58 PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION, 



Henry HoiDkins, J. D. Chapman, and other jDctitioners. 

 Amongst the objects of that School in which it differed 

 from Queen's College, it was proposed that the responsi- 

 bility for giving religious instruction should devolve upon 

 the parents and religious denominations to which the 

 pupils belonged. It v/as further laid down that the Insti- 

 tution should carry on the education of the youth of the 

 Colony who had left the elementary and private Colleges. 



Gell's Circular and the Bishop's Charge roused the 

 supporters of this scheme to new action, and on the 2nd 

 May, 1846, they held a meeting to consider what steps 

 should be taken to make the School suggested in tneu" 

 petition to Sir Eardley Wilmot a practical proposition. 

 The project languished, however, until the controversy 

 arose with reference to the grant by Sir Wm. Denison of 

 the site for the Hutchins School. The refusal of the 

 Governor tO' postpone the grant until the memorial of the 

 objectors was considered by the Secretary of State, galvan- 

 ised the objeictorsi into definite acton, and they issued a 

 Prospectus on 31st August, 1847, the day of the laying of 

 the Foundatiou Stone of the Hutchins School, for the es- 

 tablishment of a Proprietary School, in accordance wim 

 the views of those who shared Dr. Lillie's opinions, and on 

 undenominational principles. The Prospectus set forth 

 that ultimately, with the growing wants of the commun- 

 ity, the object of the School was tO' obtain the privileges of a 

 chartered corporation, and advantages similar to those of 

 a European University. The affairs were to be managed 

 by a Council of 9 shareholders, or subscribers, elected by 

 the Association. Shares to the amount of about £5, 00 J 

 were rapidly taken up, and the Governor granted tiiem 

 a piece of land, comprising the present University Grounds; 

 and the Municipal Reserve in front as a site for the new 

 School. A building was erected at a total cost of about 

 £4,500 on this site, and a School, called The High School, 

 opened in January, 1850, with Mr. James Eggleston, of 

 Trinitv College, Dublin, as Headmaster. Mr. J. A. Frc'ude 

 had been nominated to the office of Rector, but, on excep- 

 tion being taken to his theological views, he resigned the 

 appointment. This School continued for many years to 

 hi the friendly rival of the Hutchins School, until the 

 building was leased to the Council of Christ's College in 

 1885. 



On the establishment of the Tasmanian University the 

 Trustees of the School refused to renew the Lease to the 

 College, and allowed the site under the terms of the gift 

 to revert to the Government, which appropriated the build- 

 ing, with a portion of the land, for the purposes of The 

 University of Tasmania, thus carrying out the original 



