Wesley College, University of Sydney

Summary

Wesley College is a co-residential college of 265 students within the University of Sydney. The college occupies a site on the main campus of the University of Sydney and was built on a sub-grant of Crown land. Wesley is one of six on-campus colleges at the University of Sydney which provide accommodation. In 1923 the college averaged 45 students.[1] Originally the college accommodated only men but when women were admitted in 1969 Wesley became the first of the colleges within the University of Sydney to become co-educational. Its current head is Lisa Sutherland, who has held the position since 2010.[2]

Wesley College
University of Sydney
LocationWestern Avenue, University of Sydney NSW, 2006
Coordinates33°53′21″S 151°11′09″E / 33.8892453°S 151.1858654°E / -33.8892453; 151.1858654
Full nameWesley College
MottoMinistrate in Fide Vestra Virtutem (Latin)
Motto in EnglishServe Virtue in Your Faith
Established1917
Named forJohn Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church
Sister collegeQueen's College, University of Melbourne
MasterLisa J Sutherland
Residents265
WebsiteWebsite
The main entrance and buildings of Wesley College

The college chapel owned a Latin version of the Bible which dated to 1479, and may be the oldest bible in Australia, but has since gone missing.[3][4]

Wesley College in the 1930s.

Buildings edit

 
The interior of the Wesley chapel in the 1930s

The Edwardian Gothic main wing of Wesley dates from 1917 and was designed by the winner of a competition Byera Hadley (1872–1937),[5] an English-born architect who had emigrated to Australia in 1887. Construction of the design was expected to cost £20,000.[5] The brown face brick and sandstone building originally consisted of the central wing, dining room, chapel and Master's residence. It has a steep slate roof and is topped with a copper flèche. The interiors are detailed in a neo-Gothic style with polished timber staircases and wainscotting, leadlight windows and quatrefoil plaster ceilings. The chapel was paid for by benefactor Frederick Cull.[6]

In 1922 the building's original design by Hadley was completed with the opening of the Callaghan Wing.[7] Alan Dwyer designed the Cecil Purser Wing in 1943 and in 1960 Brewster Murray added the Wylie Wing. Further extensions were added in 1965 when Fowell, Mansfield & Maclurcan increased the capacity of the chapel and in 1969 when the same firm designed the Tutors Wing.[8]

Student life edit

Rawson Cup edit

Every year, Wesley men compete for the Rawson Cup, which was presented to the Sydney University Sports Union in 1906 by Admiral Sir Harry Rawson, and is the height of male intercollegiate sport. The cup is fought for throughout the year by men representing each of the University of Sydney colleges accumulating points by competing in cricket, rowing, swimming, rugby, tennis, soccer, basketball and athletics. Wesley has won the Rawson Cup on seven occasions.[citation needed]

Rosebowl Cup edit

The female sporting trophy, the Rosebowl Cup, has been won by Wesley on more occasions than any other college.

Social calendar edit

Students are also in charge of organising their own social calendar throughout the year, including sponsor bars, formal dinners, victory dinners, racing days, as well as the annual Informal (for 1200 people with live bands and DJs) and the annual Black Ball.

Masters edit

  • 1916 (acting) Rev W Woolls Rutledge[9]
  • 1916–1923 Rev Michael Scott Fletcher[10][11]
  • 1923–1942 Rev Leslie Bennett[1][10][12]
  • 1942–1964 Rev Bertram Wyllie[13]
  • 1965–1976 Rev Norman Webb[14]
  • 1977–1983 Rev James Udy
  • 1984–1996 Rev John Whitehead
  • 1997–2001 Rev John Evans
  • 2002–2009 Rev David Russell
  • 2010–present Lisa Sutherland

Notable alumni edit

 
Wesley College honoured alumni (as at 2019)

Science, medicine, and academia edit

Politics, public service, and the law edit

Military edit

Business edit

Royalty edit

Arts and humanities edit

Sports edit

Other edit

Rhodes Scholars edit

  • 1923 Ambrose John Foote
  • 1933 Frederick Colin Courtice
  • 1952 Rawdon Dalrymple
  • 1955 Alan Edward Davis
  • 1970 Greg Houghton
  • 1989 Anna Donald
  • 1995 Andrew Robertson
  • 1996 Stuart Grieve
  • 1998 Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah
  • 2000 Annaleise Grummitt
  • 2004 Nilay Hazari

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Principal of Wesley College". The Sydney Morning Herald. NSW. 8 March 1924. p. 18. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  2. ^ Malcolm Brown (25 August 2009). "Hissy Fits are over – a Woman's in Charge Now". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  3. ^ "The Oldest Bible". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 February 1954. p. 2. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  4. ^ "Church Quest For Our Oldest Bible". The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 February 1954. p. 2. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  5. ^ a b "New Wesley College". The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 January 1916. p. 17. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  6. ^ Brown, Malcolm (October 2006). "Frederick Cull Councillor 1915–1942". The Wesleyan: 14.
  7. ^ "Wing for Wesley College". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 February 1922. p. 15. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  8. ^ Howells, Trevor (2007). University of Sydney Architecture. Sydney: Watermark Press. p. 142. ISBN 978-0949284754.
  9. ^ "Wesley College". The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 April 1916. p. 18. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  10. ^ a b "Wesley College". The Courier-Mail. Qld. 18 August 1923. p. 7. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  11. ^ "To retire at end of year". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane. 15 August 1938. p. 3. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  12. ^ "College Master to retire". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 September 1942. p. 11. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  13. ^ "Distinguished guest speaker". Goulburn Evening Post (Daily and Evening ed.). NSW. 18 September 1953. p. 1. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  14. ^ Brown, Malcolm (2012). "Webb, Norman Charles (1925–1985)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.
  15. ^ Australian Rugby. Retrieved 28 September 2012

External links edit

  • Wesley College Website