MACGEORGE BEQUEST
NORMAN AND MAY MACGEORGE
Norman Macgeorge, artist and patron of the arts, lived at Fairy Hills, Ivanhoe, with his wife May from 1911 until his death in 1952. May was a fellow artist and grand-daughter of overlander pastoralist and ships Captain John Hepburn (which he pronounced “Hebburn”) 1800-1860 who built Smeaton House in central Victoria, a Colonial Regency Style Georgian building dated 1849-50, and now registered by the National Trust of Australia.[1] Further information about Norman and May Macgeorge is provided by the Ian Potter Museum of Art at —
http://www.art-museum.unimelb.edu.au/collection/named-collections/namecol/9.
On the death of May Macgeorge in 1970, the joint intention cherished by the Macgeorges and expressed in their wills came into effect. This was to leave to the University of Melbourne their house and land, furniture, paintings, books and all effects, together with some capital.
The bequest was to enable the fulfilment of their wish to promote the arts at the University of Melbourne, especially postgraduate study of the arts, and to ensure their house, which had for many years been a centre for encouragement of the arts, continue to be such. The Macgeorge Fellowships are funded by the Macgeorge Bequest. The University entrusted the administration of the Macgeorge Bequest to a Committee of Management under University Trust Record (UTR 7.98), with responsibility to maintain the house and grounds and to provide for its use in accordance with the intentions of Norman and May Macgeorge. This Committee is made up of senior academics, curators, administrators and financial advisors.
1. MACGEORGE FELLOWSHIPS
Macgeorge Fellowships are open to artists, performers, writers or researchers in the visual, creative and performing arts, music, architecture, conservation, literature, creative writing, language, history, philosophy and anthropology. They must be nominated by an appropriate school/department of the University of Melbourne to be eligible, and the school/department must give the nominee an Honorary appointment as a Visitor to the University if the nomination is successful.
Benefits
- One-off payments of up to $14,000 to the host school/department.
- Successful Fellows will visit the University for between 4-8 weeks and stay at Macgeorge House for an uninterrupted period of research, writing or artistic endeavour. They will enjoy full use of the house and extensive river-front gardens.
- The Macgeorge Bequest Committee of Management may offer those applicants not able to be accommodated at Macgeorge House a Fellowship with alternative accommodation.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be considered for a Fellowship you must —
- hold the fellowship concurrently with an honorary appointment as a Visitor to the University; and
- deliver a public lecture/performance and departmental/school seminar/postgraduate workshop at the University during the fellowship.
Successful recipients are required to forward a fellowship report on the success and benefits of the fellowship to the Macgeorge Bequest Committee of Management through the Committee Secretary.
Additional Information
Applications may be made for honorary fellowships where honorary fellows are provided with short-term residence at Macgeorge House but no contribution to travel fares and living expenses. Successful honorary fellows are not required to deliver a public lecture/performance.
Macgeorge Fellowships and Honorary Fellowships are awarded by the Macgeorge Bequest Committee of Management.
For further information please contact lnelson@unimelb.edu.au.
Applications
Individual applications are not accepted. All applications must be submitted through the relevant school/department/faculty.
Macgeorge Fellowships are awarded by the Macgeorge Bequest Committee of Management which meets quarterly. Schools/Departments are asked to read the guidelines and complete an application and submit it to lnelson@unimelb.edu.au by the due date.
Due Date
Applications for August 2024 - June 2025 are now closed. Applications for July 2025 - June 2026 will be called for in mid 2024.
2. MACGEORGE SPEAKER/PERFORMER AWARDS
Macgeorge Speaker/Performer Awards assist schools/departments/faculties of the University to take advantage of ad-hoc opportunities to invite eminent speakers and performers in the visual, creative and performing arts, music, architecture, conservation, literature, creative writing, language, history, philosophy and anthropology to visit the University for the purpose of delivering a public lecture, oration, performance, symposium or conference presentation at the University. They must be nominated by an appropriate school/department of the University of Melbourne.
The Awards include a category for online presentations. This will assist speakers/performers to deliver a public lecture, oration, performance, symposium or conference presentation online if they are unable to visit the University in person.
Benefits
- One-off payments of up to $2,500 to the host school/department.
- For an online presentation, up to $1000 per speaker/performer for a solo presentation OR up to $500 per speaker/performer for a presentation involving more than one speaker/performer.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be considered for a Speaker/Performer Award you must be —
- nominated by an appropriate school/department of the University; and
- hosted by the school/department as a visitor to the University if nomination is successful.
PLEASE NOTE: Individual applications are not accepted. All applications must be submitted through the relevant school/department/faculty.
Successful recipients are required to forward a speaker/performer report on the success and benefits of the Award to the Macgeorge Bequest Committee of Management.
Application
Macgeorge Speaker/Performer Awards are awarded by the Macgeorge Bequest Committee of Management. Schools/Departments are asked to read the guidelines and complete an application and submit it to lnelson@unimelb.edu.au.
Due Dates
Applications are accepted throughout the year within the following dates:
Semester 1, 2024: Monday 5 February to Friday 21 June
Semester 2, 2024: Monday 22 July to Friday 15 November
Selection
The Committee undertakes to make awards in quick response to nominations throughout the year. The number of Awards in any year shall be determined by the Committee.