The Dining Hall

International House Dining Hall set up for the Commencement Dinner, 2022.

The dining hall is a significant place in any residential college, providing not just meals but also memories. When International House opened in 1957, the dining hall was much smaller and more formal than it is today. ‘Men’ (as the residents were all male at that time) were required to dress formally for the evening meal and ‘wear coats and ties with gowns at dinner from Monday to Friday’ (International House Council, 1958).

Students enjoying an informal meal in the dining hall, 1960. Album of Student Activities: Compiled and Presented to the House by Soedjadi Sastrosoegito and Richard Shiell. International House Archives.
A member of staff in the original servery at International House, c. 1958. International House Archives.
Extract from the Internatinal House orientation handbook for 1961 describing arrangements for meals
Extract from Selamat Datang, 1961. International House Archives.
Students in the dining hall dressed in academic gowns, c. 1961. This photograph pre-dates the arrival of IH’s first female residents in 1972. International House Archives.

By 1960, the Dining Hall already seemed too small. An Interim Building Committee of the International House Council developed plans to expand the hall to seat up to 286 people (Dimmick, 1967, p. 24). But it wasn’t until July 1969 that building works began. During construction, the Junior Common Room (then known as Ida Scheps Hall) was used for meals (“Warden’s Report No. 3”, 1969).

When the new and expanded Dining Hall opened, it allowed for more — and bigger — social and community events. In 1970, Student Club President Michael Pinches attributed residents’ involvement at IH to this larger community space: “The success of many activities this year is due largely to the excellent facilities we have at International House. The new dining hall, for example, has been most suitable for our Dinners, International Nights, and Common Room Dances” (Pinches, 1970, p. 4).

The new dining hall, for example, has been most suitable for our Dinners, International Nights and Common Room Dances.

Pinches, 1970, p. 4
Students in the ‘new’ dining hall at International House, c. 1972. International House Archives.

The opening of the new hall didn’t solve all of IH’s dining problems. In 1974, the Warden reported that the college had been ’embarrassed’ by the number of chairs that had collapsed, with chairs breaking ‘every day’ (International House Executive and Finance Committee, 1974). The volunteers of the International House Auxiliaries came to the rescue, donating $1500 to improve the seating situation.

I know that there will be many long and memorable hours
of discussions of debate and of laughter in this, ‘The
Dimmick Dining Hall’.

Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke, 1985
Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke (left) and Warden Bob Fels (right) at the official naming of the Dimmick Dining Hall, 1 October 1985. International House Archives.

In 1983, the International House Council agreed to name the dining hall the ‘Dimmick Dining Hall’ in honour of IH’s second Warden Samuel Dimmick (1922-1984). The Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke — who as a student had tried unsuccessfully to establish an international house at the University of Western Australia (Hawke, 1985) — was invited to speak at the formal naming of the hall. Speaking at the event, Hawke reflected on the role of residential colleges in the life of a university:

Residential colleges have traditionally had a special place in university life, and an institution such as International House has, of course, a particularly significant contribution to make on the campus of Melbourne University, serving the needs of both overseas and Australian students… The informal daily contact of all residents permits a cross fertilization of cultures and of ideas. Through this kind of opportunity Australian students are able to broaden their knowledge and understanding of overseas countries and other lifestyles and philosophies. Overseas students, in turn, gain a deeper appreciation of the Australian way of life, and feel less isolated in our country because of this interaction (Hawke, 1985).

Just as residential colleges have a ‘special place’ in a university, dining halls have a special place in residential colleges. At International House, the Dining Hall continues to be the place where everyone gathers whether for a formal dinner or a friendly coffee.

Winter Dinner, 2023.

References

Dimmick, S. (1967). IH expansion. Satadal, 24.

Hawke, R. J. (1985, October 1). Speech by the Prime Minister at International House, Melbourne, 1 October 1985. https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-6753

International House Council (1958, September 17). Regulations and General Arrangements. International House Council Meeting Papers and Minutes. International House Archives.

International House Executive and Finance Committee (1974, September 9). Meeting No. 6. International House Council Meeting Papers and Minutes. International House Archives.

Pinches, M. D. (1970). President’s Report, 1970. Satadal, 4.

Warden’s Report No. 3 (1969, September 12). International House Council Meeting Papers and Minutes. International House Archives.