colleges, to examined their methods and practices. He set out to apply the best of these methods and practices to a model for a similar college in Victoria. One result of this was his conviction that a working men's college would serve a very useful purpose, and he intimated that if the government would provide a site he would give £5000 towards the building. He met with no encouragement, and the scheme was temporarily dropped. In May the question of a Working Men's College was revived. He again offered £5000 and, after some preliminary difficulties had been disposed of, the college was at last opened in June 1887. There were 320 students on the opening night, within 12 months the number had risen to over 1000. The number of students reached nearly 10,000 in 1938. Later known as the Royal Melbourne Technical College and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, it's known today as RMIT University and is one of Australia's largest and leading universities. Later life and death In the 1880s, after he tried to found a college of music in Melbourne; when other assistance was not forthcoming he gave £20,000 to found the Ormond chair of music at the university. Ormond found there was much difference of opinion in Melbourne concerning the wisest way of using his proposed donation, and very little response had come to the appeal for funds to found scholarships. However, the money was eventually raised and in May 1887 the Ormond chair of music at the university of Melbourne was founded. Ormond had no children, but adopted two girls and a boy. On his fifth visit to Europe Ormond had a rapid physical breakdown ascribed to overwork and died at Pau, South France, on 5 May 1889. His body was sent to Melbourne and after a service at Scots Church and a large procession to Spencer Street was taken by train to Geelong where he was buried on 7 September. He was survived by his wife who died in 1925. Ormond legacy The Ormond Chair of Music at the University of Melbourne, Ormond Hall at the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, RMIT's Francis Ormond Building (the former Working Men's College), Ormond College at the University of Melbourne, Ormond Road in Geelong, The Francis Ormond Masonic Lodge No 286 UGLV and the Melbourne suburb of Ormond are all named in his honour. A bronze