Australian National University

"ANU" redirects here. For other uses, see ANU (disambiguation).

The Australian National University
Coat of arms of ANU
Motto	Naturam Primum Cognoscere Rerum (Latin) First to learn the nature of things
Established	1946
Type	Public
Endowment	A$1.13 billion
Chancellor	The Hon Gareth Evans AC
Vice-Chancellor	Ian Young AO
Administrative staff	3,753
Undergraduates	10,052
Postgraduates	10,840
Location	Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Campus	Urban, 1.45 square kilometres (358 acres)
Affiliations	Group of Eight, IARU, APRU, AURA, ASAIHL
Website	anu.edu.au

The Australian National University (ANU) is a public university in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Located in the suburb of Acton, the main campus encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national institutes.

Founded in 1946, it is the only university to have been created by the Parliament of Australia. Originally a postgraduate research university, ANU commenced undergraduate teaching in 1960 when it integrated the Canberra University College, which had been established in 1929 as a campus of the University of Melbourne. ANU enrols 10,052 undergraduate and 10,840 postgraduate students and employs 3,753 staff. The university's endowment stood at A$1.13 billion in 2012.

ANU is consistently ranked among the world's top universities. ANU is ranked equal 25th in the world (first in Australia) by the 2014/15 QS World University Rankings, and 45th in the world (second in Australia) by the 2014/15 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. In the 2014 Times Higher Education Global Employability University Ranking, an annual ranking of university graduates' employability, ANU was ranked 20th in the world (first in Australia).

ANU counts six Nobel laureates among its faculty and alumni. Students entering ANU in 2013 had a median Australian Tertiary Admission Rank of 93, the equal-highest among Australian universities. ANU was named the world's 7th most international university in a 2014 study by Times Higher Education.

History

Post-war origins

Calls for the establishment of a national university in Australia began as early as 1900. After the location of the nation's capital, Canberra, was determined in 1908, land was set aside for the university at the foot Black Mountain in the city designs by Walter Burley Griffin. Planning for the university was disrupted by World War II but resumed with the creation of the Department of Post-War Reconstruction in 1942, ultimately leading to the passage of the Australian National University Act 1946 by the Parliament of Australia on 1 August 1946.

Remains of the ANU homopolar generator designed by Mark Oliphant

A group of eminent Australian scholars returned from overseas to join the university, including Sir Howard Florey (co-developer of medicinal penicillin), Sir Mark Oliphant (a nuclear physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project), Sir Keith Hancock (the Chichele Professor of Economic History at Oxford) and Sir Raymond Firth (a professor of anthropology at LSE). Economist Sir Douglas Copland was appointed as ANU's first Vice-Chancellor and former Prime Minister Stanley Bruce served as the first Chancellor. ANU was originally organised into four centres—the Research Schools of Physical Sciences, Social Sciences and Pacific Studies and the John Curtin School of Medical Research.

The first resident's hall, University House, was opened in 1954 for faculty members and postgraduate students. Mount Stromlo Observatory, established by the federal government in 1924, became part of ANU in 1957. The first locations of the ANU Library, the Menzies and Chifley buildings, opened in 1963. The Australian Forestry School, located in Canberra since 1927, was amalgamated by ANU in 1965.

Canberra University College

Canberra University College (CUC) was the first institution of higher education in the national capital, having been established in 1929 and enrolling its first undergraduate pupils in 1930. Its founding was led by Sir Robert Garran, one of the drafters of the Australian Constitution and the first Solicitor-General of Australia. CUC was affiliated with the University of Melbourne and its degrees were granted by that university. Academic leaders at CUC included historian Manning Clark, political scientist Finlay Crisp, poet A. D. Hope and economist Heinz Arndt.

In 1960, CUC was integrated into ANU as the School of General Studies, initially with faculties in arts, economics, law and science. Faculties in Oriental studies and engineering were introduced later. Bruce Hall, the first residential college for undergraduates, opened in 1961.

ANU School of Art located at the former Canberra High School building

Modern era

The Canberra School of Music and the Canberra School of Art were amalgamated by ANU in 1992.

ANU established its Medical School in 2002, after obtaining federal government approval in 2000.

On 18 January 2003, the Canberra bushfires largely destroyed the Mount Stromlo Observatory. ANU astronomers now conduct research from the Siding Spring Observatory, which contains 10 telescopes including the Anglo-Australian Telescope.

In February 2013, financial entrepreneur and ANU graduate Graham Tuckwell made the largest university donation in Australian history by giving $50 million to fund an undergraduate scholarship program at ANU.

Academics

Main article: Academic structure of the Australian National University

ANU is governed by a 15-member Council, whose members include the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor. Gareth Evans, a former Foreign Minister of Australia, has been ANU Chancellor since 2010 and Ian Young, a research engineer, was appointed Vice-Chancellor in 2011. Ian Chubb, Vice-Chancellor from 2001 to 2011, is now the Chief Scientist of Australia.

Undergraduate students are represented by the Australian National University Students' Association (ANUSA) and postgraduates by the Postgraduate and Research Students' Association (PARSA). The Australian National University Union manages catering and retail outlets and function amenities on behalf of all students.

In its most recent disclosure at the end of 2012, ANU recorded an endowment of A$1.13 billion.

University rankings
Australian National University
QS World	25
QS Arts & Humanities	10
QS Engineering & Tech.	49
QS Life Sciences & Medicine	93
QS Natural Sciences	29
QS Social Sciences & Mgmt.	13
THE-WUR World	45
THE-WUR Arts & Humanities	16
ARWU World	74
Australian rankings
QS National	1
THE-WUR National	2
ARWU National	2
CWTS Leiden National	1

Rankings

ANU is consistently ranked among the world's top universities. In 2014, the university was placed 25th, 48th and 66th in the world by the QS, Times, and Shanghai rankings respectively.

ANU is also consistently ranked 1st in Australia by all major university rankings. ANU was ranked 1st in Australia in the CWTS Leiden Ranking 2014, 3rd in 2013 and 1st in 2011-2012. In the 2014/15 QS World University Rankings, ANU placed 1st overall in Australia, with the university also ranked 1st in the fields of politics and international studies, history, philosophy, sociology, modern languages, mathematics, electrical engineering, earth and marine sciences, and geography. Five subjects also attained top ten world rankings, with politics and international studies placing 6th in the world, history 7th, geography 8th, linguistics 9th and philosophy 10th.

Colleges

ANU was reorganised in 2006 to create seven Colleges, each of which conducts both teaching and research.

Arts and Social Sciences

The ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences is divided into the Research School of Social Sciences (RSSS) and the Research School of Humanities and the Arts (RSHA). Within RSSS there are schools dedicated to history, philosophy, sociology, political science and international relations, Middle Eastern studies and Latin American studies. RSHA contains schools focusing on anthropology, archaeology, classics, art history, English literature, drama, film studies, gender studies, linguistics, European languages as well as an art and music school. In 2013, ANU ranked 9th in the world in linguistics and 16th in the world for modern languages.

ANU College of Law

Asia and the Pacific

The ANU College of Asia and the Pacific is a specialist centre of Asian and Pacific studies and languages, with the largest number of experts in these fields of any university in the English-speaking world. It also houses the Crawford School of Public Policy and CSCAP Australia.

Business and Economics

The ANU College of Business and Economics comprises four Research Schools, which in turn conduct research and teaching in economics, finance, accounting, actuarial studies, statistics, marketing and management. The college is professionally accredited with the Institute of Chartered Accountants, CPA Australia, the Australian Computer Society, the Actuaries Institute Australia, the Institute of Public Accountants, the Association of International Accountants and the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute.

Engineering and Computer Science

The ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science is divided into two Research Schools, which study a range of engineering and computer science topics respectively. ANU is home to the National Computational Infrastructure National Facility and was a co-founder of NICTA, the chief information and communications technology research centre in Australia. Research groups in ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science include Algorithms and Data, Applied Signal Processing, Artificial Intelligence, Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems, Computer Systems, Computer Vision and Robotics, Data-Intensive Computing, Information and Human Centred Computing, Logic & Computation, Materials and Manufacturing, Semiconductor and Solar Cells, Software Intensive Systems Engineering, Solar Thermal Group, Systems and Control.

John Curtin School of Medical Research

Law

The ANU College of Law conducts legal research and teaching, with centres dedicated to commercial law, international law, public law and environmental law. In addition to numerous research programs, the College offers the professional LL.B. and J.D. degrees. It is the 7th oldest of Australia's 36 law schools and was ranked 3rd among Australian and 14th among world law schools by the 2012 QS Rankings. Students are given the chance to spend three weeks in Geneva concerning the institutional practice of International Law.

Medicine, Biology and Environment

The ANU College of Medicine, Biology and Environment encompasses the John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR), the ANU Medical School, the Fenner School of Environment & Society and Research Schools of Biology, Psychology and Population Health. JCSMR was established in 1948 as a result of the vision of Nobel laureate Howard Florey. Three further Nobel Prizes have been won as a result of research at JCSMR—in 1963 by John Eccles and in 1996 by Peter Doherty and Rolf M. Zinkernagel.

Physical and Mathematical Sciences

The ANU College of Physical & Mathematical Sciences comprises the Research Schools of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Mathematical Sciences and Physics. Under the direction of Mark Oliphant, nuclear physics was one the university's most notable early research priorities, leading to the construction of a 500 megajoule homopolar generator and a 7.7 megaelectronvolts cyclotron in the 1950s. These devices were to be used as part of a 10.6 gigaelectronvolt synchrotron particle accelerator that was never completed, however they remained in use for other research purposes. ANU has been home to eight particle accelerators over the years and operates the 14UD and LINAS accelerators. Professor Brian Schmidt (astrophysicist at Mount Stromlo Observatory) received the 2011 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work on the accelerating expansion of the universe.

Linnaeus Way at ANU

Campus

The main campus of ANU extends across the Canberra suburb of Acton, which consists of 358 acres (1.45 km²) of mostly parkland with university buildings landscaped within. ANU is roughly bisected by Sullivans Creek, part of the Murray–Darling basin, and is bordered by the native bushland of Black Mountain, Lake Burley Griffin, the suburb of Turner and the Canberra central business district. Many university sites are of historical significance dating from the establishment of the national capital, with over 40 buildings recognised by the Commonwealth Heritage List and several others on local lists.

With over 10,000 trees on its campus, ANU won an International Sustainable Campus Network Award in 2009 and was ranked the 2nd greenest university campus in Australia in 2011.

Four of Australia's five learned societies are based at ANU—the Australian Academy of Science, the Australian Academy of the Humanities, the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and the Australian Academy of Law. The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science and the National Film and Sound Archive are also located at ANU, while the National Museum of Australia and CSIRO are situated next to the campus.

ANU occupies additional locations including Mount Stromlo Observatory on the outskirts of Canberra, Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran, a campus at Kioloa on the South Coast of New South Wales and a research unit in Darwin.

Chifley Library

Library

Main article: Australian National University Library

The library of ANU originated in 1948 with the appointment of the first librarian, Arthur McDonald. The library holds over 2.5 million physical volumes distributed across six branches—the Chifley, Menzies, Hancock, Art & Music, and Law Libraries and the external Print Repository.

Residential halls and colleges

Eight residential facilities are affiliated with ANU—Bruce Hall, Ursula Hall, Burgmann College, John XXIII College, Toad Hall, Burton & Garran Hall, Graduate House and Fenner Hall. All are located on campus except Fenner Hall, which is located in the nearby suburb of Braddon. Students also reside in the privately run units adjoining the campus—Davey Lodge, Kinloch Lodge, Warrumbul Lodge and Lena Karmel Lodge. In 2010, the non-residential Griffin Hall was established for students living off-campus. Another off-campus student accommodation was launched by UniGardens Pty, University Gardens located in neighbour suburb of Belconnen.

Fenner Hall

Fenner Hall
University	Australian National University
Location	210 Northbourne Avenue, Braddon, ACT 2612, Australia
Coordinates	35.265228°S 149.132046°E / -35.265228; 149.132046
Full name	Fenner Hall, The Australian National University
Motto	Radix lepusculus lepusculus radicis
Established	1992
Named for	Professor Frank John Fenner, AC, CMG, MBE, FRS, FAA
Status	Self catered, co-educational
Gender	All
Principal	Dr Jasmine Jury
President	Dylan Karunaratne
Residents	517
Website	Fenner Hall

Fenner Hall is a residential college affiliated with the Australian National University in Canberra. Established in 1992, it is the only ANU accommodation located on Northbourne Avenue with buses provided to take students to campus. The residents are a variety of undergraduate, postgraduate and international students.

The college is named after Frank John Fenner (1914-2010),

The building

The two original buildings of the hall, Kinloch and South Tower, provide comfortable single room accommodation for students.

As a self-catered hall, the kitchen area is always a bustling meeting place for Fenner residents as the scent of cuisines sourced from every corner of the world resonate in the nostrils of every Fennerite.

The college has many meeting rooms, communal common areas, and study areas in which Fenner residents can undertake their study, socialise and engage in the many clubs and societies offered within Fenner Hall. The most successful of which is the Fenner Social Gaming club run by Raqeeb Bhuyan. Membership for this club has exploded since it's conception having run internal and inter-hall gaming nights.

The tenth floor of each tower contains common rooms and a large outdoor balcony space referred by residents as “The Roof”. Being so high up, the view is spectacular and The Roof is a popular place to hang out in summer time. The main courtyard of Fenner Hall is a large grassed space which includes a community vegie patch, picnic tables and electric barbeques.

There are a number of shared facilities located on each residential floor, including the bathrooms (one each of male, female and unisex); the laundry (contains washer, drier, drying room, iron and ironing board); and the kitchenette (contains microwave, toaster, fridges, boiling water urn).

The Main Kitchens are located on the ground floor, and are the social hub of the hall where people cook and eat their daily meals. Each resident is allocated a private lockable cupboard, as well as a lockable fridge which they share with five other members of their floor. The kitchens are equipped with microwaves, toasters, ovens, and gas cook-tops. The open plan nature means that the Main Kitchens are a social space, where people can cook together, learn new recipes from each other, eat together and socialise. It is here that the Fenner Residents’ Committee organises hall-wide potluck dinners and cooking competitions. It is here that the community gets together as they prepare their daily meals.

Bruce Hall

Bruce Hall
Motto	Felix Qui Potuit Rerum Cognoscere Causas
Motto in English	Happy is he who is able to discover the reason for things
Established	1961 (1961)
Type	Public
President	Marion Stanton
Vice-president	Tim Mansfield
Students	336
Location	Canberra, Australia 35.275°S 149.116°E / -35.275; 149.116
Colours
Sports	Hockey, Tennis, Basketball, Aussie Rules Football, Touch Football, Softball, Netball, Volleyball, Rugby League, Soccer, Table Tennis, Swimming
Mascot	Ouroboros
Website	http://brucehall.anu.edu.au

Bruce Hall is a residential college of the Australian National University, in Canberra, Australia, housing about 336 students. Bruce Hall is notable for being the first co-educational residential college in Australia.

The Hall's motto is "Felix Qui Potuit Rerum Cognoscere Causas" which means "Happy is he who is able to discover the reason for things". There is also a tradition of striving for excellence in sports and the arts, and for encouraging each resident to achieve their own personal best in all aspects of life.

Description

Bruce Hall

Bruce Hall is located on the campus of the Australian National University, along Daley Road, in the Dickson Precinct. It currently consists of 7 wings, which are North, South, East, West, Central, Extension and Packard.

Among Bruce Hall's facilities are two common rooms, music rooms, a darkroom, an art studio, laundry rooms, various function rooms, tutorial rooms, kitchens, a computer lab and a library. Bruce Hall also runs a buttery which sells snacks and alcoholic beverages to residents.

All residents, with the exception of residents in Packard Wing, are fully catered, receiving a 21-meal per week under the meal plan. Packard wing residents, as well as non-resident guests have the opportunity to purchase individual meals from the hall, which are held together with normal catered meals. Meals, as well as major functions, are held in the W.P. Packard Dining Hall, which is also notable for being home to Leonard French's Seven Days of Creation series.

Catered Wings

All wings other than those in the Packard wing consists of single rooms each with a single bed, wardrobe, desk, chair and washbasin. The rooms are centrally heated and carpeted and are the largest rooms available on ANU campus. There are a limited number of disabled access residential rooms, as well as cheaper non-standard rooms which may not contain all fixtures present in standard rooms.

The catered wings are generally occupied by junior undergraduate students of the Australian National University.

Self Catered Wing

The Packard wing provides studios, both single and double occupancy, with individual kitchens and bathrooms for postgraduate and later year undergraduate students. Each room has either a single or double bed, wardrobe, desk, chair, fridge, kitchenette and bathroom facilities. The rooms are centrally heated and carpeted.

The Packard wing is predominantly occupied by senior undergraduate students and postgraduate students of the Australian National University.

History

Bruce Hall is the oldest undergraduate residential hall on the Australian National University campus, being officially opened in 1961 (The oldest resident hall is University House opened in 1954 but exclusively for doctoral students). It originally consisted of just 5 wings, North, South, East, West and Central.

Bruce Hall was named after the former Prime Minister of Australia Stanley Bruce.

The first warden was Bill Packard OAM. He was instrumental in shaping the Hall's culture, developed Inward Bound, the ANU's premier inter-Hall sports event and continued to support the Hall's activities until his death in 2009.

In 1963 Motel Schreinerhof in Northbourne Avenue was taken over as an annexe for Bruce Hall and accommodated woman students until 1965.

A shortcut between Clunies Ross Drive and Daley Road just south of Bruce Hall was closed by students digging a ditch. A petrol tanker became stuck in the ditch. The ANU promised to install concrete posts and turn the area into a garden.

In 1964 a revenge attack from Duntroon cadets smashed doors and windows and caused water damage after a car was set on fire on the Duntroon parade ground.

On 9 July 1965 Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone toured the ANU with a visit to Bruce Hall.

The sculptures in the pond at the front of Bruce Hall that look like egg beaters, were designed by Herbert Flugelman. They were commissioned in 1965 and to be completed in 1967.

Liquor was first sold to students at the hall on 1 June 1970.

The hall's capacity was expanded with the completion of Extension Wing in 1971.

Bruce Hall was audited by the Federated Liquor and Allied Trades Union, as it was accused of breaking the minimum time rule for casual workers. The ANU had claimed it was not subject to rulings of the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission as it was created by its own act of parliament, but later changed its position on the matter.

In 2004, Packard Wing was completed and houses mainly later-year undergraduates and postgraduate students. The Packard Wing was named in honour of Bill Packard OAM, the founding warden.

Admissions

Admission to Bruce Hall is through the Australian National University's University Accommodation Services. Prospective residents apply through that office, and are allocated places at the various halls and colleges on the university based on preferences.

Administration

Bruce Hall is administered by the Australian National University's Accommodation Service (UAS) in conjunction with the Facilities and Services Division. The University Accommodation Service appoints a Head of Hall and a Dean. Various students are appointed as sub-deans and Senior Residential Scholars, who are residents of the hall assisting the administration team in the day to day operation of the hall.

The hall also appoints residents to IT positions, who are charged with the administration and maintenance of the hall's physical computing and network infrastructure, as well as the upkeeping of the Hall's internal and external website. Buttery staff are also drawn from residents, who coordinate and staff the buttery during the term, as well as organises events held around the bar, specifically bar nights. These personnel are collectively termed Residential Scholars.

For 2006 Bruce Hall, and the other Halls of Residence at the ANU, were administered under the portfolio of the Pro-Vice Chancellor (University of Community) then held by the current Dean of Students. However, the arrangement lasted for little more than a year and, in 2007, primary administration of the Hall fell once again to UAS.

Organisations within the hall

Association of Residents

Bruce Hall has an association of residents whereby the objective of the association and the committee are to serve and represent the members in all matters, to promote within the Hall a community spirit by means of cultural, sporting and social events, and to advance the interests of the Hall as a whole.

It stands as the main organising body of the Hall, arranging most of the Hall’s cultural, sporting and social events. The committee, an elected group of fourteen residents, is the organising arm of the Association.

The committee also publishes a year book called Ouroboros, encompassing all the activities and events of the year.

The first committee was established in 1961, and has been known under three names since.

Junior Common Room 1961-2004

The first Bruce Hall association of residents was established in 1961 as the Junior Common Room.

Bruce Hall Residents' Association 2005-2006

The name of the committee was changed in 2005 with the adoption of a new constitution, with the original intention of a possible incorporation, which did not come to fruition.

The Residents' Association largely carried out similar duties to the original Junior Common Room.

Bruce Hall Common Room 2006-current

Under directive from the Australian National University legal office in anticipation of Voluntary Student Unionism legislation, at its annual general meeting held on 11 October 2006 the committee removed the word association from its title to avoid any perceived confusion with student unions and renamed itself to the "Bruce Hall Common Room Committee."

Again, the change of name is purely cosmetic, and does not change the method in which the organisation is run.

Learning Communities

Bruce Hall provides Learning Communities for residents who may desire assistance in their areas of learning, as well as other areas of interest. A variety of processes are in place to help residents with university courses, and the advancement of other issues.

There are currently five Learning Communities: Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Rhetoric, Arts, and Sustainability

The learning community also has its own internal publications:

• Ignis Draconis, the hall newsletter
• Cross-sections, the Bruce Hall Academic Journal, featuring works by residents of the hall.

Bruce Green

Bruce Green is an organisation of individuals interested in environmental and sustainability issues within the hall. Bruce Green also seeks to spread awareness regarding environmental issues via events such as debates and meetings.

Bruce Hall Players

The Bruce Hall Players is a group of residents who produces and acts out an annual Bruce Hall play. Previous plays include:

• 1991: The Importance of Being Earnest
• 1992: Charley's Aunt
• 1993: The Mouse that Roared
• 1995: Twelfth Night
• 1996: Don's Party
• 1997: Antigone
• 1998: Picasso at the Lapin Agile
• 1999: Little Shop of Horrors
• 2000: Accidental Death of an Anarchist
• 2001: Kiss Me, Kate
• 2002: Death By Chocolate
• 2004: The Highway Man
• 2005: Psyche and Persephone
• 2006: Robin Hood, People in Tights
• 2007: League: The Musical
• 2008: The Bruce Brothers
• 2009: Brucegate
• 2010: Sandora's Box
• 2011: Grimmly Spectacular [The Brother's Grimm Spectaculathon]

ANU students performed Everyman in June 1966 in Bruce Hall.

Sports and Arts

Bruce Hall has a tradition in inter-collegiate sports and arts, having won the inter hall sports shield in 1998, 1999 and 2000, and the inter hall arts shield in 2004, 2006 and 2013. In addition to organised sports and arts events run by the inter hall community, the hall also has opportunities for social and informal sports and arts events, as well as inter wing competitions.

As reflected in the Sports Ethos, the hall prides itself on participation more than success, and places high emphasis on standards of sportsmanship.

A number of residents, both current and former, have proceeded into a higher level of sporting achievement, notably Frank Farina, former national football coach.

Publications

In 2005 the first edition of Cross Sections: The Bruce Hall Academic Journal was published. The project arose after discussions with residents and then dean Dierdre Pearce. The Journal seeks to be an inter-disciplinary work with both undergraduates, honours students and postgraduates contributing.

Since its inception the Journal has been funded wholly by the University, which ensures all residents receive a copy free of charge each year. Works submitted have been both written and visual pieces with all written works submitted for review by a University Academic. A panel of resident editors is appointed each year to oversee the project.

Since 2006, publishing of Cross Sections has been through Epress the ANU's publishing unit and the work is now available as a free on-line download or in a physical form on a pay-per-copy basis.

Other Events

Bruce Hall also houses the National Mathematics Summer School every January.

Bergmann College

Burgmann College
The Burgmann College crest, representing the unification of churches and the waters of Lake Burley Griffin
University	Australian National University
Location	Building 52 Daley Road, Australian National University, ACT 0200, Australia
Coordinates	35°16′48″S 149°6′48″E
Full name	Burgmann College, The Australian National University
Established	1971
Named for	Ernest H. Burgmann
Status	Fully catered, co-educational
Gender	All*
Sister college	Jane Franklin Hall
Principal	Philip Dutton
President	Hudson Digby
Residents	351
Mascot	Black Cat/Panther
Website	Burgmann College

Burgmann from the front lawn.

Burgmann College is a residential college affiliated with the Australian National University in Canberra. Established in 1971, it is the only Australian college to combine undergraduate accommodation with a substantial postgraduate student body. It houses 351 students, roughly one-third of whom are postgraduates. Burgmann College is located inside the western corner of the campus, close to the waters of Lake Burley Griffin.

The college is named after Ernest H. Burgmann (1885-1967), the progressive Anglican Bishop (of Goulburn from 1934, and Canberra and Goulburn from 1950 to 1960) whom Prime Minister Robert Menzies once described in Parliament as a "most meddlesome priest".

Burgmann College and neighbouring John XXIII College are the only remaining independent residential colleges among the Australian National University's ten halls of residence. Burgmann and John XXIII continue to administer their own admissions processes separate from the university's central clearinghouse for accommodation.

The Dwellings

The two original buildings of the college, Homer (named after the poet) and Barassi (named after an Australian Rules Football player), provide single room accommodation for students, with larger 'double rooms' available to second and third year students. This part of the college is fully catered, providing meals at set times in the main dining hall. The names for each wing of the original college were decided by students, due to the perceived attitudes of residents in the different buildings. The names were later officially adopted by the College when Barassi was invited to the College for naming ceremony.

In 2003, construction began on an extension to the college to provide accommodation appropriate for older postgraduate students. In part this was because of the opening of the new medical school. The development generated controversy among existing residents because of fears that the influx of postgraduate members would irrevocably change the character of Burgmann.

The new buildings were completed in 2004. Postgraduates are accommodated in a village street setting. Six residential buildings house students in studio, 2-, 3- and 5-bedroom apartments. In 2005, Phase Two of the development opened, including a multi-denominational chapel and cafe.

The college's meeting rooms have also been used by a variety of organisations to host important events, such as the Women's Electoral Lobby (WEL) which held its first national conference at Burgmann in 1973.

Affiliations

Australian National University

Burgmann College is an independent college affiliated with, but not owned by, the Australian National University (ANU). From 2001 the Burgmann College no longer accepts non-ANU students. Burgmann has previously housed residents attending the University of Canberra, Canberra Institute of Technology, and the Australian Defence Force Academy.

Religious

The college is sponsored by five churches (Anglican, Baptist, Presbyterian, Uniting, and Churches of Christ). However, the college does not have a strong religious tone and accepts students from any background. In 2004 the college Chapel was built as part of the new postgraduate wing.

Notable alumni

• Prince Katsura
• Kevin Rudd
• Thérèse Rein
• Peter Garrett
• Nick Minchin
• Gai Brodtmann
• James Popple
• John Dauth

Notable alumni and faculty

Main article: List of Australian National University people

Kevin Rudd, Former Prime Minister of Australia

Notable past faculty include Mark Oliphant, Keith Hancock, Manning Clark, Derek Freeman, H. C. Coombs, Hedley Bull and Frank Fenner. Nobel Prizes have been awarded to former ANU Chancellor Howard Florey and faculty members John Eccles, John Harsanyi, Rolf M. Zinkernagel, Peter Doherty and Brian Schmidt. Notable present scholars include Hilary Charlesworth, Ian McAllister, Warwick McKibbin, Keith Dowding, Amin Saikal and Jeremy Shearmur.

ANU alumni are especially visible in government. Bob Hawke and Kevin Rudd, former Australian Prime Ministers, attended the university, as did senior politicians Barry O'Farrell, Nick Minchin, Kim Beazley Sr, Peter Garrett, Craig Emerson, Stephen Conroy, Gary Gray, Warren Snowdon, Joe Ludwig and Catherine King and Michael Keenan. ANU has produced 30 current Australian Ambassadors and more than a dozen current heads of Australian Public Service departments, including Prime Minister & Cabinet secretary Michael Thawley, Treasury secretary Martin Parkinson, Finance secretary Jane Halton, Education secretary Lisa Paul, Agriculture secretary Paul Grimes, Attorney-General's secretary Chris Moraitis, Environment secretary Gordon de Brouwer, Employment secretary Renee Leon, Social Services secretary Finn Pratt, Industry secretary Glenys Beauchamp, ASIS director-general Nick Warner and ACCC chairman Rod Sims. Graduates also include Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Gordon Darcy Lilo, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Don Brash, former British cabinet minister Patricia Hewitt and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk.

Other notable alumni include High Court of Australia judges Stephen Gageler and Geoffrey Nettle, Chief Federal Magistrate John Pascoe, human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, Kellogg's CEO John Bryant, former Singapore Airlines CEO Cheong Choong Kong, Indiana University president Michael McRobbie, University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellors Alan Gilbert and Glyn Davis, mathematician John H. Coates, public intellectual Clive Hamilton and economists Ross Garnaut, Peter Drysdale and John Quiggin.

Affiliations

ANU is a member of the Group of Eight and the International Alliance of Research Universities. As Australia’s only member of this association, ANU enjoys close relationships and exchange partnerships with the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of California, Berkeley, Yale University, Peking University, National University of Singapore, University of Tokyo, University of Copenhagen and ETH Zurich.

See also

• List of universities in Australia
• List of Australian National University people
• Australian National University Library
• Woroni (student newspaper)
• Australian National University Union
• Australian National University Boat Club
• Australian National University Student Association
• Australian National University Postgraduate and Research Students' Association
• Group of Eight

External links

• Australian National University