Reformed Theological College, Melbourne – 12 June 2026
As I was preparing for this afternoon, I thought: what Bible verse do you read at a library opening? After a while, I thought of this one: 2 Timothy 4:13, which is an instruction from the Apostle Paul to his young protégé Timothy:
“When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.” (2 Timothy 4:13)
Even the Apostle Paul, facing the end of his life and ministry, wanted his books around him. And the great Reformation-era scholar Erasmus of Rotterdam once remarked: “When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food and clothes.” Tonight we gather as people who understand both sentiments very well. A theological library is not a luxury for a college such as ours; it is part of the very lifeblood of our work of training men and women to minister the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It also ties us into the historical Christian tradition and our own Reformed theological heritage. This is perhaps best exemplified by the oldest, and almost certainly the most valuable book in our library, a first edition of the Acts of the Synod of Dordt from 1618–1619.
The Lord’s Provision
As we open this library this afternoon, we do so above all with thanksgiving to the Lord for His provision in bringing us to this point. That provision has a long history. Many years ago, the women from our supporting denominations collected money for this purpose by placing coins in a special collection box in their kitchens. This eventually enabled the purchase of our campus at 55 Maud Street in Geelong.
That gift, and this purchase, gave the College the capital that eventually allowed us to buy 125 Pigdons Road at Waurn Ponds, and now this floor here in Queen Street. I have here a plaque that acknowledges this fact. It reads ‘This Building is the Gift of the Ladies of the Reformed Churches’. It was displayed at Maud Street, and right next to the entrance at Pigdons Road. It will eventually also have pride of place here on Level 8 once we open the entire floor. It is a fitting reminder that what we enjoy tonight rests on the faithfulness and generosity of generations who went before us.
Because of the College’s various moves, the library itself has had to move at least six times: from the Reformed Presbyterian Church Sunday School Room in Geelong, to our second campus in a house in Myers Street, to 55 Maud Street where it was initially housed on one of the upstairs floors, then into the basement of the same building, after some extensive renovations. That was perhaps the most dramatic of the moves, as the basement flooded shortly before the opening date! From Maud Street the library moved to 125 Pigdons Road, and now 12,000 books found their way to this site. The process is not yet complete, as there are still some 22,000 books in Geelong in the process of being sorted. Yet I am deeply thankful to the Lord for enabling us to make this move, which will allow us to continue to serve the cause of the gospel here in the heart of Melbourne. I also commend the Board and staff for having the courage to embrace this step, and to follow where we firmly believe the Lord is leading us.
People in the History of the Library
There are several people to note in the history of the library. Two faculty members who served as so-called faculty librarians should be singled out: Professor Klaas Runia, who collected books for the library from the United States and the Netherlands, and Professor Henk van der Laan, who did much to put the library on a more professional footing. We have also been blessed with the services of two professional librarians. The first, Elizabeth Riddle, served for around twenty years throughout the 1980s and 1990s. She was followed by Carolyn Wakefield, who is here tonight, and who has served as RTC Librarian since 2002. Carolyn is, in fact, our longest serving current staff member! Both Elizabeth and Carolyn have served with great distinction, and I cannot speak highly enough of Carolyn’s role in overseeing the packing up of the Waurn Ponds library, and the move into this space. There have been thousands of small decisions to make along the way, and she managed them all with patience, good judgement, and an unfailing eye for detail. Thank you, Carolyn. Every shelf around us tonight bears your fingerprints.
I also want to acknowledge the volunteers who helped to keep the library running over the years: Firstly, former RTC Board chairman Tony Deenick and his wife Robyn. Robyn spent countless hours in the library assisting Carolyn while Tony busied himself with other tasks around the college during regular visits from New South Wales. I also want to acknowledge the contribution of Mr John Ryall, who is here tonight, and who has assisted with shelving and many other tasks over the years.
The Move
Packing up and moving the library involved individually handling around 34,000 titles, and there are more than a few people to thank. Daniel Combridge, our Transition Project Manager overseeing the move out of Pigdons Road, was invaluable in helping us plan the move and finding and securing a site in Geelong where we could store the books not immediately coming to Melbourne. Soon after his appointment in December 2025, our new Business Manager, Kenrick van Kerkhof, was thrown into the deep end and took on a truckload of work, overseeing the process of getting this space ready. In terms of coordination and on-the-ground problem solving, we cannot go past the one whom we often refer to as our “general”, May Blackhall. Thank you, May. We literally would not have been able to do it without you.
As far as the actual handling of the books is concerned, I should note the contributions of my faculty colleagues Murray Capill, Martin Williams, Stephen Lewis, and Andrew Stewart, who selected the books that were to come to Melbourne. They were assisted in this task by, senior student Josh Rogers, and retired RTC lecturer Alastair McEwen. The boxing of the books and other materials was mainly done by Connor Bird-Weber, Hope Costa, and William Scheepers. Towards the end of our time at Pigdons Road, with the move to Raptor Place (our warehouse in Geelong), and in coming here to Level 8, Alvin Anbeek, our part-time library assistant, did most of the heavy lifting, both literally and metaphorically, in getting this space to where it is tonight. He will also remain involved in sorting and cataloguing the rest of the library over the coming months. Thank you so much, Alvin. You have carried this move on your broad shoulders, sometimes quite literally!
This Space
As far as the space we are standing in is concerned, the design work was done by Freya Catchpoole, who is here tonight. Freya, you have given us a space that is both beautiful and built to be used, and I am sure you must be very pleased with the fruits of your labour. We certainly are! We are also delighted to have Peter Vanderzaag, Managing Director of Threefold Resources, with us this evening. 3Fold handled both the fit out here on Level 8 and the renovations on Level 3, including the new kitchen. Thank you for craftsmanship that we will be enjoying for years to come!
Rev Alexander Barkley
You may have noticed that there is one name I have not yet mentioned: that of Rev Alexander Barkley, after whom the library will be named. You could say that I have saved the best for last! I believe that attaching Rev Barkley’s name to this space is a wonderful way of demonstrating that we are a college with big dreams and with deep roots, because we serve a faithful God.
Rev Barkley, a Northern Irishman, was the minister of the Geelong Reformed Presbyterian Church before he accepted the call to teach at, and later to become Principal of, the RTC. In that role he oversaw many significant changes, including the move to 55 Maud Street in 1961, which would be the College’s home for the next four decades. Here he is on the front page of the Geelong Advertiser on 7 March 1961, as the RTC was about to move into its new premises.
Professor Barkley served as Principal until 1978 and continued to play an active role in college life deep into his retirement. In fact, he was still able to speak at the opening of our Waurn Ponds campus in the year 2000. He therefore served as a personal bridge between the pioneering generation and those who would take the RTC forward into the twenty-first century. The RTC residence at Waurn Ponds was named “Barkley Hall” in his honour, and it is wonderful to be able to honour him here at this campus as well.
There is another reason why it is fitting to honour Rev Barkley in this way. The RTC library initially consisted of twenty books in a cupboard in the Sunday School room of the Geelong Reformed Presbyterian Church. Over the years, that collection was augmented by books from Rev Barkley’s own library. I was delighted to come across one such title earlier this week. While sorting through books, I found the autobiography of one of the most remarkable figures ever to emerge from South Africa: the Boer general turned Allied field marshal and South African Prime Minister, Jan Christiaan Smuts. Given my background, I broke my rule not to linger over the books I was sorting and had a look inside. There, on the flyleaf, I saw the name “Alexander Barkley”, and below it, in darker ink, so most probably written at another time, the words “For Library”. This book is a small testimony to his generosity, to the many things he gave to this College, and to the strong foundations on which we continue to build.
We honour his legacy, and we are delighted to have three of his children Ruth, Lester, and David, as well as some other family members, with us tonight. We are thankful that you are here to represent the Barkley family.
Conclusion
In conclusion, what you see around you is more than a collection of books in a well-designed space. The RTC exists to train people to minister the gospel of the Lord Jesus in a variety of settings, right here in the heart of Melbourne, and the Alexander Barkley Library will be a wonderful resource in helping us to achieve that mission. One of the settings for which our graduates are trained is pastoral ministry in the local church. It is therefore fitting that I now hand over to Rev John Zuidema, chairman of the most recent Synod of the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia, to formally open the library.
