After a 36-hour journey I arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday morning. The 12-hour flight from San Francisco to Auckland was the longest period of time I have ever spent in a sitting position - I watched 4 in-flight movies and read much of a book on the history of Methodism in Southern Australia. University of Melbourne professor and former Australian politician Brian Howe picked me up from the airport and took me to Queen's College.
The people here at Queen's and those I've met in the Melbourne area are wonderful. Queen's College has an interesting tradition of holding a 'formal dinner' three nights a week during each semester. I participated in the Wednesday evening meal and sat at the high table with the Master and other faculty and fellows of the college. Many of the students were at the dinner and almost everyone wore academic gowns to the occasion. The dinner was wonderful - and my biological clock soon informed me we were eating at 5:30 a.m. New Jersey time. I then attended an annual quiz competition between the students and faculty in one of the common rooms.
Today (Thursday) Brian drove us to the State Library of Victoria located in downtown Melbourne. We met with Dr. Kevin Molloy, Head of Manuscripts at the State Library, who took me on a tour of the library facilities. The domed general reading room was spectacular and I had a chance to review a scrapbook put together by Dr. Sugden during the late 19th century. Later in the day we visited the Synod Archives and Historical Society center of the Uniting Church in Australia. We had a nice lunch with Rev. Dr. Ian Breward and several volunteers. Ian then took us on a tour of the archives and library. We enjoyed conversation about future collaboration possibilities between the Uniting Church archives, Drew University and the General Commission on Archives and History.
Early this evening I spent a couple of hours wandering the campus of the University of Melbourne. While walking the football/cricket field I recalled memories of high school when a few friends and I tried to replicate Australian rules football that we had seen on ESPN. After examing the U. of Melbourne field I realized our small Pennsylvania field did not compare!
Tomorrow the Sugden Symposium begins and I look forward to learning more about Dr. Sugden, Queen's College, and the history of Methodism in this section of Australia.
