Melbourne Humanities Foundation

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The Melbourne Humanities Foundation was established in 2012 by the Faculty of Arts in partnership with the Melbourne Humanities Foundation Board. The Foundation Board supports those fields of teaching and research that sit at the heart of a university - the humanities disciplines.

The role of the Foundation is to assist the Faculty of Arts to develop support for humanities programs and enable our students to thrive. The Foundation seeks benefaction in key areas such as art history, classics, history, literature, languages, and philosophy. Through the establishment of an endowed fund, the Foundation aims to ensure that future generations are able to benefit from a vibrant humanities community at Melbourne.

Comprised of professors, research fellows, lecturers, postgraduates, undergraduates and our alumni and friends, this community of the humanities has students as its core concern, and the Foundation wants to make certain that they have the opportunity to benefit from the best humanities education.

The Foundation aims to nurture and enhance skills and abilities essential for our society:

  • a capacity for critical thinking and intellectual rigour
  • an aptitude and enthusiasm for innovation and creativity
  • a capability for living with complexity and ambiguity
  • a developed understanding of oneself and one’s place in the world; and
  • an ability to comprehend the real needs and concerns of others

The Foundation asks you to join them in securing the future of a flourishing humanities program at the University of Melbourne.

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In its first decade, the Foundation secured extraordinary support for chairs, lectureships and scholarship opportunities across the Faculty of Arts, providing transformative opportunities for new scholarship and education.  Recognising the work of 3 of its founding members, in March 2021 the Foundation launched 3 new initiatives and is currently seeking specific donations in these areas, in addition to ongoing initiatives.

Allan J Myers Initiative in Latin

The Allan J Myers Initiative in Latin recognises the leadership of the founding Chair of the Foundation and enables the Faculty of Arts to support Latin learning and teaching for generations to come. This initiative strengthens the Classics and Archaeology program at Melbourne and helps to build our community of scholars committed to excellence, particularly through the study of the Ancient World – its language, literature, history and myth.

To contribute to the Allan J Myers Initiative you can make a gift through the Classics Trust Fund.

Sir James Gobbo Scholarship in Italian Studies

The Sir James Gobbo Scholarship in Italian Studies supports students who may struggle financially but who are committed to ‘Italian as an asset’: the potential of Italian studies to enhance life.  It assists those students whose academic work reflects a commitment to knowledge about Italian culture, history, industry, language and/or politics.  We believe this is a fitting tribute to Sir James and his remarkable contribution to the Faculty of Arts, the University of Melbourne and our society.

To contribute to the Sir James Gobbo Scholarship in Italian Studies you can make a gift through the Italian Studies Trust Fund.

Peter Steele Poet in Residence in Honour of Susan Crennan

The Peter Steele Poet in Residence in Honour of Susan Crennan fosters creativity and enriches our communal experience of place, purpose and connection through classes, workshops and readings led by a Poet in Residence in the Faculty of Arts. This appointment will bring a wider audience closer to the writing of poetry and to understanding the role of a poet – creating and maintaining a vital link and showing that poetry can have a life outside the narrow context it is often given.

To contribute to the Peter Steele Poet In Residence in Honour of Susan Crennan you can make a gift to the Peter Steele Poetry Fund.

Mr Peter Jopling AM KC, Chair of the Melbourne Humanities Foundation Board (Image: David Hannah)
Mr Peter Jopling AM KC, Chair of the Melbourne Humanities Foundation Board (Image: David Hannah)

Melbourne Humanities Foundation Board

The work of the Melbourne Humanities Foundation is supported by a Board comprised of alumni, friends, staff, supporters and advisers to the Faculty of Arts.  Currently chaired by prominent lawyer and philanthropist Peter Jopling AM KC, the Board reports to the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and in 2022 comprises:

  • Mr Peter Jopling AM KC (Chair)
  • Ms Lin Bender AM
  • Mrs Krystyna Campbell-Pretty
  • Mr Philip Crutchfield KC
  • Rev Prof Russell Goulbourne
  • Ms Jane Hansen AO
  • Dr James McComish
  • Mr James McGrath
  • Sir Jonathan Mills AO, Chev A et L
  • Ms Edwina Myer
  • The Hon Dr Tony Pagone KC
  • Mrs Yvonne Panagacos
  • Mr Bill Papastergiadis OAM
  • Mr Morry Schwartz AM
  • Prof Sara Wills
  • Mr George Yeung