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St John's College, University of Sydney

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St John's College, built in the Gothic Revival style, as seen from Parramatta Road.

St John's College, or the College of St John the Evangelist, is a residential College within the University of Sydney.

Established in 1857, the College of St John the Evangelist is the oldest Roman Catholic university college and second-oldest university college in Australia, and remains one of the country's most prestigious. St John's is a co-educational community of 185 undergraduate and postgraduate students.

History

St. John's College Act in the Parliament of New South Wales, it is the second-oldest university residential college in Australia. It is the oldest Catholic College in Australia, and was the first Catholic College in a non-Catholic university to be founded in the British Empire. It is now a co-educational community of 185 students. Its founder was the Archbishop of Sydney, Bede Polding. It began as a Benedictine foundation.

In 1854 the first effort to establish the College of Saint John the Evangelist was made at a meeting in the old St Mary's Cathedral. The Government promised a pound for pound subsidy of up to a 20,000 pound limit provided at least 10,000 pounds was raised by public subscription. Remarkably this was met in six months from July 1857.

On December 15, 1857 the Act of Incorporation was passed in the newly-formed NSW Parliament. The Proclamation of the Council took place on July 1st 1858 and thus St. John's was founded.

In 1887, James Francis Hogan wrote in The Irish in Australia, that St Ignatius' College, Riverview, St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill and

St. John's College, affiliated to the University of Sydney...are three educational institutions that reflect the highest credit on the Catholic population of the parent colony.[1]
St John's College Chapel
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St John's College Dining Hall

Architecture

The work of Wardell and Blackett

St John's College is perhaps the grandest Gothic Revival college in Australia by one of England's (and Australia's) foremost ecclesiastical architects of the mid-nineteenth century. A rare realization of Pugin's ideal Catholic College (and in turn based on Magdalen College, Oxford), it demonstrates the influence of Pugin on the work of William Wardell.

Built entirely in sandstone, the college is fourteenth century English Gothic in style and substantially Renaissance Baroque in plan, in the manner of Wardell's earlier monasteries and convents. There are fine interior spaces - such as the Chapel, Great Hall, Library and Imperial Staircase - all on a scale grander than Blacket's St Paul's College, though Blacket himself supervised the work in 1860-62 after Wardell's resignation.

In February 1859 Wardell was appointed architect for St John's. Working in Melbourne he drew up the general plans and sent them to Sydney in May. Because of a very tight budget with a limit of 30,000 pounds, July and August saw discussion of Wardell's design and of how much could be built within the budget. In September and October the general plans were approved by the St John's Council and the University Senate. Wardell designed St John's College as a three-storeyed sandstone Gothic Revival building on an H shaped plan. Stylistically, St John's is 14th Century English Gothic in detail, yet the building is markedly Classical in its design (ie. from Renaissance and Baroque tradition).

During the period from October 1859 to April 1860 relations between Wardell and the Council deteriorated for various reasons, ultimately ending with Wardell's resignation in June 1860. With the main building programme already in progress the Council retained Wardell's plans and proceeded with the construction under the supervision of Edmund T. Blacket, another of Australia's best known colonial architects who had finished construction of the first stage of St Paul's College at the University of Sydney the previous year.

When Blacket was appointed to supervise the construction of St John's he was given one restriction by the Council. Some of the changes Blacket made to Wardell's specification were the substitution of Australian Hardwood for Pitch Pine, the use of bar trusses in the Chapel, omission of a fountain, use of common bricks instead of fire bricks, substitution of Colonial for Portland stone and the use of ornamental pillars in the library. Blacket estimated that these and other changes would occasion a saving of 1,689 pounds, thus leaving the amended quote at 35,754 pounds. When the College was finally occupied the cost of construction for the first stage was in fact 40,000 pounds.

Later Developments (1918-Present)

In 1918, Wardell's son, Herbert, working with his partner Denning, designed what is known as the '38 wing (it was eventually begun in 1938) estimating the cost at 14,000 pounds. Construction was not started for 20 years because of lack of funds and was finally finished on a reduced scale in 1939.

In 1937 Countess Freehill donated 15,000 pounds to the College on the condition that it be used for the erection of the tower and that Hennessy and Hennessy be the architects. The design for the tower was 10 metres shorter than Wardell would have liked. Wardell believed that without the full height of the tower, the horizontality of the building would not be balanced. Nonetheless the tower was built to the amended design.

The 1960s saw great activity with extensions to the College. In 1961, 100 years after the first construction, Menzies Wing on the east end of the South Range was begun. The architects were McDonell, Mar and Anderson. In 1962 the Refectory was extended through to where the sacristies were, leaving an open arcade where the eastern wall had been. Extensions were also made to the kitchens and a lift was installed to replace the dumb waiter, still visible in the northern wall of the Great Hall. The architects were McDonell and Mar, who also built the Polding Wing on the west end of the South Range in 1967. Although these wings are four-storeyed and very different to the design of Wardell, the architects have looked back to his design for guidance and inspiration. Their modifications of Wardell's original design for 76 students have enabled the present building to accommodate 181 students.

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Freehill Tower Foyer
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St John's College Library

Student Life

The College of St John the Evangelist offers a traditional 'collegial' experience of University life.

Academic Life

St John's places the highest priority on the academic performance of its students. Academic assistance is provided by the Dean of Studies, assisted by a team of resident and non-resident Academic Tutors - senior high-acheiving students, postgraduate research students and university teaching staff and academics. The tutorial programme is comprehensive (over 50 subjects per week) designed to supplement the teaching and tutoring provided by the university and assist students in excelling academically. St John's has a vibrant postgraduate community and students are valued for their academic seniority and community leadership.

St John's College Chapel

The St John’s College chapel was completed in 1863 as part of the northern wing and longitudinal arm of the college by Edmund Blacket.

Catholic Mass is celebrated in the College Chapel weekly on Sundays at 5:30pm during the academic year, and on other special occasions. All students regardless of religious affiliation are welcomed and encouraged to attend. The Chapel is also a popular choice for weddings and other relgious ceremonies.

Formal Dinners

Formal Dinners are held at 6.30 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays throughout the academic year. Attendance is mandatory and all members of the College must wear an academic gown, and dress appropriately. Some Formal Dinners such as Victory Dinners and Valedictory Dinner are black tie events. Traditional formalities are observed. Students enter the Hall and stand in place prior to the arrival of the members of High Table. Grace is then said. Late arrivals should bow to the Rector (or president) and be acknowledged. It is considered discourteous to leave the Hall before the final Grace.

Sport

Sport is a tremendously important aspect of College life. St John's College Teams compete against the other colleges in a wide range of sports for the Rawson Cup (men's sport) and the Rosebowl Cup (women's). Currently Intercollegiate competition takes place in the following sports: Athletics, Basketball, Cricket, Hockey, Netball, Rowing, Rugby, Soccer, Softball, Swimming and Tennis.

All college residents are also members of Sydney University Sport and are entitled to access to all exclusive member benefits and services.

International Students

Currently over ten per cent of St John's residents come from overseas. Students are represented from The United States, Slovenia, India, China, Hong Kong, Scotland, England, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Gargoyle on south-western tower

Governance of the College

Government of the College is vested by the 1857 Act of Incorporation in the College Council, which consists of the Rector and eighteen Fellows. The presiding Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, currently George Cardinal Pell, takes the role of Visitor of the College, with all such powers as by law appertain to the office of Visitor of a College. Under the direction of the Visitor, the College associates itself with the interests of the Australian Church and its mission, particularly by the fostering of appropriate academic directions in education, charity, social justice, ethics and the environment.

The College Council

The College is governed by the College Council which consists of the Rector, Dr David Daintree BA(UNE), MLitt(Cantab), PhD, JP, (since September 2002) and 18 College fellows. The current Chairman of the Council is Mr John McDonald BEc, ACA, the Deputy Chairwomen is Mrs Kerry Chikarovski, the Treasurer is Mr John Clugston, BA, LLB, and the Secretary is Mr Phil O'Hara BE, FIEAust, CPEng.

Honarary Fellows

St John's College has a number of Honorary Fellows, distinguished members of the University and wider community, who have been selected to support the Rector by representing the interests of the College in their own spheres and by mentoring students

St John's College Students' Club

The Students' Club is the body that looks after much of the day-to-day activity of the students of the College. Formed in 1891,the Students' Club is governed by its own constitution and is led by the House Committee. The House Committee is elected by the students at the end of each academic year. The House Executive, comprising the President, Secretary and Treasurer, meets regularly with the Rector and Vice-Rector to discuss matters concerning the College. The Committee also meets to discuss and organise the Students' Club financial, cultural, sporting and social activities.

The activities of the Club are varied, ranging across social, cultural, sporting and disciplinary areas. Major events each year include a College play, an informal and formal ball, intercollegiate debating and sport. The Student Club also operates a bar, 'The Dail' in the area adjacent to the Junior Common Room.

Distinguished Alumni of St John's College

Politics and Law

Sport

Business

Medicine

Diplomacy

Academics

  • James Franklin - historian, mathematician and philosopher
  • Thomas John Butler - Professor of Latin and he first graduate of the University of Sydney to hold a Chair

Rhodes Scholars

  • Terence Glasheen
  • Colin Hingston
  • Michael L'Estrange
  • Tony Abbott
  • Anthony Dietz


Rectors of St John's College

  • (1858-1860) Very Rev. Maurus O'Connell O.S.B.
  • (1860-1874) Rev. Dr John Forrest D.D
  • (1874-1877) Most Rev. Roger William Bede Vaughan O.S.B. - second Archbishop of Sydney
  • (1877-1883) Very Rev. Dr Anselm Gillett O.S.B., D.D
  • (1883-1883) Rev. Pierre François Le Rennetel (acting)
  • (1883-1884) Rev. Daniel Clancy S.J.
  • (1884-1887) Very Rev. David Barry O.S.B.
  • (1887-1888) Very Rev. Patrick Murphy
  • (1888-1915) Right Rev. Dr James J. O'Brien D.D
  • (1915-1933) Very Rev. Dr Maurice Joseph O'Reilly C.M., D.D
  • (1933-1958) Very Rev. John Christopher Thompson C.M., BA (Hons) MA
  • (1958-1958) Rev. William Cantwell C.M. (acting)
  • (1958-1968) Very Rev. Professor John Burnheim M.A. D.Phil.
  • (1968-1969) Rev. Edmund Barry (acting)
  • (1969-1977) Very Rev. Gregory Meere
  • (1977-1980) Very Rev. Joseph Rheimer
  • (1980-1992) Very Rev. Lestor Gerald Cashen OAM, BA MPs(Hons) PhC Hon MPhil
  • (1992-1994) Very Rev. Barry Tunks
  • (1994-1995) Rev. Martin Milani (acting)
  • (1994-2000) Mr Marshal McMahon
  • (2000-2001) Rev. Paul O'Donnell (acting)
  • (2001-2002) Rev. Dr Colin Fowler O.P. (acting)
  • (2002-present) Dr David Daintreeiac BA MLitt PhD

References

  1. ^ "The Irish in Australia" — by James Francis Hogan, 1887. Reproduced by Project Gutenberg (retrieved 15 June 2006).

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