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Abstract

Christ College is the oldest tertiary institution in Australia and is a residential college of the University of Tasmania. Christ's College (as it was originally called) opened in 1846 at Bishopsbourne.
The foundation of a college "to provide a sound and liberal education for the sons of
Colonists" on the lines of an Oxford or Cambridge college was originally proposed by
Sir John Franklin, Lieutenant-Governor 1837 -1843. He discussed the project for a
couple of years by correspondence with the British Secretary of State and Dr. Arnold of
Rugby School. Dr Arnold recommended as headmaster John Philip Gell, who arrived in
March 1840 and started a "superior" school, the Queen's School, to prepare boys for the
college. Franklin then submitted his proposal to the Legislative Council which approved it
and voted money for building a college and for Queen's School. Franklin and Gell
proposed that the college should be established by charter, the Lieut-Governor should be
visitor and the principal be appointed by the Crown and he and the fellows should manage
the college. Both Dr. Arnold and Sir John Franklin considered college education must be
"founded on a religious basis but Franklin wanted it "as little exclusive as possible". There
should be "no religious tests, no inteiference with the conscience of either teacher or
students and no notice taken of the distinction between different classes of Christians"
although the principal should be of the church of the majority. A country site was
preferred "to remove the incentive to drunkeness, gambling and low company" of a town
and Franklin set apart 10 acres of the Government's fann at New Norfolk. There the first
stone was laid of a college "dedicated to Christ" on 6 November 1840.

From University Collection UA17. See http://eprints.utas.edu.au/18246/ for a pamphlet describing in brief the history of the Christ College Library.

Item Type:	Other
Authors/Creators:	University of Tasmania
Keywords:	Christ College, Sir John Franklin, Lady Franklin, Bishopsbourne, Tasmania, Reverend Francis Vansittart Thornton, John Phillip Gell, Reverend Rowland Robert Davies, St Wilfred's College, Library of St Wilfrid,
Publisher:	University of Tasmania
Collections:	University of Tasmania > University of Tasmania Special Collections
Additional Information:	Reasonable investigation by the University of Tasmania Library indicates that this work is in the public domain. You do not need to request any permission to re-use the material but the following acknowledgement is requested: “Courtesy of the University of Tasmania Library Special & Rare Collections”.
Related URLs:	Author
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