University of Melbourne

#158
Global Influence
Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria

University of Melbourne Featured Rankings

About University of Melbourne

By James Barham, PhD

The University of Melbourne is a public research university founded in 1853, the second-oldest institution of higher learning in Australia.

The founding of the university by the State of Victoria was facilitated by the discovery of gold in 1851, and the ensuing “Victorian Gold Rush.”

In some years, the Victorian gold fields were second in output worldwide only to California’s. Hence, the State of Victoria became quite prosperous, attracting immigrants from all over the world. The state-financed University of Melbourne also grew quickly and soon achieved a remarkable degree of academic excellence.

In 1857, a Law School was opened; in 1861, a Faculty of Engineering; and in 1862, a School of Medicine.

Today, Melbourne comprises seven campuses, with a total student body numbering about 52,000. With an endowment of approximately A$1.3 billion, Melbourne remains the wealthiest university in Australia.

Melbourne is associated with seven Nobel laureates, namely:

  • Bacterial geneticist, Joshua Lederberg
  • Molecular biologist, Elizabeth Blackburn
  • Neuroscientist, John Eccles
  • Immunologists, Macfarlane Burnet & Peter Doherty
  • Economists, James Mirrlees & Clive Granger

Other Melbourne–linked individuals include the following:

  • Philosophers Samuel Alexander, Peter Singer, Frank Jackson, Graham Priest, Graham Oppy, Brian O’Shaughnessy & David Oderberg
  • Mathematicians, Keith Briggs, Jonathan Pila, Ian Sloan, Danny Calegari, Edward Nanson, Joachim Rubinstein, Brendan McKay & Alison Harcourt
  • Computer scientists, Andrew Freeman & Samuel Braunstein
  • Painter, Lewis Miller
  • Popular singer and songwriter, Judith Durham
  • Film directors, Gillian Armstrong & George Miller
  • Actors, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Isabel Lucas, Elizabeth Debicki, Jason Clarke & Nadia Townsend
  • Comedians, Hamish Blake & Andy Lee
  • Feminist activist and essayist, Germaine Greer
  • Architect, Roy Grounds
  • Roman Catholic Cardinal, George Pell
  • Astronomers, Fulvio Melia & Wilbur Christiansen
  • Physicists, Leslie Martin, Kerr Grant, Richard Dalitz, Helen Quinn, Harry Massie & Peter Hannaford
  • Chemists, Norman Greenwood & Andrew Holmes
  • Geologists, Martin Glaessner & Ted Ringwood
  • Immunologist, Ian Frazer
  • Endocrinologist, Richard Pestell
  • Journalist and TV personality, Emma Alberici
  • Economists, Lisa Cameron & William F. Mitchell
  • Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange
  • International law and diplomacy scholar, Helen Durham
  • General John Monash
  • Former Australian Prime Ministers, Alfred Deakin, Robert Menzies & Julia Gillard

According to Wikipedia, The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb north of Melbourne's central business district, with several other campuses located across Victoria.

University of Melbourne's Online Degrees

What Is University of Melbourne Known For?

University of Melbourne is known for it's academic work in the following disciplines:

University of Melbourne's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Who Are University of Melbourne's Most Influential Alumni?

University of Melbourne's most influential alumni faculty include professors and professionals in the fields of Education, Medical, and Biology. Here are some of University of Melbourne's most famous alumni:

14th Dalai Lama
14th Dalai Lama
A 14th Dalai Lama.
Peter Singer
Peter Singer
An Australian philosopher.
Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer
An Australian writer and public intellectual.
Elizabeth Blackburn
Elizabeth Blackburn
An Australian-born American biological researcher.
Raewyn Connell
Raewyn Connell
An Australian sociologist.
Geoffrey Blainey
An Australian historian.
Philip Alston
Philip Alston
An Australian law scholar.
John Eccles
John Eccles
An Australian neurophysiologist .
Neil Sloane
Neil Sloane
A British mathematician.
Toby Ord
Toby Ord
An Australian philosopher.
Paul Sidwell
An Australian linguist.
Graham Oppy
An Australian academic, philosopher of religion.

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