Medley Hall (University of Melbourne)

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Medley Hall is the smallest residential college of the University of Melbourne in Australia. Established in 1954, it is situated on 48 Drummond St in Carlton, Victoria, away from other residential colleges in Parkville. It is home to approximately 60 students from around Australia and overseas. Medley Hall was named in honour of Sir John Dudley Gibbs Medley, a previous Vice Chancellor of the University of Melbourne.

1 History
2 Students' Club
3 Food
4 Architecture
5 External links

[edit] History

Medley Hall, Carlton.

The main building was originally called Benvenuta. It was completed in 1893 for Leah Abrahams, the widow of a small arms dealer. In 1925, Benvenuta was leased to the Commonwealth Government which transformed it into Arbitration Court Offices. Next, the mansion was converted into an Italian club, boasting a ballroom, orchestra and a regular Sunday boxing match, after a period of vacancy.

Benvenuta also has its share of dark history. A bullet hole in the stained glass 'Welcome' window at the top of the stairs is supposedly evidence of criminal activity occurring from 1938 when leased to a North Melbourne vigneron.

Benvenuta's ownership passed to the Italian Consulate prior to Italy's participation in World War II. After the war, Benvenuta was given to the University of Melbourne which then renamed it the Drummond Street Hostel.

In 1953, the management was taken over by the University Council and the first Warden was appointed the following year. In 1955, the hostel was renamed Medley Hall.

The college's administration is led by its principal, Phillippa Connelly.

[edit] Students' Club

The office bearers of the Medley Hall Students' Club for 2007 are:

President - Thomas Vasey
Vice-President - Justin Liew
Treasurer - Andrew Lewis
Secretary- Nicole Stewart
Major Functions Representative- Ruth Rughuboor
ICAC Representative- Emily Young
Male Sports Representative - Lincoln Loi
Female Sports Representative - Amy Stubbs
First Year Representative - (elected in 2007)
International Representative- Xin Di

They replace the previous office bearers (2006):

President - Tim Byrne
Vice President - Jesse Toe
Treasurer - Gary Wei
Secretary - Liana Renden
Major Functions Represntative - Phoebe Tham
ICAC Represenative - Campbell Brice
Male Sports Representative - Phillip Brown
International Representative - Shirley Anggraeni
First Year Representative - Andrew Lewis

Students are also cared for by duty tutors Caitlin May and Cait Storr.

[edit] Food

Meals are prepared by the college chef Peter Ng and his wife Josephine on a daily basis, who have been working there for over 20 years. Peter and Josephine, affectionately called "Uncle and Auntie" by the students, are considered to be one of the corner stones of the Medley Hall community.

[edit] Architecture

The building was designed in an Italianate Victorian Baroque style by Walter Scott Law. Construction materials and craftsmen were imported from Italy. This includes stained glass and over 15 tonnes of marble and steel. It is richly decorated including miniature statuettes on the parapets.