Key dates in the Social History of Old Quad

The University of Melbourne’s Parkville Campus was built on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. We pay respect to Wurundjeri people who still live and work on this land

The University of Melbourne was established by an Act of the Victorian Parliament.

The Quadrangle building became the first building on campus when construction began in 1854.

The east and west wings of the Quadrangle building were completed, providing apartment living arrangements for the four university professors and their families on the first floor (William Edward Hearn, William Parkinson Wilson, Martin Howy Irving and Frederick McCoy). The Quadrangle also facilitated teaching spaces, university research and administration.

While construction of the north wing was well underway, stonemasons put down their tools on the 21 April 1856 and lobbied for better working conditions. This resulted in the the Eight Hour Day movement which is still celebrated today.

The National Museum collection is moved to the University to be rehoused on the second floor of the north wing when construction is completed. Frederick McCoy, the Professor of Natural Science, managed the collection. A large portion of the collection has been incorporated into the University's Tiegs Zoology Museum and Museums Victoria Collection.

The construction of the north wing facilitated the university’s first lecture theatres, promoting a public and open approach to education.

An extension to the north wing of the Quad provided space for the University library.

The Melbourne University Union formed and located itself within Professor Edward Nanson’s old apartment, on the western side of the building. This union was strictly for male staff, students and graduates.

The Princess Ida Club established in 1886 and situated itself in Professor Hearn’s old apartment, in the east wing. In contrast to the union, the club’s members consisted of female staff, students and graduates only. The intention of the club was to “promote the common interests of, and to form a bond of union between the present and past women students”.

By 1900 the Faculty of Medicine had long moved out from the Quadrangle classrooms, into more significant buildings.

As a result of increased student interest and participation, The Sports Union moved into north wing of the Quadrangle which previously housed the Melbourne Museum collection.

After World War Two, the Arts was the largest faculty within the University. Between 1919 and 1924, The Arts Building was constructed, allowing students to leave the cramped conditions of the Quadrangle building.

The lecture theatres in the north wing were removed and repurposed for the University library.

The Quadrangle building gradually became home to the Law Faculty. In 1959 the University library was converted to the specialist law library (which it had already started to accommodate since 1951).

The south wing was completed, finally enclosing the Quadrangle.

The Law Faculty relocates to a new building on the University campus, making room for alternative departments including Classics and Archaeology.

The Old Quad hosts the opening ceremony for the 150^th anniversary of the Eight Hour Day movement. The site acknowledged the building labourers who downed their tools during the construction of the quadrangle in 1856.

The northern wing of the Old Quad closes its doors in 2017 for a two-year renovation, led by architecture firm Lovell Chen. The building reopens to the public on the 6^th May 2019.

After an extensive renovation of the north wing, Governor of Victoria Linda Dessau opens the Old Quad alongside University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Duncan Maskell.

The Old Quad renovation celebrates the architectural and historical significance of the heritage building and launches a new function for the building. Classrooms have been transformed into a space for lectures, seminars, tours and research, and facilitates engagement and participation through a diverse program of events, exhibitions, performance and ceremonies.

The Old Quad inaugurates the opening of the treasury gallery with exhibition Ancestral Memory. This exhibition presents the work of artist and curator Maree Clarke (Mutti Mutti/Wemba Wemba/Yorta Yorta/Boon Wurrung) and has included research undertaken by architect Jefa Greenaway.

The renovated north wing has incorporated Passivhaus principles as part of its design. Passive House is a standard for energy efficiency, reducing the need for heating and cooling through the implementation of air tightness and thermal installation. This reflects the university’s support of new technology and sustainable practices.

Architecture firm Lovell Chen receives a Sustainable Architecture award for the Old Quad Redevelopment project, as part of the Victorian Architecture Awards organised by the Australian Institute of Architects.