2026 Move in Day

Euan Maclean - President Burgmann Residents' Association

Hello everyone, and welcome to Burgmann College. I am Euan, the president of the Burgmann Residents’ Association for 2026. I’m from Melbourne originally, I had a stint overseas growing up like I’m sure some of you have and then moved to Burgmann.

It was almost 2 years ago to the day that I first moved into college, filled with the same emotions that many of you are probably experiencing right now. Whether that be excitement, nervousness, a mixture of both, or just feeling overheated by a lovely Canberra summers day, know that myself and the rest of your team standing over here have felt the same very things.

Moving into college is a big step, and if there is one thing that is a commonality across all the faces I look out on right now, it is that you all have taken a brave step moving out of home, leaving behind the many creature comforts that we build as teenagers, your parents, your siblings, and the hardest part of all, your dogs.

Those creature comforts are replaced by new ones when you move into college. Suddenly those nights in front of the TV with your family become nights spent sitting around convo with 15 of your closest friends, playing never have I ever or recounting stories from a night out or a sports game. Your dinners spent recounting your day at school becomes dinners spent on the front lawn, lasting for hours into the night discussing how stupid philosophy is, usually with a group of philosophy students, and watching cyclists getting swooped by Sullivan the Magpie across the road on the bike path on those cold spring nights.

And your mornings, spent with the structure of the 7.56AM route 70 tram or the 8:08AM number 52 Bus, will be replaced by long leisurely walks around campus as you roll out of bed at 10am and realise you’ve once again missed breakfast.

College is a place of great freedom, but with great freedom comes great responsibility.

Over your time here, you will meet some of your best friends for life. For me, one of those people was Max, who is standing right over here, who I met on my first day at Burgmann in one of the awkward ice breakers you’ll soon do.

I met people like Lia, who is a professional mountain biker, Matilda, one of the world’s loveliest people, or Freya, who moved down here from Darwin and is one of the world’s best room decorators. Or maybe you’ll reacquaint yourself with someone like my friend Dash, who I used to climb trees with as a 5-year-old, only coming to have him as my first-year neighbour.

At Burgmann, we all come from such different places, different values, different stories. In the scheme of all that, it is a beautiful thing that we all come here and find the things that make us all common.

You come to realise that there is more that ties us together than the things that make us different. College is the place to embrace that, a place to become.

The breadth of opportunities that you offered at Burgmann is so large that you will never be able to tick every box. Between keeping up with uni and your now busy social life of 200 friends within 100m of you, it is a tough place to be, being at college. It sounds bratty to say, but it’s overwhelming to have so much at your feet and so little time.

What I can only suggest is that you make the most of your time at college. 3 years pass very quickly, and I can attest to you that it feels like yesterday that a scary third year approached my car with a big bright smile, ready to ask me where I was from and why I’d moved to Burgmann.

Try everything, make the most of your opportunities, and meet as many people as possible. I never thought for a second I would end up with so many people that changed my life when I first stepped through those doors.

To finish my speech, I want to quote from a little life by Hanya Yanagihara.

"And then I went to college, and I met people who, for whatever reason, decided to be my friends, and they taught me—everything, really. They made me, and make me, into someone better than I really am.

"You won't understand what I mean now, but someday you will: the only trick of friendship, I think, is to find people who are better than you are—not smarter, not cooler, but kinder, and more generous, and more forgiving-and then to appreciate them for what they can teach you, and to try to listen to them when they tell you something about yourself, no matter how bad—or good—it might be, and to trust them, which is the hardest thing of all. But the best, as well"

Make the most of what lies at your feet; this is the start of a journey, a marathon, not a sprint. Cherish everything that comes your way.

Welcome home.

Dr Brenda Holt - Principal

My name is Brenda Holt, and I am the Principal of Burgmann College. I only arrived at Burgmann 3 months ago, but it is my 26th year of working in residential colleges. They are very special places of growth, challenge, education and transformation. It is a joy to be here and welcome you here.

I would like to acknowledge we are on the land of the Ngambri and Ngunnawal peoples, and pay my respect to their elders, past and present, and acknowledge especially all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders here today. I am proud to be associated with this College that has 14 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students—9 of them new this year.

As a migrant to this country at 23 and living and thriving here—mainly in Melbourne-- my entire adult life, I have fallen in love with this land we know now as Australia, and am so grateful to my many friends who have helped me understand the significance of living on land that has been nurtured for 65,000 years. This unbroken stewardship, deep spiritual connection, and sophisticated environmental management practiced by its first peoples, the oldest continuous culture in the world, inspires me every day to live gently and sustainability.

Welcome to Burgmann College! Since 1971, we have fostered a culture of respect, inclusivity and egalitarianism, where students can grow academically, socially, and personally into the leaders of tomorrow. Our agenda for each of you is clear: we want you to become the very best version of yourself here. This community is built to help each and everyone of you thrive. The 50 leaders here today who have moved you in with enthusiasm and warmth are a great example of what it means to be in the Burgmann community.

College life is a smorgasbord of fun, challenging and life-transformational activities, people and opportunities. Think of a laden smorgasbord of fabulous food—if you tried everything all at once, you would be sick. But it is so important to take advantage of the rich assortment of opportunities for you to grow as a person, so that when you. leave us, you will feel better equipped to make a difference in the world.

Our College is more than just a place to live; it is a home where lifelong friendships are formed, ideas are shared, and every individual is valued. Our student leadership have spent two full weeks with us, dreaming and planning the year so that each of you find your feet quickly.

Students are at the heart of our governance and decision making. These students are simply wonderful people. They will work tirelessly over the next two weeks to support your transition to Burgmann. Please join me in thanking them!

Burgmann College is a place where you can challenge yourself, support others, and contribute meaningfully to the world around you. We are excited to see your growth and development at Burgmann and the positive impact you will have on our community!

Welcome to Burgmann College.

Welcome home.