Melbourne installs 19th Chancellor in colourful ceremony

Media Release, Tuesday 1 February 2005

The University of Melbourne's 19th Chancellor has been installed with 'pomp and ceremony' at the University today,Tuesday 1 February 2005

Melbourne lawyer, Mr Ian Renard, was installed as the new Chancellor of the 150-year-old University by the Governor of Victoria, John Landy.

The highly ceremonial occasion began with a colourful academic procession crossing the campus from the historic Quadrangle at to Melba Hall.

Victorian parliamentarians, senior members of the legal and business community, former chancellors and vice-chancellors of the University of Melbourne and chancellors and vice-chancellors from other Australian universities attended the installation ceremony.

They joined around 100 academics, members of the University Council, heads of the University residential colleges, in the academic procession.

In his address, the Governor paid tribute to outgoing Chancellor Ms Fay Marles who, he said, presided over the University Council during a period of remarkable growth and change, at all times, leading the University with insight and with grace.

Mr Landy observed that the ultimate responsibility for governance in the University rests with the Chancellor. "With Ian Renard this responsibility is in good hands. His deep knowledge of the University together with his experience in the world of law and commerce equip him well to lead this University into the next exciting stage of its development."

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Renard noted that everyone has an anecdote about the University. "Everyone shares in our achievements, everyone feels anxieties about our difficulties, every Council member experiences this. It reinforces the fact that we are a public institution; we were established to serve this community.

"I believe that we serve the community best by maintaining the values we cherish – excellence in teaching, research to a world-class standard, absolute integrity in what we do, and creating an experience for those who work and study here, through the buildings, the landscaping, the resources, the culture, that attracts the best staff and students -we call this the 'Melbourne experience'."

Mr Renard's first official task as Chancellor was to confer 12 Juris Doctor (JD) graduates with their degrees.

Also part of the ceremony was a performance by the Melbourne Composition Choir.