50 year history
A prestigious heritage in executive education
In 1888, the Mt Eliza facility was an opulent Victorian residence of 42 rooms, with splendid gardens and vineyard built for the English Pastoralist, James Grice and his family.
In 1950, Ansett Transport Industries took ownership of the ‘Moondah' mansion. Under instructions from their Chairman, Mr R.M Ansett, the mansion was restored and re-named ‘Hotel Manyung'.
For seven years it served as the finest hotel on the Mornington peninsula before being sold to the Australian Administrative Staff College in 1957.
The genesis of the College can be traced to 1952 and substantially to Mr Geoffrey Remington, a Sydney solicitor whose personality and spontaneity were legendary. He was aware of the achievements of similar colleges in the UK and was firmly convinced of the need for such a college in management education in Australia.
Mr Remington secured the critical support of many leading Australian companies, including that of the giant conglomerate, Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited whose Chairman was the dynamic Mr Essington Lewis - later founding chairman of the College Council.
The College was incorporated as a private company in 1955 and a Council appointed, which included Mr Remington. In that year Sir Douglas Copland, a distinguished economist and diplomat became the first Principal. In June 1957, the Council purchased the mansion and the first 12-week executive course was held in September. In 1960, following consultation with the Grice family, the name ‘Moondah' was restored, which is an aboriginal name for ‘black snake' and ‘beyond'. It was the latter the College adopted for its motto and this was incorporated into the Coat of Arms in 1967 with the interpretation ‘Over the Horizon'.
The Mt Eliza facility has undergone a modern restoration and extension, in keeping with the splendid Victorian architecture.
Since the 1950s, Mt Eliza is the prestigious facility for management education and executive development for thousands of managers and their organisations. Melbourne Business School acquired the Mt Eliza facility through the merger with Mt Eliza executive education in 2004 and is proud to continue this legacy.
