Wesley College is a co-residential college of 265 students within the University of Sydney. The college occupies a site on the main campus of the University of Sydney and was built on a sub-grant of Crown land. 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, which was at one stage the oldest known Bible in Australia. This bible is on permanent loan to the University of Sydney Library Rare Books and Special Collections under the call number Incunabula 79.2.
Contents
Buildings
The Edwardian 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 building originally consisted of the central wing, dining room, chapel and Master's residence. It has a steep slate roof and is topped with a copper flèche. The interiors are detailed in a neo-Gothic style with polished timber staircases and wainscotting, leadlight windows and quatrefoil plaster 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, 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
1923–1942 Rev Leslie Bennett
1942–1964 Rev Bertram Wyllie
1965–1976 Rev Norman Webb
1977–1983 Rev James Udy
1984–1996 Rev John Whitehead
1997–2001 Rev John Evans
2002–2009 Rev David Russell
2010–present Lisa Sutherland
Notable alumni
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