By Euan Maclean, 2026 BRA President
It is a pleasure to have been elected to lead the Burgmann community into 2026. In the 55th year of Burgmann College, it has dawned on me that this position is not merely symbolic. I have the weight of 55 years of tradition on my shoulders, and I’m getting back issues just thinking about it.
I believe the values of Burgmann have not changed drastically over those 55 years. Instead, they have slowly been tugged and pushed towards the values that guide the community today. Values such as support, inclusivity and egalitarianism go to the heart of Burgmann’s strength as a college. More than that, it is the more day-to-day values, such as friendship and college-spirit, that make Burgmann such a wonderful community to be part of.
Greg Mills, the Chair of the Burgmann College Board, made a rather poignant remark in his speech at the 2025 Valete celebrations. He reminded those leaving the College that whilst they might not live at Burgmann, their membership of the community was not ending. Instead, they were entering into a new stage of their Burgmann journey as alumni.
Reflecting on those 55 years of Burg, I am reminded that the values which sit so strongly at the centre of Burg’s existence are not random. Those values are a mosaic of the thousands of students that have come before us, and what a beautiful mosaic it is!
I hope that 2026 promises to be equally as exciting and rewarding as the 54 years that precede it.
