Wesley College is a co-

residential college A residential college is a division of a university that places academic activity in a community setting of students and faculty, usually at a residence and with shared meals, the college having a degree of autonomy and a federated relationship ...

of 265 students within the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

. The college occupies a site on the main campus of the University of Sydney and was built on a sub-grant of

Crown land Crown land, also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it. Today, in Commonwealth realm ...

. Wesley is one of six on-campus colleges at the University of Sydney which provide accommodation. In 1923 the college averaged 45 students. 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. The college chapel owned a Latin version of the Bible which dated to 1479, and may be the oldest bible in Australia, but it has since gone missing. Wesleycollegecamperdown1930s

Buildings

The

Edwardian In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...

Gothic main wing of Wesley dates from 1917 and was designed by the winner of a competition, Byera Hadley (1872–1937), an English-born architect who had emigrated to Australia in 1887. Construction of the design was expected to cost £20,000. The brown face brick and

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

building originally consisted of the central wing,

dining room A dining room is a room for consuming food. In modern times it is usually next to the kitchen for convenience in serving, though in medieval times it was often on an entirely different floor level. Historically the dining room is furnished with ...

, chapel and Master's residence. It has a steep

slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...

roof and is topped with a copper

flèche Flèche or Fleche may refer to: * Flèche (architecture), a type of church spire * Flèche (cycling), a team cycling competition * Flèche (fencing), an aggressive offensive fencing technique * Flèche (fortification), a defensive work *, ships of ...

. The interiors are detailed in a

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

style with polished timber staircases and

wainscotting Panelling (or paneling in the United States) is a Millwork (building material), millwork wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials. Panelling ...

, leadlight windows and

quatrefoil A quatrefoil (anciently caterfoil) is a decorative element consisting of a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially overlapping circles of the same diameter. It is found in art, architecture, heraldry and traditional ...

plaster Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of buildings, while "re ...

ceilings. The chapel, also designed by Hadley and completed in 1919, was paid for by benefactor Frederick Cull. In 1922 the building's original design by Hadley was completed with the opening of the Callaghan Wing. 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.

Student life

Rawson Cup

Every year, Wesley men compete for the

Rawson Cup The Admiral Sir Harry Rawson Cup, commonly known as "The Rawson Cup", was presented to the Sydney University Sports Union in 1906 by Admiral Sir Harry Rawson, GCB, KCMG, Governor of New South Wales (1902–1909). The Rawson Cup is the male interc ...

, 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.

Rosebowl Cup

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

Social calendar

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

* 1916 (acting) Rev W Woolls Rutledge * 1916–1923 Rev

Michael Scott Fletcher M ichaelScott Fletcher (1868–1947) was an Australian Methodist minister, foundation master of King's College, University of Queensland, foundation Master of Wesley College, University of Sydney and held the Chair of Philosophy at the Universi ...

* 1923–1942 Rev Leslie Bennett * 1942–1964 Rev Bertram Wyllie * 1965–1976 Rev Norman Webb * 1977–1983 Rev

James Udy Reverend James Stuart Udy (30 September 1920 – 24 February 2003) was an Australian Uniting Church minister, Master of Wesley College, University of Sydney, author and President of the World Methodist Historical Society from 1977 until 1983. ...

* 1984–1996 Rev John Whitehead * 1997–2001 Rev John Evans * 2002–2009 Rev David Russell * 2010–present Lisa Sutherland

Notable alumni

Science, medicine, and academia

* Dennis A. Ahlburg, academic and university administrator *

Robyn Alders Robyn Gwen Alders Order of Australia, AO is the first female veterinary scientist to be made an Officer of the Order of Australia. Dr. Alders is most recognised for her work on food security by improvements in poultry health in developing countr ...

, veterinarian * Alan Edward Bray, vascular surgeon, founding member of the International Society of Endovascular Surgery * Allan G. Bromley, computer scientist/historian *

Hedley Bull Hedley Norman Bull (10 June 1932 – 18 May 1985) was Professor of International Relations at the Australian National University, the London School of Economics and the University of Oxford until his death from cancer in 1985. He was Montague ...

FBA, Professor of International Relations * Graeme James Caughley, ecologist *

Frederick Colin Courtice Frederick Colin Courtice FAA (26 March 1911, Bundaberg - 29 February 1992, Sydney), was an Australian medical scientist who became an expert in lymphatic physiology. His father, Frederick Courtice, was a Queensland politician. Courtice serv ...

, Rhodes Scholar and Professor of Pathology *

Anna Donald Anastasia Katherine Donald ( Courtice; 7 April 1966 – 1 February 2009), known as Anna Donald, was an Australians, Australian pioneer in the field of evidence-based medicine as well as an Epidemiology, epidemiologist and Director (business), com ...

, Rhodes Scholar and pioneer in the field of

evidence-based medicine Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is "the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. It means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available exte ...

* Donald William George AO, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Newcastle * Seth Grant, neuroscientist * Lester Hiatt, anthropologist * Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, biologist and climate scientist *

John Irvine Hunter John Irvine Hunter (24 January 1898 – 10 December 1924)Michael J. Blunt,, ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Vol. 9, MUP, 1983, pp 408–9. Retrieved 13 August 2009 was an Australian professor of anatomy. Early life and education Hun ...

, anatomist * Ray Ison, environmental scientist * Keith Jones, surgeon and past president of the Australian Medical Association * Clifford Kwan-Gett, pioneer of the artificial heart * John Moulton OAM, former

Wallabies A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and som ...

team doctorAustralian Rugby
Retrieved 28 September 2012 *

Tim Murray Timothy Patrick Murray (born June 7, 1968) is an American lawyer and member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party who served as the 71st Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, lieutenant governor of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2 ...

, archaeologist * Gordon Parker, scientia professor of psychiatry at the University of New South Wales *

Stewart Turner John Stewart Turner, FAA, FRS (11 January 1930 – 3 July 2022) was an Australian geophysicist. Early life Stewart Turner was educated at North Sydney Boys High School and Sydney University. He then joined the Cloud Physics Group, CSIRO Divisi ...

, geophysicist

Politics, public service, and the law

* Reginald Barrett, Judge of the Supreme Court of NSW * Rawdon Dalrymple, Rhodes Scholar and Australian Ambassador to the United States, Japan, Indonesia, and Israel * John Dauth, Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Malaysia * Karin Emerton, Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria * Ken Matthews, public servant *

Neville Perkins Neville George Perkins OAM, (born 4 January 1952), is a former Australian politician and public servant. Early life Perkins is the grandson of Hetty Perkins, an Eastern Arrernte elder, and a nephew of Charlie Perkins. He is a descendant of b ...

OAM, Northern Territory Politician and first Indigenous Australian to hold a shadow ministry in an Australian parliament *

Neil Pickard Neil Edward William Pickard (13 February 192913 April 2007) was a New South Wales politician and Minister of the Crown in the cabinets of Sir Eric Willis and Nick Greiner. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for 26 years ...

, NSW politician * Walter Cresswell O'Reilly, public servant * John Tierney, Senator for New South Wales * Greg Urwin, Diplomat and Secretary General of the

Pacific Islands Forum The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) is an inter-governmental organisation that aims to enhance cooperation among countries and territories of Oceania, including formation of a trade bloc and regional peacekeeping operations. It was founded in 197 ...

* Julie Ward, Judge of the Supreme Court of NSW * Taimus Werner-Gibbings, Member of ACT Legislative Assembly

Military

* Mervyn Brogan KBE, CB, Chief of Army

Business

* Henry Bosch, businessman * David Johnson, former President and CEO of

Campbell Soup Company The Campbell's Company (doing business as Campbell's and formerly known as the Campbell Soup Company) is an American company, most closely associated with its flagship canned soup products. The classic red-and-white can design used by many Campbe ...

Royalty

Taufa'ahau Tupou IV George Tupou I (4 December 1797 – 18 February 1893), originally known as Tāufaʻāhau I, was the first king of modern Tonga. He adopted the name Siaosi (originally Jiaoji), the Tongan equivalent of '' George'', after King George III of the ...

, King of

Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...

* Graham Nugent

Arts and humanities

Anna Broinowski Anna Broinowski is a Walkley Award-winning documentary filmmaker and author. Her feature documentaries are ''Forbidden Lie$'', about Chicago hoax author Norma Khouri, cited as one of the best 100 Australian films of the new millennium, ''Aim ...

, filmmaker * Melissa Beowulf, portrait artist * Malcolm Brown,

Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper in ...

journalist and non-fiction writer *

Rob Carlton Rob Carlton (born 4 May 1971) is a Logie Award winning Australian actor and writer. He is best known for writing and starring in the comedy series '' Chandon Pictures''. He also had starring roles in the comedy satire '' The Hollowmen'' and Netfl ...

, actor * Libby Gleeson, Children's author * Milton Osborne, historian *

Dolph Lundgren Hans "Dolph" Lundgren (, ; born 3 November 1957) is a Swedish actor, filmmaker, and martial artist. Lundgren made his acting debut in 1985 with a cameo in the List of James Bond films, James Bond film ''A View to a Kill''. Also that year, he h ...

, actor * Frank Walker, Journalist and non-fiction writer

Sports

Adrienne Cahalan Adrienne Cahalan (born 1964) was the only woman competing in the 2005–06 Volvo Ocean Race. She is a qualified lawyer and had a master's degree in Applied Meteorology. Adrienne grew up on the Lane Cove River (part of Port Jackson) in Australi ...

, sailor * Gillian Campbell, Olympic rower * Emma Fessey, Australian Champion rower *

Peter FitzSimons Peter John FitzSimons (born 29 June 1961) is an Australian author, journalist, and radio and television presenter. He is a former national representative rugby union player and was the chair of the Australian Republic Movement from 2015 to 20 ...

, former Wallaby & Journalist * John Langford, Brumbies and Wallabies player * Nick Larkin, cricketer * Al Kanaar, Wallabies & NSW Waratahs rugby player * David Lyons, Wallabies & NSW Waratahs rugby player * Georgina Morgan, Olympic hockey player * Nick Phipps, Wallabies & NSW Waratahs rugby player * Faye Sultan, Kuwaiti Olympic Swimmer (exchange student from

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim ...

) * John Treloar, Olympic track and field athlete *

Bronwen Watson Bronwe Watson (born 23 February 1977) is an Australian former representative rower. She is a national champion, two-time World Champion and an Olympian. Personal Watson was born in Milton, New South Wales. Her father David is an Olympian, who ...

, Olympic rower * Sam Gee, Olympic Breaststroker

Other

* Peter Hall, architect who completed the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...

after the resignation of

Jørn Utzon Jørn Oberg Utzon (; 9 April 191829 November 2008) was a Danish architect. In 1957, he won an international design competition for his design of the Sydney Opera House in Australia. Utzon's revised design, which he completed in 1961, was the b ...

* Winston O'Reilly, Methodist minister * Anna Rose, activist and co-founded the

Australian Youth Climate Coalition The Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) is a youth organisation in Australia focused on climate change activism. The organisation aims "to build a movement of young people leading solutions to the climate crisis", by empowerment and educa ...

Gregory Stanton Gregory H. Stanton is the former research professor in Genocide Studies and Prevention at the George Mason University in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. He is best known for his work in the area of genocide studies. He is the founder ...

, founder of Genocide Watch * Ian Stapleton, architect * Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, Rhodes Scholar and chief executive of Oxfam * Keith Suter, futurist *

Avicii Tim Bergling (8 September 1989 – 20 April 2018), known professionally as Avicii, was a Swedish DJ, remixer, and record producer. At age 16, he began posting his remixes on electronic music forums, which led to his first record deal. He rose ...

, Musician

Rhodes Scholars

* 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

External links

Wesley College Website
{{Authority control Methodism in Australia Residential colleges of the University of Sydney Uniting Church in Australia 1917 establishments in Australia Universities and colleges established in 1917