Page 27 - Luce 2024

S enior C o mmon Ro om

Life in the Library

and Archives

College Librarian and Records
Officer, Cindy Derrenbacker,
describes the 2023 focus on
architecture, dining, tutors, and
reading for a lifetime of pleasure and learning.

In 2023, as in past years, I spent time in both the College
Archives and the Main Reading Room working alongside
university students in support of their research and
information needs. I have chosen to highlight some of my Flora Harpley Green celebrates Visions of the Future, Echoes
archival work below as it may be of particular interest to of the Past
Luce readers.

Flora Harpley Green (Trinity College volunteer) and I worked and both expressed satisfaction in the fact that college
over a period of several months to put together architectural tutors have the opportunity to support both the welfare and
images (photos of architectural plans and photos from historic academic success of their students.
albums), plus select pieces of artwork and related objects –
all from the Archives, showcasing JCH’s architectural plans It has been a pleasure to serve as College Librarian and
for development. This work culminated in an exhibit in the Records Officer these past four years. I have learned about
College foyer entitled, Visions of the Future, Echoes of the the rich history of the College and enjoyed participating in the
Past. We were delighted to provide a College forum on 4 educational formation of many committed university students
May to showcase the exhibit. During the evening, which as they research, read, and write in the various, book-lined
was well attended by students and staff, Flora described rooms that comprise the Verdon Library, Janet Clarke Hall.
and interpreted the exhibit, followed by Dr Peter Campbell,
author of The Triumphs of Our Fleur-de-Lys: 150 Years of I have appreciated the dedication of the tutors and
Trinity College Melbourne (2022), who provided an historic administrative staff and the collegial atmosphere, as well as
summary of JCH’s building development, from its earliest the bent towards literature (the Artist-in-Residence program,
beginnings as ‘The Hostel’ to its current state. the Literature Dinner, and the student book grant awards all
attest to this). While I am moving on to new opportunities,
You may recall that last year Library Assistant, Megan Barry, I do not live far away; our paths will continue to cross, I’m
put together a creative and interactive exhibit based on a sure! I am grateful for the opportunity to have participated in
small collection of Jane Austen miniatures, with coloured the life of the JCH community and send my best wishes to all,
plates gifted to Ivy Clarke (Lady Janet Clarke’s daughter) at encouraging everyone to read for a lifetime of pleasure and
Christmas 1902, and housed in the College Archives. This learning.
year, Megan researched JCH’s dining practices over the years,
including the infamous Cookery Test, sharing her research
at the dinner hour on 7 September. With assistance from
the College chef, a single table was ‘dressed’ with china and
cutlery from the 19th century including polished candelabra
and monogrammed napkin rings from the Archives. Based
on an 1896 book from the Archives that lists each meal
(breakfast, lunch, and dinner) that was served at the Trinity
Hostel that year, the chef kindly prepared a dinner for our
current residents with menu items that would have been
served from that time period. As one might expect, much of
the meal was boiled! Thus, the residents enjoyed a taste of
‘yesteryear’ and tried to answer some of the questions from
an original Cooking Test.

Megan, a University of Melbourne History major, and I, also
participated in an oral history interview with a mother-son
duo, Dr Merryn Dawborn-Gundlach (1981) and Dr Hugh
Gundlach (2007), both of whom had been tutors at the
College decades apart. It was interesting to hear their varied
experiences of College life and to learn from the perspective
of a tutor rather than from that of a student which is often the
more common approach. They described the positive impact
that tutorial life had on them professionally after university Table dressed with china and cutlery from the 19th century

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