The first Senate meetings: 1851

Seventeen meetings were called in 1851 and Senate met 12 times. Five meetings were inquorate and were cancelled.

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, attendance

1st Meeting of Senate, 3 February 1851

The first meeting of Fellows of Senate took place in the Chambers of the Speaker of the Legislative Council on 3 February 1851 at 12 o’clock noon and was attended by; Boyce, Donaldson, Davis, Merewether, Nicholson, O’Brien, Plunkett, Purves, Therry, Deas-Thomson and Wentworth.

The main business of the meeting was to determine the agenda for the next meeting.

The meeting was then adjourned until 3 March 1851.

A copy of the original minutes of the meeting can be accessed here.

2nd Meeting of Senate, 3 March 1851

It was determined:

1. That of the period of appointment for the Provost would be three years from the date of election.
2. That the election of Provost be postponed until the next meeting.
3. That Sir Charles Nicholson be elected Vice-Provost.
4. That the Office of Secretary to Senate be established to transact the general business of the Senate and that a Secretary be appointed at the next meeting of Senate at a salary of one hundred and fifty pounds per annum.
5. That a committee comprising the Vice-Provost, Davis and Merewether be formed to investigate a “device for a Corporate Seal”.
6. That a committee comprising the Vice-Provost, Wentworth, Davis and Boyce be formed to prepare By-laws for consideration by Senate.
7. That a committee comprising Deas-Thomson and Donaldson be formed to consider a system of financial management.
8. That a committee comprising the Vice-Provost, Wentworth, Therry and O’Brien be formed to enter into negotiations over the possible leasing of the Sydney College buildings for the use of the University.

A copy of the original minutes of the meeting (4 pages) can be accessed here.

3rd Meeting of Senate, 17 March 1851

Edward Hamilton was appointed to the Office of Provost of the University.

Six applications for the position of Secretary were considered and Richard Greenup appointed.

The trustees of the Sydney College agreed to lease the buildings to the University on condition that Senate expend one hundred pounds per annum on necessary repairs. The decision to take up this offer was deferred until the condition of the buildings was assessed.

4th Meeting of Senate, 24 March 1851

The Government Architect, Mr Edmund Blackett, reported on the condition of the Sydney College buildings and considered that the buildings were poorly constructed, that the walls were bulging and that “substantial repair would occasion a total re-building of the premises”.

It was proposed, and passed, that the Sydney College buildings be taken for a term of two years under the conditions discussed.

The other decisions made at this meeting included the following:

1. That a room be provided in the Sydney College for meetings of Senate.
2. That Senate meet on the first Monday in every month at noon with meetings to be adjourned or Special Meetings called as required.
3. That the Secretary provide an agenda by post at least seven days prior to Senate meetings.
4. That Fellows of Senate be required to give at least nine days notice of any motions and that all motions be recorded in a Notice of Motion book.

5th Meeting of Senate, 10 April 1851

This and many subsequent meetings were held at Sydney College.

Decisions were made regarding the appointment of Professors and lecturers and the faculties. Initially there were to be three disciplines:

1. Greek and Latin languages with Greek and Roman history. There was to be one Professor and one Lecturer in this Faculty with the Professor of Classics to be the Principal of the College at an annual salary of £600.
2. Mathematics, pure and mixed, with one Professor and one Lecturer, the Professor to receive a salary of £500.
3. Chemistry and experimental philosophy, with one Professor at a salary of £300.

All professors and lecturers to receive £100 accommodation allowance until residential accommodation could be provided.

Decisions were also made about the dates and lengths of terms and about the admission of students. The post of Registrar was to be held initially by the University Secretary.

Attendance

At the end of 1851 the attendance records indicated that:

1. Seventeen meetings were called and Senate met 12 times. Five meetings were inquorate and were cancelled.
2. No Fellows attended all meetings although the Rt. Rev. Bishop Davis and Sir Charles Nicholson attended 16 of the 17.
3. Alfred Denison attended only one meeting and the Rev. Purvis two.