Postera Crescam Laude
University of Melbourne
One campus walk covers a century of Australian architecture: Victorian Gothic labs from the 1880s, Walter Burley Griffin's Newman College, Australia's first purpose-built university library and Roy Grounds' Brutalist John Medley Building.
- 5Buildings
- 3Traditions
- 1885Oldest · Old Pathology Building
- 1971Newest · John Medley Building
Campus map and Look Around
Tap a numbered pin to see that building from the street with Apple Look Around.
Planning the visit
- Fly intoMelbourne Airport (MEL)
Melbourne Airport at Tullamarine is about 20 km north-west of the Parkville campus. The SkyBus runs to Southern Cross Station in the city, a short tram ride from the university.
- Getting aroundWalking / Swanston Street trams
Trams run up Swanston Street from the city centre to the university's front door. The Parkville campus itself is compact and easy to explore on foot.
- Colors and teams
The university's Latin motto, Postera crescam laude, means 'I shall grow in the esteem of future generations'.
5 buildings to stamp
-
Photo: Lucianclifforth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Old Pathology Building
156-292 Grattan Street, Parkville VIC
Built in 1885 by Reed, Henderson & Smart, this early English Gothic building has been in continuous university use for well over a century. Now named the Elisabeth Murdoch Building, it is on the Victorian Heritage Register.
- Built
- 1885
- Architect
- Reed, Henderson & Smart
- Style
- English Gothic
- Stories
- 2
- Today
- University Building
-
Photo: Griffin123, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Newman College
887 Swanston St, Parkville VIC
American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin built this college between 1916 and 1918, with a domed dining room between two stone residential wings. They even designed its chairs and tables, and it is on the Australian National Heritage List as one of the best examples of Griffin's work.
- Built
- 1918
- Architect
- Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin
- Style
- Art Deco
- Today
- Residential College
-
Photo: HistorygroupZRZ, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Chemistry Building
Masson Road, Parkville VIC
Percy Edgar Everett of the Victorian Public Works Department designed this Collegiate Gothic teaching building in 1938, during the university's big interwar expansion. It still houses the School of Chemistry.
- Built
- 1938
- Architect
- Percy Edgar Everett
- Style
- Collegiate Gothic
- Stories
- 2
- Today
- Chemistry School
-
Photo: Polly clip, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Baillieu Library
Corner of Grattan Street and Royal Parade, Parkville VIC
Australia's first purpose-built university library, designed by architecture lecturer John Scarborough and opened in 1959. Its foundations were laid strong enough for a tower of up to 19 storeys that was never built.
- Built
- 1959
- Architect
- John Scarborough, Ian Watkins and Barry Axtens
- Style
- Modernist
- Today
- University Library
-
Photo: S3273686, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons John Medley Building
Kernot Road, Parkville VIC
Sir Roy Grounds designed this Brutalist block, built from 1969 to 1971 to relieve the crowded Old Arts Building. Its two six-storey towers rise above a five-storey base.
- Built
- 1971
- Architect
- Sir Roy Grounds
- Style
- Brutalist
- Stories
- 5
- Today
- University Building
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3 traditions to check off
Stamped! keeps these as a checklist, so you can tick each one off on the visit.
Old Quad and the Eight-Hour Day
The Old Quad was the university's first building, and in 1856 the stonemasons building it downed tools and joined the marches that won the eight-hour working day. Visitors can walk through the Old Quad, the campus's historic heart.
Spot the Old Arts clock oddity
Students and visitors are invited to study the Roman numerals on the Old Arts Building clock tower and spot what is odd about them.
The last piece of the original fence
A single segment of the wrought-iron fence that once encircled the whole campus survives outside the Medical Building. The grounds were opened to the public in exchange for free gas lighting from the City of Melbourne; visitors can find the remaining fence section.
Know University of Melbourne well?
Students and alumni know the traditions best. Suggest one we're missing, a building worth a stamp, or a fix. Every suggestion is checked against a source before it goes into the app.
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Stamp all 5 on your visit.
Tour University of Melbourne in 3D before you go, add it to a college road trip and earn a passport stamp at every building. Free on iPhone and iPad.
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