University of New South Wales -

Some interesting facts about Goldstein College

Goldstein's Origins

Night shot of the college

from the Goldstein sculpture

pond.

Goldstein College was opened on 30th June 1964 amid a flurry of publicity mainly centred on the Goldstein Dining Hall which was to be for the use of each of The Kensington Colleges. Designed by the Government Architect, Mr E.H.Farmer, and a member of his staff, Mr Peter Hall (who was to take over from Joern Utzon as supervising architect of the Sydney Opera House), the Goldstein Hall won the Sulman Prize for architecture in 1965.

Goldstein Hall & College were named after Philip Goldstein, a British immigrant who came to Australia in 1910. In recognition of the opportunities that Australia had offered him, he donated 40,000 pounds towards the construction of the Hall and two residential wings, which initially housed women and postgraduate students. It was the first college accommodation for women on campus. Goldstein College and the Goldstein Dining Hall was opened in 1964 by the then NSW Premier, Mr J.B.Renshaw.

More about Philip Goldstein

Philip Goldstein - Portrait

by William Pidgeon.

Philip Godfrey Goldstein was born on the 6th of February 1895 to a large Jewish family in London. He immigrated to Australia in 1911 as a penniless seventeen year old. Soon after his arrival, Goldstein found work first on a Bendigo farm and then in the Melbourne fruit markets.

When the First World War broke out he joined the Australian Imperial Forces, serving with its Signal Corps in France. After a brief sojourn in America he returned to Australia and entered the shoe manufacturing industry, rising rapidly through the ranks. By 1926 he was able to form not one but two very prosperous companies of his own: the Rightwear Shoe Company and Cressbrook Pty Co. This was also the year he married Elsie nee Kidner and settled in Mosman, Sydney.

Goldstein was renowned for his philanthropy: he donated generously to several charities and opened his swimming pool to the children of his district every summer. Professor O Farrell's seminal history, UNSW: A Portrait describes him as one of the "men of wealth and power" the First Vice-Chancellor, Philip Baxter, persuaded into supporting the young university. This association probably led to the Council meeting of the 14th of September 1959 that accepted a donation of 40,000 pounds from Goldstein for the establishment of a College. In the following year presented the University with a portrait of himself, which was painted by the Archibald Prize winning artist, William Pidgeon. This portrait still hangs in the Goldstein Dining Hall to this day.

Goldstein unfortunately did not live to see the College's opening on the 30th of June 1964 or its award of the 1965 Sulman Medal for Architecture. He passed away on the 9th of November 1963, aged 69. He was cremated privately and a memorial service was held for him in the Temple Emanuel, Woollahra.

*Thank you to Dr. Ian Walker and Keith Leong for their contributions to this material.