Our history

The University of Melbourne, founded in 1853, is the oldest university in Victoria and the second-oldest in Australia. The faculty's history dates back to the establishment of the School of Medicine in 1862. It is the oldest and one of the most prestigious medical schools in Australia.

Brief chronology 1862 to the present

The University of Melbourne was formally opened in 1855 and Anthony Colling Brownless, an eminent English physician, was appointed to the university council. He began the first serious attempts to start a medical school. Read the chronology from 1862 to the present.

List of deans

View a list of deans from 1876 to the present.

Medical history resources

The University of Melbourne has the oldest medical school in the English-speaking southern hemisphere. Its history spans the modern history of biomedicine, from chloroform to molecular medicine and is a valuable resource for teaching and research. The faculty's online medical history resources are designed to support students and researchers, both within and beyond the university community. Find out more about the faculty's medical history resources.