We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.
The cookies that are categorised as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ...
Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.
Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customised advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.
History and Development of the University of Melbourne
- Established in 1853
- Second oldest university in Australia
- Located in Melbourne, Victoria
- Main campus in Parkville
- Several other campuses across Victoria
- Proposed by Hugh Childers in 1852
- Established by Act of Incorporation in 1853
- Power to confer degrees in arts, medicine, laws, and music
- Annual endowment of £9,000
- Special grant of £20,000 for buildings
- Expansion of offerings and courses in the 1900s-1970s
- Diploma of Education established in 1903
- Growth facilitated by increased government funding
- School of Dentistry established
- Notable site for research and leader in Australia
- Amalgamation with tertiary colleges in the 1980s-2000s
- Melbourne Teachers College brought into the Faculty of Education in 1988
- College of Advanced Education incorporated in 1989
- Victorian College of the Arts affiliation in 1992
- Establishment of Melbourne School of Population Health in 2001
- Introduction of Melbourne Model and curriculum restructure in 2008
- Replaced traditional undergraduate specialist degrees
- Two-degree undergraduate/graduate structure
- Over 100 undergraduate degrees replaced with six generalist degrees
- Focus on interdisciplinary learning and flexibility in course selection
Restructure, Controversies, and Impact of COVID-19
- Business Improvement Program introduced in the 2010s
- Resulted in the sacking of 500 administrative staff
- Administrative responsibilities transferred to academic staff
- $2 billion spent on new buildings across the campuses
- Melbourne School of Land and Environment disestablished
- Allegations of a toxic workplace culture within the Faculty of Arts
- Controversy over high salaries earned by the Vice Chancellor
- University became increasingly reliant on revenue from international students
- Largest layoff of academic staff, axing 450 positions
- On-campus teaching limited and moved to online delivery due to COVID-19
- Telecommunication platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams used for online learning
- Majority of teaching moved online again due to the Delta variant outbreak
- Halt in international student arrivals causing a major loss in revenue
- Repayment of unpaid marking to casual tutors
- Wage theft and underpayment controversies towards casual staff
- University owed Faculty of Arts teaching staff an estimated $6 million
- Vice-Chancellor issued an apology for systematically underpaying staff and repaid $9.5 million
- Sustained criticism for poor conditions of casualised academic workforce
- Protests and strikes by National Tertiary Education Union members
Campuses of the University of Melbourne
- Main campus in Parkville
- Additional campuses at Burnley, Southbank, Werribee, Creswick, Dookie, and Shepparton
- Southbank campus home to the Victorian College of the Arts and the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music
- Burnley campus specializes in ornamental and environmental horticulture
- Creswick campus focuses on forest science education and research
- Dookie campus dedicated to agriculture and agricultural teaching and learning
- Shepparton campus part of the Melbourne Medical School and provides comprehensive primary healthcare
- Werribee campus for research and teaching for the Melbourne Veterinary School
- Fishermans Bend campus in the design phase for a new engineering campus
Former Campuses of the University of Melbourne
- Glenormiston campus now Glenormiston College
- Longerenong campus now Longerenong College
- McMillan campus based in Leongatha and Warragul
- Gilbert Chandler Campus based in Werribee
Governance, Endowment, and Faculties/Programs of the University of Melbourne
- Governance grounded in the University of Melbourne Act 2009
- Council as the peak governing body
- Academic Board overseeing teaching, research, and learning activities
- Committee of Convocation representing graduates
- Hierarchy of delegations framework for university operations
- Endowment of approximately $1.335 billion, the largest of any Australian tertiary institution
- Fundraising campaign titled 'Believe' raising $500 million by 2016
- Multiple faculties and programs, including the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, Faculty of Architecture