College news

OUR NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDING IS OPEN

The Hon Dan Tehan MP and Prof Ken Hinchcliff opening the new building

The Hon Dan Tehan officially opened our new 100-room residential building on 7 February. The eco-friendly building includes a large, open study area, a two-level Junior Common Room, music rooms, the David Tan Visual Arts Studio and a shaded courtyard. In line with Trinity College’s commitment to sustainability, the new building is heated and cooled using geothermal energy, has a solar system and harvests and reuses rainwater for the gardens and toilets. The building, designed by Hayball, was shortlisted in the IDEA interior design awards.

KERRY GLEESON NAMED NEW BOARD CHAIR

Trinity's new board chair, Kerry Gleeson

Kerry Gleeson has been named incoming Chair of the Trinity College Board and will be the first woman to serve in the role. She will take over the position from Charles Sitch when his term concludes in May 2021. Kerry is an experienced non-executive director and has been on the Trinity College Board since 2015. She is also a member of the Finance and Audit Committee and Chair of the Pathways School Business Committee. ‘My vision for 2021 is for the Board to continue to focus on the wellbeing of our students,’ she says. ‘As we adjust to what many are terming the “new normal”, I want us to focus on and embrace the creation of a new normal that ensures Trinity continues to operate as a strong, vibrant college and an important and valued part of the Melbourne community, as it has done for more than a century.’

BALNHDHURR EXHIBITION

The opening of the Balnhdhurr exhibition in Trinity's Burke Gallery

We opened the exhibition Balnhdhurr – A Lasting Impression in Trinity’s Burke Gallery on 20 February. The exhibition showcased nearly 100 artworks produced through the Yirrkala Print Space, which is located on the tip of North East Arnhem Land.

JUTTODDIE – BREAKING TRADITION

Juttoddie has been run annually since 1931 ... until COVID

COVID-19 restrictions meant 2020 was the first year since its introduction in 1931 that the annual Juttoddie steeplechase didn’t go ahead.

PEACEBUILDER'S CONFERENCE

Isaiah Firebrace

At our third annual Peacebuilder’s Conference, University of Notre Dame Associate Professor for Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding David Anderson Hooker led a discussion about how the arts can help heal generational trauma and shape new beginnings in line with the theme Healing Our Stories. Australian X Factor winner, Eurovision representative and Masked Singer contestant Isaiah Firebrace joined the discussion and treated participants to an incredible online performance.

NEW SENIOR STUDENT – OSCAR HOLLANDS

Trinity's new Senior Student Oscar Hollands

Congratulations to our new Senior Student Oscar Hollands, who takes over the role from Morgan Galea. Oscar says that he’d ‘never seen so many smiles per square inch’ when he joined Trinity in 2018 and felt immediately welcome. He now aims to ensure all of Trinity’s resident students feel the same warmth and collegiality, particularly in light of 2020’s on-campus disruption.

‘It’s through shared experiences that you really integrate, so my main goal as Senior Student will be to create as many shared experiences as possible, such as arts groups, bands, social events and other opportunities that let people find common interests and help them meet people outside of their spheres, particularly in terms of their physical buildings or their year levels.’

We offer many thanks to Morgan for his exceptional leadership in 2020 and for helping our students navigate one of the most challenging years in Trinity’s history.

FOUNDATION STUDIES GETS CREATIVE IN LOCKDOWN

The lip sync battle in action

Our Foundation Studies students created a series of wellbeing videos to show support for one another in lockdown (while our staff delivered care packages to accommodation facilities), held an online media festival to showcase their creative works and showed off their best performances through an online lip sync battle. For the first time in Trinity’s history, we held virtual ceremonies for our graduating students.

BEHAN CARPARK WINS ARCHITECTURE AWARD

The upgraded Behan carpark

The Behan car park was upgraded and won the 2020 AILA Victoria Landscape Architecture Award for Cultural Heritage.

DR SCOTT KIRKLAND NAMED AS INAUGURAL STOCKDALE CHAIR

Dr Scott Kirkland

In February, accomplished researcher and writer Dr Scott Kirkland was named our Theological School’s inaugural John and Jeanne Stockdale Chair in Practical Theology and Ethics. The creation of the position was made possible thanks to a generous gift to the Theological School by the late John Stockdale.

VIRTUAL FIRESIDE CHATS

Professor Ned Foley

We held virtual fireside chats with a range of speakers, including our 2020 Gourlay Visiting Professor of Ethics in Business, Professor Andrew Crane, of the University of Bath, who addressed the issue of modern slavery, and Professor Edward ‘Ned’ Foley, Ebersold Chair in Constitutional Law at Ohio State’s law school, who spoke about the US presidential election.

CHOIR TOURS NORTH AMERICA

The Choir of Trinity College squeezed in a tour of Canada and the US from 29 January to 14 February before international borders closed, giving 14 performances in cities including Toronto, Boston, New York and Washington, DC. The choir also released a new album, Walking on Waves.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Dr Shireen Morris, Rona Glynn-McDonald, Associate Professor Sana Nakata, Dr Janine Mohamed and Belinda Duarte

Trinity celebrated International Women’s Day in March with a panel discussion about Indigenous women in leadership, which was moderated by Dr Shireen Morris. Panellists Rona Glynn-McDonald, Associate Professor Sana Nakata, Dr Janine Mohamed and Belinda Duarte offered insights into some of the many areas in which inspiring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women lead and better our society.

PUBLISHING SUCCESS FOR THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL STAFF

The Revd Canon Prof Dorothy Lee's new book

Our Theological School staff published a number of books, including The Ministry of Women in the New Testament: Reclaiming the Biblical Vision for Church Leadership by the Revd Canon Professor Dorothy Lee (for release in February 2021); God Has Chosen: The Doctrine of Election Through Christian History by the Revd Professor Mark Lindsay; and Epicureanism and the Gospel of John by the Revd Dr Fergus King.

GROUND BROKEN AT 611 ELIZABETH STREET

The site of our new campus at 611 Elizabeth Street officially broke ground on 10 February. The planned multi-level building will be used by our Pathways School when we consolidate several of our smaller Carlton campuses into a comprehensive second campus. The development forms part of a new educational and biomedical precinct.

RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE GETS CREATIVE IN LOCKDOWN

Trinity Survivor challenge

Our on-campus Residential College students held a Survivor contest, modelled on the TV show of the same name, which was filmed and streamed to students both on and off campus to maintain a sense of collegiality during the first Melbourne lockdown. Other lockdown activities included morning fitness sessions on the Bul, a virtual Corri Feud (a Family Feud spin-off) and online mindfulness sessions. The Trinity versus St Hilda’s COVID Cup was also introduced, which involved socially distanced sports and cultural competitions.

THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL VISITING PROFESSOR

In March, we welcomed Ulrike LinkWieczorek from the University of Oldenburg as our Theological School’s visiting professor. Professor Link-Wieczorek’s visit aimed to help forge research connections and explore student exchange partnership opportunities between the University of Oldenburg and Australian institutions.

RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE FUNDRAISERS

Residential College students participating in Connor's Run

Residential College students hosted a number of fundraisers throughout the year, including a 50-kilometre charity run for multiple sclerosis research, a 24-hour piano-playing marathon by student Ian Coyukiat to raise money for the Australian Red Cross, and a 12-hour relay as part of Connor’s Run to support brain cancer research.

WEAR IT PURPLE DAY

The GSA's cupcakes

We got involved in Wear it Purple Day on 28 August to show our support for the LGBTQIA+ community. Trinity’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance organised some colourful cakes to celebrate.

150TH ANNIVERSARY OF LAYING OF FOUNDATION STONE

10 February marked the 150th anniversary of the laying of Trinity College’s foundation stone.