rector remains the official head of the college. These positions are currently held by:

• Rector: Very Reverend Frank Brennan SJ AO
• Provost: Dr Guglielmo Gottoli
• Deputy Provost: Mrs Rebecca Daley
• Dean of Studies: Mrs Charlotte O'Shea
• Dean of Students: Mrs Alicia Deak

The college chaplain, and Operations Manager are also members of the college administration.

Rectors

Dome of Newman College

As of 2023, the Rector of the college is Frank Brennan SJ AO, an Australian Jesuit priest, human rights lawyer and academic.

Order	Title	Rector	Term start	Term end	Time in office	Notes
1	The Very Rev.	James O'Dwyer SJ	1918	1919	0–1 years
2	The Very Rev.	Albert Power SJ	1919	1923	3–4 years
3	The Very Rev.	Jeremiah Murphy SJ	1923	1954	30–31 years
4	The Very Rev.	Philip Gleeson SJ	1954	1961	6–7 years
5	The Very Rev.	Michael Scott SJ	1961	1968	6–7 years
6	The Very Rev.	Gerald Daily SJ	1968	1977	8–9 years
7	The Very Rev.	Brian Fleming SJ	1977	1986	8–9 years
8	The Very Rev.	William Uren SJ	1987	1990	2–3 years
9	The Very Rev.	Peter L'Estrange SJ	1991	2005	13–14 years	Moved to Campion Hall, Oxford
10	The Very Rev.	William Uren SJ AO	2006	2019	16–17 years	Remained a scholar-in-residence
11	The Very Rev.	Frank Brennan SJ AO	2020	present	2–3 years

Notable alumni of the college include:

• Kevin Andrews – federal Liberal Party MP
• Frank Brennan – Jesuit priest, human rights lawyer and academic[9]
• Peta Credlin – chief of staff to the former Prime Minister of Australia, Tony Abbott
• Neale Daniher – former AFL footballer (Essendon Football Club)
• Marg Downey – comedian and actress
• Frank Galbally CBE – criminal defence lawyer
• John Galbally CBE, QC – former Labor politician
• Sir James Gobbo – 25th Governor of Victoria and former Victorian Supreme Court judge, a former Rhodes Scholar
• James P. Gorman – CEO and chairman of Morgan Stanley
• Sir Gregory Gowans - left-leaning intellectual, lawyer and former Victorian Supreme Court judge
• Jack Hibberd – playwright
• Allan Myers – barrister, philanthropist and chancellor of the University of Melbourne
• Brenda Niall – biographer, literary critic and journalist
• Gemma Sisia – humanitarian, founder of the School of St Jude
• Charles Sweeney QC – Federal Court of Australia judge[10]
• Richard Tracey – Federal Court of Australia judge

• List of Jesuit sites

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Newman College.

• Official website
• Australian National Heritage listing for Newman College