Melbourne University Liberal Club
Melbourne University Liberal Club
| Melbourne University Liberal Club | |
|---|---|
| President | Lachlan Eliau |
| Vice President | Lachlan Greenwood |
| Founded | 1925 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne |
| Ideology | Liberalism (Australian) Liberal Conservatism |
| Website | https://www.mulc.org/ |
The Melbourne University Liberal Club (MULC) is a political club at the University of Melbourne. Founded in 1925, MULC is the oldest university Liberal Club in Australia, and also claims to be the oldest liberal institution in the country as well.[1]
It serves as the primary centre-right club on campus, focusing on hosting weekly debates, interstate trips, and a variety of social and drinking events.[2]
History
The club was founded in 1925 shortly after the founding of the Melbourne University ALP club. The inaugural meeting of the club occurred on the 18th of September 1925. This places the founding of the club in the same year as the student magazine Farrago. The club predates the Liberal Party of Australia by more than two decades (founded 1944) and maintains near total independence from the party.[3]
Early activities of the club included debates over union deportations in 1925. Members of the club would adopt various positions including opposing aspects of the Vietnam War as well as the proposed communist ban of the Menzies Government.[4]
The club is affiliated with the Australian Liberal Students' Federation and actively participates in campus politics such as UMSU elections.
In 2025 the club celebrated its centenary with activities including a gala to marking over 100 years of activity on campus.[5]
Club aims and activities
Aims
The club's stated aims include:
- To discuss and debate matters of political and current interest
- To formulate and promote policies in accord with the philosophies of liberalism.
- To promote social interaction.[6]
Activities
Activities of the club include regular Monday meetings followed by drinks, guest speaker events, and annual trips.
Presidents
The following is a list of club presidents since 1925.[7]
| Year | President | Year | President | Year | President |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | Ian Maxwell | 1970 | Geoff Clark | 2015 | Charles Cartney |
| 1926 | Ian Maxwell | 1971 | Geoff Clark | 2016 | Andrew O'Shea |
| 1927 | Ian Maxwell | 1972 | Ian Bonwick | 2017 | Xavier Boffa |
| 1928 | 1973 | John Roberts | 2018 | Chris Kounelis | |
| 1929 | 1974 | Andrew Dent | 2019 | Ambrose Berlin | |
| 1930 | 1975 | Peter MacIssac | 2020 | Henry Kerr | |
| 1931 | 1976 | Peter Willis | 2021 | Henry Kerr | |
| 1932 | 1977 | Simon Frazer | 2022 | Justin Sternfeld | |
| 1933 | 1978 | David Robertson | 2023 | Patrick Irwin | |
| 1934 | 1979 | Robert Clark | 2024 | Conor Barnes | |
| 1935 | 1980 | Robert Clark | 2025 | Kai Bowie | |
| 1936 | 1981 | Bill Royce | 2026 | Lachlan Eliau | |
| 1937 | 1982 | John MacIssac | |||
| 1938 | 1983 | Chris Murphy | |||
| 1939 | 1984 | Richard Allsop | |||
| 1940 | 1985 | Richard Allsop | |||
| 1941 | 1986 | Victoria Williams | |||
| 1942 | 1987 | Rohan Millar | |||
| 1943 | Weiden F.K. Crowley
Alan Missen |
1988 | Anthony Smith | ||
| 1944 | Alan Missen | 1989 | Sophie Mirabella (née Panopoulos) | ||
| 1945 | Alan Missen | 1990 | Keir Cornish | ||
| 1946 | Peter McGavin
Ivor Greenwood |
1991 | Richard Salmons | ||
| 1947 | Ivor Greenwood | 1992 | Michael O'Brien | ||
| 1948 | Alan Hunt | 1993 | Angela Doyle | ||
| 1949 | Alan Hunt | 1994 | Scott Ryan | ||
| 1950 | Don Cooper | 1995 | Karl Blake | ||
| 1951 | Don Cooper | 1996 | Jonathon Mant | ||
| 1952 | Haddon Story | 1997 | Michael Habboush | ||
| 1953 | David Welsh | 1998 | Scott Pearce | ||
| 1954 | W.E. Bavington | 1999 | Chris Bland | ||
| 1955 | 2000 | Bridget Vallence (née Penny) | |||
| 1956 | 2001 | Christian Gillitzer | |||
| 1957 | Cliff Panham | 2002 | Nathan Barker | ||
| 1958 | Howard Nathan | 2003 | Amy Keenan-Dunn | ||
| 1959 | Roger Cook
Leo Hawkins |
2004 | Julian Barendse | ||
| 1960 | 2005 | Brent Crockford | |||
| 1961 | 2006 | Andrew Campbell | |||
| 1962 | John King | 2007 | Courtney Dixon | ||
| 1963 | David Kemp | 2008 | Gideon Rozner | ||
| 1964 | David Kemp | 2009 | John Shipp | ||
| 1965 | Alan Stockdale | 2010 | John Shipp | ||
| 1966 | Ian Renard | 2011 | lloyd McGeary | ||
| 1967 | Ian Renard | 2012 | Kon Moisidis | ||
| 1968 | Ian Renard | 2013 | Michael Sabljak | ||
| 1969 | Steve Clark
Ian Turley |
2014 | Michael Sabljak |
This article "Melbourne University Liberal Club" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Melbourne University Liberal Club. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
- ↑ "Melbourne University Liberal Club". www.mulc.org. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
- ↑ "Liberal Club". umsu.unimelb.edu.au. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
- ↑ "History". www.mulc.org. Retrieved 2026-05-16.
- ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2026-05-16.
- ↑ Delaney, Angus (2025-10-10). "'Friends disowned me': Uni Liberal Club admits it's a struggle to attract new members". The Age. Retrieved 2026-05-16.
- ↑ "Liberal Club". umsu.unimelb.edu.au. Retrieved 2026-05-16.
- ↑ "Honour Roll". www.mulc.org. Retrieved 2026-05-16.
