The Chapel

The Rt Revd Charles Perry, first Bishop of Melbourne, laid the foundation stone of Trinity College on 10 February 1869, but the first building (now the Leeper Building) did not initially contain a chapel. Daily prayers were said in the students' common room (now the Warden's office), and students attended services at St John's La Trobe Street, in the city. After the completion of the Bishops' building, the common room in Leeper was converted to a chapel, seating about forty people, and a window depicting the Crucifixion was installed. Bishop James Moorhouse, who had succeeded Perry in 1876, presided at the first service of Holy Communion in the new chapel on 17 June 1878.

As the College continued to expand its student numbers (the Clarke building was completed in 1887 and took the number of residential places to 55; the Trinity College Women's Hostel — now Janet Clarke Hall — was created in 1868, with its own building being opened on 15 April 1891), the temporary chapel quickly became too small. Although the Warden, Dr Leeper, had agitated for a chapel building at least from 1905, and it was reported in 1909 that a 'new Chapel is undoubtedly the greatest and most urgest need of the College at the present time', it was not until 1909 that Council formally discussed funding, with the amount of £10,000 being thought sufficient.

A chapel had been included in the 1881 College design prepared by architect Edmund Blackett, but Council decided to hold a design competition. Thirteen entries were received by the end of 1909 and in September 1911, after much debate (and the elimination on grounds of cost of the preferred design by Melbourne firm Oakden & Ballantyne), the Chapel Design Committee — consisting of Archdeacon Lloyd Crossley (Chair), the Warden and Joseph Collins, Principal of the Women's Hostel — chose a design submitted by Alexander North of Launceston.

Subscriptions were invited for the erection of the new chapel, but a mere £300 was pledged. On 6 March 1912, perhaps a little precipitously, the Argus noted that John Sutcliffe Horsfall of Toorak, a successful businessman with no particular connection to the College, had offered the sum of £10,000 towards a chapel, to be dedicated to the memory of his daughter Edith (who had died in 1908), the wife of Colonel the Hon Rupert Carington. It is likely that his gift had been brokered by the Chancellor of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne,  E F Mitchell, QC, who had written to Warden Leeper some months earlier about the prospects of a donor.

Horsfall had written to Leeper in February 1912 expressing concern that his money would not cover the cost of erecting a chapel designed to seat 500, and certainly did not wish 'to build a chapel for the public of Carlton, who can well afford to pay for their own places of worship'. By September, eager to secure the gift and concerned about the delay, Leeper accepted a modified plan for a building to accommodate about 250. Horsfall, a low churchman, having travelled to Tasmania to meet North in person, fortunately approved of the plans, which now included fewer crosses and less decoration, and officially wrote to Council confirming his gift on 5 March 1913.

North moved to Melbourne in March 1914, and plans were completed by April. A local architect, Louis Williams, was enlisted to work with North, and builders L & J Rowsell were engaged. The Foundation Stone was laid on 30 September 1914, presided over by Archbishop H L Clarke, in the presence of Horsfall. Two years later, the main structure was complete, its Art Nouveau cum 14th-century English Gothic style drawing guarded acceptance from residents, although its interior was widely praised for its 'noble simplicity'. As yet, it had no furnishings, nor was there an organ on the prominent bridge. Horsfall died in June 1916.

In August, Council held over the decision on an opening date for the new building and over the following year, suffering some effect of the war, only slight progress was made on the installation of furnishing. The building was finally consecrated, and named the Chapel of the Holy Trinity, on 24 November 1917. The departing Chaplain, the Revd George Aicken, presided, and the sermon was preached by Bishop A V Green, the first Trinity student to train for the ministry, the first to be consecrated bishop, and who would, only three months later, become Acting Warden on the retirement due to ill health of Dr Leeper. Trinity College now had, in the words of the Age of 27 November 1917, 'a chapel worthy of itself and of the University'.

The chapel, especially its external stonework, was substantially renovated in 1987, thanks largely to a generous benefaction from Robert Cripps.

The Foundation Stone

"This chapel was erected by John Sutcliffe Horsfall to the Glory of God and in affectionate remembrance of his beloved daughter Edith. Born June 13th 1863. Died January 20th 1908. Wife of Colonel the Hon Rupert Carington D.S.O. C.V.O. Sept 30th 1914"

The Renovation Plaque

'Trinity College records its gratitude to Robert Cripps of the Cripps family, whose interest led to the restoration and enhancement fo the fabric of this Chapel. "He set masons to prepare dressed stones for building the House of God" 1 Chron 22.2. 11 October 1978. Giovanni Valerio, Salvatore Gulino, Guiseppe Cristiano, Osvaldo Corroles'