Christ College (University of Tasmania)

Christ College is the oldest tertiary institution in Australia and is a residential college of the University of Tasmania.

The college is currently located on the University's grounds in Sandy Bay. The college has a residential community consisting of approximately 200 undergraduate and postgraduate residents, a significant minority of whom are international students from Asia, Europe, and the Americas. College life at Christ College is vibrant, with numerous sport and social events being hosted throughout the academic year.

The college’s Sandy Bay campus buildings were designed by Dirk Bolt, and are regarded as one of Tasmania's finest examples of post-Second World War Australian architecture.^[2][3]

History^[4]

Christ College 1846-1856, Bishopsbourne

1846 The College was opened on 1 October 1846 with the hope that it would develop along the lines of an Oxbridge college and provide the basis for university education in Tasmania. It was also intended to prepare men for the priesthood. The Hutchins School and Launceston Church Grammar School were founded at the same time to act as feeder schools to the College.

The College's first ten years (1846–1856) were at Bishopsbourne, and there is still a sign there pointing to "The College". However, it never really developed as its founders hoped, and a depression in the colony, the remote site, and financial problems led to its closure in 1856. The cedar mantelpiece in the Computer Room is the only reminder of the now demolished Bishopsbourne building.

1879 The College re-opened in Hobart in 1879 in Macquarie Street, moving to the Hobart High School premises on the Domain on a seven-year lease in 1885. There was an effort during the Macquarie Street/High School period to provide some form of higher education, but for most of the time the College was just another Hobart school, competing for students against schools like Hutchins and the Friends' School. It did, however, offer some evening classes, which may have been for more advanced students.

1892 The lease was not renewed in 1892 because of the foundation of the University of Tasmania. The University moved into the High School buildings and the College closed. There had been a move to restructure Christ College as the new university, but this was defeated by the combined Presbyterian and Roman Catholic interests who were sensitive to what they perceived as an undue Anglican influence on education.

1911 The College reopened in 1911 as the matriculation section of the Hutchins School in Macquarie Street. The accumulated College assets were used to build a special Christ College wing for the matriculation section, and to acquire the Holy Trinity Rectory in Park Street as a hostel for theological and other students.

The College also had a very close association with St Wilfrid's College, the theological training college founded at "Richmond Hill", Cressy, in 1904. The property was bequeathed to the Diocese by James Denton Toosey, one of the Trustees appointed after the College's closure at Bishopsbourne in 1856, with the request that it be used if possible for the revival of Christ College.

By the nineteen twenties, St Wilfrid's College had run into difficulties, and at the same time Launceston Grammar protested that Hutchins, because of its close connection with the College, was receiving an unfair amount of the Christ College assets. Representations were made to Parliament, and the Christ College Act was passed in 1926, holding that the matriculation sections of Hutchins and Launceston Grammar were carrying out the secular academic intentions of the College's founders, and granting them each one third of the College's assets. The remaining third, with the proceeds from the sale of the "Richmond Hill" estate, was to be devoted to upgrading the Holy Trinity rectory site to "....provide for the training of young men in theological learning and Christian doctrine for admission to holy orders in connection with the Church of England in Tasmania and, as far as its means will allow, to provide for a college or hostel for students attending the University of Tasmania."

1929 The Warden of St Wilfrid's College, William Barrett, was appointed first Warden of the new college, and he and his five theological students and twelve university students move into enlarged premises on the Park Street site in 1929. In 1933 the College was formally affiliated with the University as its first residential college.

Christ College 1971-Current, Sandy Bay

1971 When the University moved to the Sandy Bay campus in the sixties, the College followed. It was finally completed in 1971, when it also became the first Tasmanian college to take both men and women.

1991 Christ College began a new chapter in its long and significant story. The Bishop, the Board of Management and the Christ College Trust entered an agreement whereby ownership and management of the College passed to the University of Tasmania. The agreement provides for the continuation of the College in the full integrity of its Anglican traditions and heritage.

1996 The College celebrated its sesquicentenary.

2003 The administration of Christ College was taken over by Accommodation Services, which also administers St John Fisher College and the new University Apartments.

2008 The College completes its first major refurbishment initiative since moving to the Sandy Bay site.

College Symbols

College Motto

W R Barrett suggested the College motto Jesus Christus esto mihi (Jesus Christ shall be mine or Let Jesus Christ be mine). It is said to have been found on the tomb of an early Christian named Domitilla in the catacombs in Rome.

College Seal

The College Seal was designed by Captain D Colbron Pearce, an artist on the staff of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. The seal, a symbolic expression of Dux Lux Rex Lex, is composed of the baton, torch, crown and book. These were incorporated into the seal design featuring a shield surmounted by a mitre after suggestions from the residents of the college.

College Colours

The College is represented by the colours Black, Gold and Blue               . These are prominent in the sport jersey used by the college team.

College Mascot

The Collegians are affectionately known as the Black Pigs.

The Rock

College members helped bring the College's best known symbol, the Rock, to the college site from the nearby quarry in Proctor's Road when the College moved to the Sandy Bay campus in 1962. It is tradition that The Rock be burned annually however, it is now so fragile that since 2006 this ceremony is no longer performed.

Sport

It is tradition that students from the southern Residential College of the University of Tasmania compete annually in a series of sport events.

The Black Pigs of Christ College compete annually with - Jane Franklin Hall and St John Fisher College for sporting glory in events categorised into Grand Slam sport and Minor sport. Grand Slam sport include; Rugby (males and females), Australian Football (males and females), Cricket (males), and Netball (females). Minor sport include; Soccer (males and females), Tennis (males and females), Table Tennis (males and females), Basketball (males and females), Volleyball (males and females), Netball (males), and Softball (Females).

Grand Slam Sport

Debating, although not organised annually, is a non-sport feature in some years.

Christ College Executive Committee

Trivia

• Christ College is the oldest tertiary institution in Australia, older than the University of Tasmania.^[5]
• The playing of rugby football (Cambridge Rules) at Christ College in Bishopsbourne in 1847-49 places it as the first rugby contests of any kind played anywhere beyond Great Britain, and amongst the earliest outside of Rugby School itself.^[6][7]
• The first rugby game in modern Tasmania was played at the Christ College Ground (now called Parliament Street Reserve) in Sandy Bay, Hobart on 8 July 1933.^[6]

Alumni

• Peter Underwood, the former Chief Justice of Tasmania and Governor of Tasmania
• Pip Courtney, ABC journalist
• Sir William Lambert Dobson, Tasmanian Politician and Chief Justice of Tasmania^[6]
• Marc Duldig, astrophysicist and former President of the Australian Institute of Physics
• Keith Mackriell, former Head of ABC Radio
• Alison Watkins, Managing Director of Coca-Cola Amatil and former CEO of GrainCorp

References

External links

• Facebook Page
• Christ College information for prospective students

University of Tasmania Faculties and Schools Australian Maritime College Agriculture Business and Economics Marine and Antarctic Studies Law Music Menzies Research Institute Residential Colleges Christ College Jane Franklin Hall Kerslake Hall St. John Fisher College Student Organisations Tasmania University Union People List of University of Tasmania people

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